Awesome for kids and adults. You can easily spend a full day on all the activities! Staff very…read morefriendly!

Always a great experience at Howells. Lots of room for the kids to run and play and be loud. Every…read moreyear there is more fun added. This we we took in some food while hunting down the perfect pumpkin, got lost in the maze and enjoyed seeing and feeding the baby goats.

My absolute favorite pumpkin farm since I've been a kid. In recent years, they've done away with…read morepicking your own out in the field but they have tons of sizes and gourds to choose from inside the shed. Dick and Letha DeMoss are the sweetest people and honestly, the reason I make the drive up from DSM. Letha bakes all of the bread and makes most of the jam, you must grab at least one of each! Dick is great for cooking advice; he'll tell in great detail how to prepare anything you buy. They have other seasonal produce: tomatoes, green beans, onions, etc. Find them at Ames Farmer's Market and their veggie stand in town! Lots of good photo opportunities as well-- antiques, tractors, fields, outbuildings. The cutest!

Got to check this place out during a Yelp event. Without Yelp I would never heard of this place. No…read moregeneral admission unless you want to do the maze prices are very reasonable $8 for anyone over 6, age 4-5 $1, and under is free, great for the whole. It's not a grand big pumpkin patch like the other ones around town that are pretty popular, they do have activities. They have a mini corn maze and the big one is shaped like the Super Mario characters and it's a scavenger hunt that will keep you busy. There is also a campfire. I will say this place is a little run-down, when I pulled into the parking lot I wasn't so sure, don't try to be cute or where cute shoes or dress up it's pretty muddy out there. The staff was nice and they have a kitchen where u can order snacks and some warm to drink when it's chill outside.

I love going to the Pumpkin Patch at Pumpkinville & Cornmaze in Mitchelleville, IA. It's only…read more15-20min drive outside of DSM, and the only dog friendly pumpkin patch. It's our little family tradition to go out a pick pumpkins with a snack and warm cider. This wonderful place has a cute treasure hunt in the corn maze, tractor ride to the pumpkin patch, corn kernel pit for the kiddos, and a small little snack shop. You can even have a little bonfire there while drinking warm apple cider.

I am from California, moved to Minnesota in 2016 and Waukee the end of 2016 - needless to say, I've…read morebeen around and visited many pumpkin farm/apple orchard places. Wills Family Orchard is, by FAR, the best I've EVER been to. The lady in the shop, the gentleman leading the hayride and the young man overseeing the pumpkin patch were all very friendly and helpful! They went above and beyond to ensure my two young daughters and I had an amazing time. Every step of the way they were informative, friendly and engaging. The apple picking was amazing - petting the goats was unforgettable and the play area for the children was so much fun. We highly recommend this place!!

Had a great experience here! Went with my family and the kids really enjoyed all the activities and…read morewe picked apples. You must get some of their apple cider donuts- made fresh and so good!

Great little patch out on highway 17. I've passed it a few times over the years and said going…read morethere next year for our pumpkins. Well I finally followed thru. You can grab a wagon and wander the patch choosing your own or grab one from the piles they have brought up to the barn. The have just about every size you can think of from tiny to huge. "How are we going to carve this?" was spoken when we loaded one into the Jeep. They also have lot of other decorative gourds, multi colored corn, and a variety of squash. It's a Mom and Pop operation and I always love those way better then spending my money at the huge stores in the city.

My biggest gripe was that this is a family centered destination and there is nowhere for nursing…read moremothers to feed their babies? A worker suggested I feed my baby in a port a potty. I had to go all the way back to the car to feed her. :( A lot of the food stops are closed at the end if the season. The funnel cake place wasn't taking orders because they set the oil too low or something and couldn't give a clear time they would be ready. However! There were some cute photo stops and my kid had a blast in the big corn pool I have never seen anything like it. They also have the BEST applesauce I have ever had.

In my opinion the pricing is out of whack. You must buy admission to the barnyard in order to go…read morepick apples on their twenty acre orchard. Basically thirty bucks for two adults before you buy apples for $65/bushel. If you want a bag of apples just get them from the store.

Located in town. I didn't do any of the rides, but only entered market area for baked goods…read more Front of the house pumpkins for sale by weight. Plenty of pies, donuts, caramel apples and etc for purchase. 6 pack of apple cinnamon donuts will run you $7. I also picked up single serving baked apple oatmeal. Not very large facility, but enough parking spots.

This place has epic stuff. The baked goods are wonderful (pies, crisps, caramel apples, fudge,…read moreapple cider. Plus they are a full service orchard, pumpkin patch, berry farm. If you want it they have it. They also can accommodate large orders without a problem. Oh and did I mention this a family owned local place... well it is so I to support local! They treat everyone with respect. It isn't fancy like some of the other orchards but what they produce is quality. Fancy isn't always better! Especially in this case! Support local!

Since moving to Iowa last summer, one of the most fun things we have done is visiting Rusty Stars…read moreAlpaca. It's more than a half-hour from Ankeny but well worth the drive. Led by owners Kari and Aron, this place has such a good vibe. Their availability on the property makes the whole visit memorable, regardless of your age, your awareness of alpacas, or your experience with farm life. They have 42 alpacas and a llama on the property, and it is a unique experience to wander among them. Each of the alpacas has a name, looks different, and is interactive. As Kari described, they are "food-centric. " Being able to feed them from your hand was fun for this city boy. The alpacas have their own personalities, too. They have walking trips, too, but we refrained due to the snow and ice on a February day. We loved their gift shop, which was loaded with fun items and alpaca-themed apparel. I'm glad I bought a warm pair of valuable socks, which came in handy just a few days later! There is no paid admission to the property, just a suggested donation. The owners accept Venmo and cash. We were happy to contribute at the end. Aside from the obvious fun to mingle with alpacas, the owners elevate the entire experience, adding kindness, knowledge, and a great tone throughout. I wish everyone were as nice as Kari and Aron! Check out their social sites for fun photos and videos.

I have visited Rusty Stars Alpacas 6-7 times now and had a wonderful experience each and every…read moretime. The owners of this small farm are so friendly, welcoming and passionate about their animals. They have 40+ alpacas and know each one by name, age and temperament. They patiently answer all visitors questions, which certainly are repeats. The alpacas are adorable and gentle, the owners will even help you get a selfie with them! Don't let the wether stop you from visiting, we were the only visitors on a cold January day and were able to hang out in the barn. It didn't occur to me until after we left how clean the barn, certainly these animals poop but I didn't see any. Did I mention the super cute gift shop with quality alpaca wool items? Love my new hat!

Pumpkins were very expensive and most of them were mushy in the field. We found a few that weren't…read moreand some pre picked specialty pumpkins- all were thrown away before it right after Halloween bc they were rotten and mushy.

There was stuff for all ages to do. the children had a blast and Kaelynn at the jump pillow was so…read morenice and helpful with the children!! what a wonderful experience!!