After meaning to come here for a few years, my 3 year old and I finally had a chance to visit this morning. While he (nor I) know the differences between apples, we had a nice hour and 1/2 together picking apples, eating a few along the way. The weather was great and the location is slightly off the expressway, very easy to find. The staff is beyond friendly but make sure you go to a bathroom before stopping by. We look forward to making this an annual tradition. read more

Heinz Orchard - Yum - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Green Oaks, Illinois

Apples are very small this year. Not worth $10 a bag until you are using them for younger Children's lunches or snack. read more

Heinz Orchard - Tiny apples - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Green Oaks, Illinois

Went here with our two kids and they loved it. We chose this place because we were wanted simple apple picking, no entry fees or need to purchase multiple bags. This is a no frills place- no gift shop, no long lines, just plenty of apples. A different orchard we visited the year prior literally had NO apples left just empty branches and they charged us all to get in just to pick imported apples from a bin. Heinz is way better! There were a lot of people which initially gave me worry, but plenty of apples third week of September so we were fine with it. Each group can borrow an apple picking stick free of charge. read more

Many of the apples were small. Some are very crisp and delicious, however many were bordering on the softer mealier side . Not sure if I was just on the tail end of the season for that particular apple read more

Loved our apple picking experience! Be sure to check website or Facebook for open picking days. $10 for small bag or $20 for the large one, and they accept credit card. Great family that runs it! Our family had a great visit and plan to come back! read more

I kicked off my bachelorette party with an afternoon of apple-picking. I picked this place because it wasn't as far as some of the others (in Woodstock), had only apples (instead of additional, other family fun-type fluff), and wasn't terribly expensive. Free admission and free parking was a huge plus!! We actually went during opening weekend and were limited to Honeycrisp apples. We had plenty to choose from, though, and really enjoyed wandering around this small orchard on a hot, sunny autumn day. If I feel like apple-picking again, I'll head back here if I just want the simple experience of picking apples. (My nephew had a blast -- he didn't want to leave!!!) If you're looking for a place to go that has a shop with apple treats, or pumpkins, or crafts, or whatever else, I suggest going somewhere else. If you want no-frills, this is the place for you. read more

This is a great orchard to just enjoy apple picking! They don't have any other junk that will cost you and arm and a leg when your kids want to do them. We'll be back next year; oh and delicious apples too! read more

A wonderful destination for a crisp fall afternoon. Heinz is a relatively small orchard but succeeds in transplanting a city dweller for a short while into the serenity of the outdoors. When I went they offered Empire, Jonathan and Golden Delicious. Would have liked to have some more variety, but the apples they do have were quality and there's something about the taste of an apple that you pick yourself. To reach the apples up high, which according to my companion are the best because they get the most sunlight, you are given a long wooden pole with a bag at the top. Be warned that a lot of kids carry these poles without giving much thought to the fact that a quick turn could impale somebody! Very friendly staff. About an hour's drive from the city. read more

Great little place, strictly an orchard, no kiddie rides, no gift shop, and that is great as far as I am concerned. You pay your pick fee, get your picking poles and go to it. It was mid october, and still plenty of apples that looked great to pick from. 3 varieties, empire, jonathan and golden delicious. Apples I picked and sampled were very tasty and crisp. I would recommend it to others, and I would come back. read more

I went to Heinz Orchard last weekend for the first time and loved it. I was looking for a place to pick apples, with a low or zero admission fee, and not a very far drive from Chicago. Heinz fit the bill and we had a wonderful morning. We went with our two-year-old, and she had a great time. This is a very no-frills place, which is exactly what we wanted. No expensive extras like hay rides and petting zoos and overpriced cafe food. We loved the free admission and free parking. You just pay for the apples that you pick. The apples are wonderful! When we visited on 10/1/2011, they were picked out of everything except Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. Turns out this was not a problem. The Red Delicious at Heinz are totally unlike the mealy, flavorless Red Delicious that you get at the grocery store. Instead, they are juicy, slightly sweet, crisp, and eminently munchable. We will be back again next year. read more

