I always love coming to Lyman orchards to get the fresh baked pies and pastries. Around the holidays it tends to be busier. A lot of quality farm fresh food and local produce read more

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Lyman Orchards is a popular fall destination in Connecticut. I had read that it's impossibly busy on weekends so I visited on a weekday with my sister for lunch. It was still busy but probably not as hectic as on the weekends. They sell fresh fruit, produce and bakery items so we bought some things while there. The sandwiches were pretty good. Lots of outdoor seating to enjoy your lunch. read more

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The Apple barrel is a very beautiful shop with several grocery, produce, bakery, and other food items. I tried a few items such as their chocolate milk, the stuffed pizza bread, the apple cider donut w/ cinnamon, and a few other things I can't remember off the top of my head. Overall the service was pretty quick considering how packed it was at every corner you turned. I will definitely be back next year a bit earlier so that I can try picking my own apples! read more

Lyman Orchards - Interior - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

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There is much more in the Barrel than apples... The Lyman Orchards Apple Barrel is a fall must do every year. Not only do you get to enjoy apples, fritters, donuts, and cider, there are other local produce and products to discover. It smelled so good of apples and cinnamon, yum! There is a bakery, lunch and sandwich counter, coffee and cider, and hand-scooped ice cream from Big Dipper. The building is iconic, a bright red and round building. I have a few memories of visiting here as a kid. It's a tiny store and will get crazy busy during the fall season. Luckily, we were visiting during the week and were able to easily walk and browse around. They are open year round if you want to visit during off season--there is something happening at the orchard. read more

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Here we are like every year in our favorite farm. Everything so accessible and fresh. This year treat was a New Heaven pizza and a tex mex food truck . Delicious We noticed an increase of visitors because the line for the bakery was all the way outside to the parking lot. We couldn't believe it. the Corn Maze and the rides for the kids are always open. Our kids grew up visiting this place and never getting tired of it. read more

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As I pull up, I'm astonished with how busy it is. I'm looking for a sweet treat and I've read these cannolis are to die for. It is prime (or shall I say peak) fall and so I understand the time to celebrate with pumpkin & apple picking and everything is now... But there are so many people I thinking the place was evacuating! I then pulled out and attempted to go to another entrance... and same thing! Here is a relative "lull". Anyway I wholly backed-in-parked while I had a good view of the spot. (Lots of little people and families about ... little people meaning kids.) They have many people directing traffic through the parking lot. I observed what I think was a horse ride. Overall I'm extremely impressed with the size of the Lyman orchards fall operations. There are thousands of people here right now (not an exaggeration.. I don't think) and it's all quite calm! Space is plentiful & place is beautiful. read more

Lyman Orchards - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

Always a great time in the corn maze! I love the 2025 theme: pizza!! The people at the entrance of the corn maze, and all the volunteers inside are super nice and smiling this year. Great experience! Bad experience with the outside vendors , the kettle popcorn, rude customer service unfortunately and the bathrooms could use a little bit more attention. Other than that it's a fun place. read more

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Amazing orchards with a farm store called the Apple barrel. In the Apple barrel you can Always find the best apples around ! They have the best apple cider , apple pies and much much more. My favorite is the Apple crumble pie! It's delicious! You really can't go wrong with any pie you buy here. Overall products and service here are great! Don't forget to grab an apple cider donut at the bakery stand. They are a must! read more

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Came today with a group of friends, we met up at the Apple Barrel, where they had plenty of activities to do. Today there was a Jerry's Pizza Truck, a petting zoo, and of course the corn maze! Which is in the shape of a pizza this year. Reasonable prices and a great experiences. The store was packed full of goodies and people! The ice cream was great! Highly recommend the double Oreo which is essentially cookies and cream flavor. read more

Lyman Orchards - Apple cider vinegar - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

This 187-acre farm has been in operation since 1741. Such a rich history and it's interesting to read about. They were involved with the abolitionist movement and is part of the CT Freedom Trail. They grow all types of fruits; from apples, corn, peaches, pumpkins, etc. The 4-acre corn maze opened in 2000. In 2007, they opened a 3-acre sunflower maze, it is open every summer. In 2012, they opened a golf course. The Apple Barrel is a farm store located onsite; they sell produce, baked goods, cheese, eggs, milk, jellies, deli items, etc. You can also pick your own fruit, depending on the season. They also have a pub and grill called 1741, located at the Lyman Orchards Golf Club. The land is massive and parking was plentiful. They have much to offer; it's a successful, historic business. My family and I enjoyed our time there and can't wait to go back. read more