The apples from this orchard are AWESOME! My husband and I took our 3.5 year old for his first apple picking adventure last weekend. We wanted a low-key, relaxing experience (not an amusement park experience) and this was perfect. We got there about 10:30 and there were already a couple dozen cars in the lot but they had parking attendants helping cars park to keep things orderly. We paid for our one peck bag ($15) and set off to the trees. The trees on the side we chose by the house were packed with Golden and Red Delicious. The Golden Delicious were THE BEST I'VE EVER TASTED!!! I've never cared for the Golden Delicious at the grocery stores (like another reviewer described... thick skinned and soft/mealy fruit) but these ones at Heinz Orchard were super crisp, crunchy and dense, and exploding with juicy sweet and tart flavors. WOW!!! It's been a week and we are almost done with all the apples we picked (we each snack on several a day!) I can't wait to go back again! read more

Heinz Orchard - Red and Golden Delicious - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Green Oaks, Illinois

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I can't speak highly enough of what a great time I had!!! I came on their last day, unfortunately...wish I knew earlier b/c this place is literally minutes from work. The experience was blissful, on a warm sunny fall afternoon THE APPLES... I'm usually not the biggest fan of Golden Delicious b/c from the store it's got a thick skin, kinda mushy texture but OMG....these apples were phenomenal... you bite into it and there's a loud **CRISP** with juices flying as you slurp them up and take another bite b/c it's the best apple you've ever had!!!!! The skin melts away and in moments the apple is down to the core. Good thing I have 12 pounds of them :) read more

Great place to escape the city or suburbs via a very short drive into Lake County. Nice, *small* family-owned and run orchard. Small is an advantage here because it allows a family with small kids to easily manage a tromp thru the trees. Empire, Jonathan and golden delicious were plentiful. By this date, the Macintosh had already been picked, but all the remaining varieties were plentiful. Pretty cool to have my 5 year old pick an apple off the tree, ask if he could eat it and then hearing him say "this is the best apple I've ever had!". Certainly the freshest. Just minutes from I-94 but seemingly way out in the country. We'll be back next year. read more

So first time, we are from Texas, and we we had a great time. Friendly and knowledgeable the people of Heinz O. we're very helpful and accommodating. They made sure we got what we were looking for and at a great fair price. read more

What a wonderful place so close to town and still feeling of being away. It is not so huge like Apple Holler but it is more intimate and you can meet and talk to the owner. If you pick up apples from ground you get 50% discount. Great for pies or baking or eating as apples are more sweet. You get special stick to pick up apples from trees. Kids loved it. read more

We went today with friends and their 2.5 yr. old. It 's a great place for just the basics. Three kinds of apples, trees low enough to for kids over the age of 5 to pick themselves. You can bring your own wagon unlike many places I looked at. The apples were average price $15 a peck which is about 12 lbs. The parking was easy and so was finding it. Definately worth the trip. read more

My kids loved this place. It's not expensive. No parking fee, no admission fee. Friendly staff. You don't have to buy a bag per person lik most apple orchards. My family of 4 bought a one peck bag (about 12lbs of apples) & only spent 18$ for the whole trip! What a great deal! This will be are new Apple picking location every year for now on! What a great expierence! read more

Heinz Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Green Oaks, Illinois

We are always looking for a good orchard to go with our 6-year old, and it seems that most of them these days are more about bouncy castles and markets full of pre-picked apples and pumpkin-scented candles. We just wanted to pick apples - and that's exactly what we were able to do at Heinz. It was an easy drive from the city, and the experience was exactly what we wanted. The owners were really friendly and welcoming, and it was great to get insight into the work that goes into tending the orchard. This will definitely be our orchard from now on! read more

Heinz Orchard - Loved our apple-picking experience! - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Green Oaks, Illinois

We've been to many places and they've gotten prohibitively expensive. Heinz was wonderful! No frills, but my five kids loved running around. It's officially my new "go-to" place for apple picking. Free parking, short drive, lots of apples, they let you sample, nice people, clean orchards, accessible trees... can't say enough! Thank you Anthony! read more

Simple apple picking! Not super pricey. We asked the farmer about the apples, trees, orchard...he was very friendly. It's a quick trip, not somewhere you'd spend all day. read more

Very cute little orchard!! It is right next to the highway, but once you get in the orchard, you can't even see or hear it which is nice. There are devices they give people to get hard to reach apples which came in handy. The staff is really nice, unlike at other farms I have been too, and you get a lot of apples for a really good price! Would love to return! read more