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It's definitely apple pie season! And if you haven't been to Lyman's they have got that down to a T. And the Apple Barrel has a little bit of everything. Fresh picked fruits and veggies. Baked goods. Too much to list. And sit down and enjoy a hot cider on the patio. Great place! read more

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We recently visited to pick peaches, apples, and pears. We had brought our own bag (a bag specific for fruit picking) and were told we had to purchase their plastic bag to fill which we were unsure what size we wanted. So we got the largest size which was a half bushel for $45. Yikes! The bag got very heavy and hard to hold, whereas the canvas bag we wanted to use could be worn over the shoulders to better distribute the weight. The website stated there are 47 varieties of peaches, but there were only 4 and no white peaches. The were not yet ripe. We asked a lot of questions to the young staff and they did not seem knowledgeable and neglected to mention that the nectarines were further down the road and that you had to buy a bag there as well. We later found this out. We visited the Apple Barrel store and it was packed and chaotic and hard to maneuver around. The prices for all items were very high and the quality of the produce was not at all impressive. We usually always enjoy our visits, but this one was disappointing so not sure we will come again. read more

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Lyman Orchards - such a wonderful place to visit. We went there on a weekday, so it was not crowded at all. Weekends usually have fun activities (we used to bring our kids there when they were little). But now, we are empty nesters/retired, so we can take advantage of a quieter day. What a beautiful December day it was. In the store, they make up soup/salads/sandwiches that you can buy to have there or as takeout. And not much is better than having a really good sandwich (served with homemade chips & an apple) sitting out at a table in the sunshine. After lunch, we ventured back into the farm store - apples, pie and some soup mixes. There were quite a few enticing items in the store & I would have bought more, except that my husband was motioning me that it was enough. I am already planning a trip back read more

Lyman Orchards - Lunch on the deck outside the farm store at Lyman Orchards. - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

This review is for the Apple Barrel lunch menu only. Sandwiches are freshly made as you can wait. Service is quick. Food is very good. It does get crowded at lunch hours. read more

There were no plastic bags to put my fruit in, had to walk all over the store to find one. The ladies room was filthy. Someone scattered toilet paper ALL OVER the floor. Disgusting. They have gone WAY downhill. We don't buy their apple pies anymore because the last one wasn't entirely baked. Put it in t he oven to bake it the rest of the way and it was in the oven long enough to bake it from scratch...... the apples were still hard. I make my own, tasty and completely baked. Not worth the huge price they charge. Not going back there again. read more

I held an event for St Jude Children's Hospital at Lyman last weekend and they were so helpful to me and the charity The have been helping the children for the last 25years. 10 stars for Lyman read more

Group of deli staff looking at one employee's phone after my order was taken was a huge turn off. I would have complained, but I assume the manager (non cook in a uniform shirt) was also in the middle of the group. Hoping the phone guy washed his hands before touching the food. One wrap came with no chips or Apple. My sandwich came with both. I thought that was odd, but we just shared and made due. We've been in the past and never had an experience like this. read more

My wife and I went here specifically to buy some baked goods from the bakery, unfortunately for us the bakery and bakery register were closed at 5:00 PM, even though the store is open until 6:00PM. We asked the only employee we saw, at the main cash register, if we could get some baked goods and she replied, "No, that's closed now." She didn't offer to call someone from the back to help us out. My wife and I were really disappointed, since that's the only reason we went there. We picked out a wide variety of apples first, since we thought we were getting other goodies at the bakery. At that point my wife said, "Let's just leave without buying the apples." I convinced her we should buy them since I liked the variety we picked out. Well, we ended up at The Cooking Company on Main Street in Middletown and got a wonderful assortment of seasonally appropriate desserts that were to die for, so I guess it was fate after all that we were turned off to Lyman's. read more