Really pretty lame. Rude staff. My daughter was curious about the apple pickers so while waiting in line to pay she asked the woman who was holding them how they worked. The woman rudely replied " I'll tell you after you pay." I then said "She's just curious about how they work." She replied again, "I'll tell you after you pay." Like I'm going to run off and patent the use of an apple picker, and she's going to get her $18 before I do. #meantolittlekidsmuch? There is no bathroom, and the apples were small, and tasteless. Spend your time and money else where read more

Nice, but bare bones - which is probably why it's so affordable. I've been here a few years in a row and never been disappointed. Free parking, friendly staff, and delicious apples! Apparently they also had some homemade honey this year, but alas they're already out. I agree with the other reviewer though, watch out for kiddos wielding those poles! read more

I went to Heinz orchard with my kids and nephew...and they had a blast! We picked a couple different kinds of apples - Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Jonathan, Empire and MacIntosh. It's a nice size orchard and the kids had so much fun running around picking apples. The staff was kind and courteous and really sweet - with patiently showing my little kids how to use the apple picker. We made two delicious apple pies when I got home. I still have apples so I might make an apple crisp as well. It was a great day. We're going to make it an annual event! read more

The orchard had a very little variety of apples and they are not tasty. Overpriced for the quality.

We have been to orchards around Chicago, WI, MI, and IN. Heinz is a great place for apples. There are not any cover charges. Each person in your party does not have to buy a bag. You do not have to wait for transportation from the parking lot to the orchard. You park your car next to the trees, pick your apples, and your on your way. The orchard is well maintained and they supply poles with pouches to reach the apples near the top, if you so desire. There are plenty of apples within arms reach from the ground. It was $15 a peck this fall. The kids had fun. read more

Heinz is the best. No hayrides, no frills, just apples, the way it should be! My family had a wonderful time. Will definitely return.

We visited Heinz Apple Orchard on a Friday @11am, 9/27/13. Only about 7 cars in parking lot. I pulled up to the grassy area to park and right away knew this Orchard was just what i was looking for!!! This place is a no nonsense.. Simple, Apple picking place. There are no distractions of screaming kids inside a bouncy house, petting zoo, or an overpriced Farm Store. My two kids (3), (1) were able to walk around the small Orchard (right off Atkinson) & pick the Empire Apples right off the tree!!! We filled our 1/2 peck bag in minutes. It was a wonderful apple picking experience!!! This was my first visit & I will be back. I also would recommend this Orchard to anyone who wants a simple, quiet, peaceful apple picking experience without all the nonsense of those other places who charge admission & leave you broke. At least one person in group must purchase a bag ($8 or $12). Empire, Jonathan & McIntosh apples were picking. Golden Delicious would be next wknd i was told. We actually snacked on a Jonathan, and MY GOSH it was DELICIOUS! I drove 23 miles/40 minutes just to visit Heinz Orchard because its just that simple! read more

This place is great for pure apple picking!! It's the perfect size not too big or too small. I like that its just Apple picking no other frills. it minimizes chaos that the other larger orchards offer. No parking or admission fee you only pay for the Apple picking bag. Highly recommend. read more

My family has been coming here since the mid eighties and we have never been disappointed. It is a no frills orchard - but that is what I am looking for, not an amusement park with some apple trees like other places. The apples are always so good and we have never seen it crowded. A great family tradition on its third generation. read more

Favorite family Fall activity!!! Delicious apples, beautiful grounds, unbelievably low prices, and courteous, caring owners and staff make for a truly fantastic experience for both adults and children. Almost immediately upon arrival, you can sense that the owners of this family run business care about their customers and want to provide the best experience possible . . . Free parking, no requirement to purchase a bag for each family member, kind, patient instructions to children (and adults, if needed, like in our case) on how to use the apple picker - really a no hassle experience, just show up and pick apples. But most importantly, in my opinion, is the way the owners (or family members of the owners) often take the time to speak with the kids after they finish filling their bags with apples - whether it's to ask if they had fun picking or inquire about what they are going to make with the apples, or even ask about an earlier soccer game when the kid (my son in this instance) is still wearing his jersey. Few places these days offer such a warm, inviting, customer-focused experience and for that reason, I hope Heinz Orchard sticks around for a long while. Highly, highly recommend. Wish I could give it more than 5 stars. read more