We held our annual Summer Outing at Lyman Orchards on June 13, 2025 and everyone enjoyed and had a sensational time! The entire experience was outstanding--our employees had a fantastic time, and we've received so many compliments about the venue, the food, and especially your wonderful staff. Everything was clean, beautifully set up, and thoughtfully taken care of. We truly appreciated how accommodating and welcoming you were throughout the event. You made it feel effortless for us, and we couldn't have asked for a better day. read more

UPDATE: updating review because as soon as management found out, they worked with me and made it very easy to refund me for the incorrect charge. Appreciate the care from them, they set a really nice example for their employees. Cashier double charges without mentioning. Had lunch at the apple barrel market and decided after to buy some fruit from the market since we ran out of time to go apple picking. It wasn't til we saw the receipt on the way home that we saw the cashier had charged us for a coffee without mentioning it whatsoever. We hadn't put anything on the checkout counter but the fruit and she had not asked what that was so we had no idea she was charging us for the half empty cup which we had already paid for. read more

Nice products in the Apple Barrel, good preserves and vegetables. Horrendously rude people working at the food counter, one in particular was sarcastic and yelling at customers. Has gone downhill since we were last there, and won't be back. read more

Great for a company event. Recently had 100 people attend an event under the tent. Great food, great drinks and great fun. We had access to the corn maze, hayrides, games, music and a wonderful buffet. The service team was very attentive and accommodating. read more

We recently held a fun Fall event for our office and everything was so wonderful. From the first contact to the end of the event, our experience with their staff was wonderful. The food was excellent and the apple picking was fun for our team. I highly recommend having a function at Lyman Orchards. read more

I actually want to write a review more about the corn maze we attended at Lyman Orchards. It was $11 a piece for adults. We were given a paper that had the layout of the maze, and also a paper that had trivia questions which depending on the answer you selected would tell you which direction to go in the maze. The maze is also filled with little fun facts about the theme that you have selected. Ours was "The Wizard of Oz" and there were little tidbits of information and such spread all throughout the maze. We got a little lost towards the end, but not too bad. The whole maze took my group about an hour to get through. The market is nice as well. I think that since we went on the first day of the corn maze and it had been advertised that there would be cider donuts, the crowd was very large on a Saturday around 2pm. There we lines for food and the cashier that were pretty long; but the food line moved pretty fast considering the amount of people, and you could see the workers were really hustling to get everyone served. The have a selection of mostly sandwiches, burgers, chicken tenders along with other choices at the Eatery. Everything on the sandwich seemed really fresh, and it's a nice size, plus it comes with an apple and home made potato chips. If you're going to stop in the market, I'd definitely recommend bringing home some of the apple cider as well. It's very refreshing. read more

Lyman Orchards - Corn maze - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

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If you're looking for some fall family fun, you need to check out Lyman Orchards in Middlefield! As far as fall activities, they pretty much have it all. First off is the Apple Barrel Market, where you can purchase fresh produce, locally-sourced dairy items, baked goods, jellies, sauces, etc. They also have a deli, and if nothing else you need to buy a few freshly-made apple cider donuts (they have regular and glazed) as well as a bottle of apple cider itself. If you're going on a weekend in October though, be prepared to wait in line just to enter the store... it gets crazy! Surrounding the Apple Barrel Market is a patio with seating, and there's also an outside window for ice cream and another with food to-go. Behind the market is the corn maze, which has a different theme every year (this year it's Wizard of Oz). Use the map to find your way through the maze, and they also have themed clues to help you find your way out. Once you finish, you'll get your much-deserved "I Survived the Maze" sticker. In addition to the market, Lyman Orchards also has huge pick-you-own fields with everything from apples to berries to pumpkins and more! I always go here to get my pumpkin right from the patch. Lyman Orchards was actually voted the best pick-your-own farm in CT! Overall a CT staple and a great spot to visit, especially in the fall! read more

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At the Pear Stand at Lyman Orchards at 11:00 A.M. August 29, 2025 two women were laughing in a mocking tone at my accent and making fun of me between each other. When I first opened my mouth to ask for a bag for pears, they started laughing between themselves and making inappropriate jokes amongst themselves. However, this was not the only disaster that day at the farm. When I went to eat there, I was shocked to see that healthier food options that were previously available were removed from the menu. When the sandwich that I ordered arrived, it was dry, overcooked ham soaked in cheap disgusting sauce, stuck between two pieces of charred hard bread that a hammer could hardly break. read more

If you live nearby, this is a great option to spend half a day with family and young children. But, if like me, you live 2.5h away, I'm not sure it is really worth it. There is a corn maze, a petting zoo, a hay ride, and a pumpkin patch that is basically some pumpkins outside the main store. There are some picnic tables on the grass, although not a lot. You can buy food at the store, and despite the long lines the people behind the counter work really fast. Your options as far as where to eat are limited to the metal picnic tables on the concrete terrace outside the store. Just be aware that inside the store masks are recommended but are not required. In our case, about 1/3 of the customers inside were not wearing masks. As the place was packed to capacity (150 people), so much so that you had to wait in line to be allowed in, this means that at any given time you are inside an enclosed space surrounded by ~50 people that are not wearing a mask. read more

Lyman Orchards - October 9 2021; Cortland sandwich w. Muenster cheese, Turkey ($9.49). - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

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Always good picking and friendly people to help. dog friendly as well so something to do with your favorite friend

THE ATTACK OF THE BEES (or wasps). There were lots of flying buggers on the baked goods and outside patio. The reviews were right. Don't bring the kiddos here. Other than that it was pretty cool. Many things to do on the weekend such as horse carriage riding, animal feeding, and corn maze. read more

Lyman Orchards - Inside - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

Terrible raspberry picking. No red in site. Entire rows of bushes with no fruit whatsoever. And the ones with fruit were not ripe. And they kept selling containers. Within minutes we wished we hadn't wasted the time. It took over 2 hours and we didn't even get a quart between 2 adults and a child read more

Lyman Orchards - If you like unripe raspberries go to Lymans - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

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I may be biased but I love the food at the Apple Barrel. Every baked good but especially the apple cider donuts. Their apple cider and chocolate milk are also excellent. So many made in store products to obsess over. The whole country vibe of the inside are lovely as well. Service can be slow sometimes but that's cashiers at any retail space, on non busy days you'll find quick service. But careful on those big event days, it can get hectic in that store! read more

This was a great place to visit during an apple fall festival. Parking was wild and the lines were very long. We still had a great time and divided and conquered the lines. I bought our sandwiches, my brother-in-law and his wife bought some extras including desserts. My wife found and held the table for us. After lunch we walked around the corn maze, petting zoo and took the tour on the hay ride. A fun day for all. read more

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The Apple Barrel Farm Market & Bakery is a gourmet market and bakery that opened at Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, Connecticut in 1972. The orchard itself was founded by husband and wife John and Hope Lyman in 1741. It is still owned by the Lyman Family to this day. The orchard is known for its large selection of apple varieties. Other fruit grown on the orchard include peaches, nectarines, pears, berries and pumpkins. For several years, fresh produce sales had been done at the Packinghouse on the property. By 1972, the Lyman family finished construction of an innovative circular structure to sell fresh produce as well as house a deli and scratch bakery. From the beginning, a popular item was their hand-crafted pies (based upon generations-old family recipes). I've been going to the Apple Barrel for as long as I can remember. My parents used to take me when I was a small boy and now I take my own son. It's a family ritual to head to the store after picking apples in the orchard. Whenever you walk in, the whole place smells like apple cider and freshly baked goods. On our most recent visit, my family and I purchased some of their homemade Honeycrisp Apple Butter, Smoky Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce (which I used for my Rosh Hashanah slow-cooked BBQ brisket), Apple Cider, Cinnamon Apple Cider Donut Holes, and other various products. My son loved the donut holes! Visiting Lyman Orchards is a September tradition for my family. We'll continue to do so for years to come! read more

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Must go! So of course the game is beautiful and the maze is amazing(2 of our friends got lost) but the food, GOODNESS! I felt like I was at the Wonka Factory! Not just pies hunny, cakes popcorns, slushed cider, fruit, signature sandwiches(the cranberry Mayo my lord), YOU NAME IT they have it and it's amazing. Customer services is absolutely amazing all around! The prices are so reasonable it unbelievable. I can go every weekend and wouldn't get tired. 10 out of 10 highly recommend. read more

Lyman Orchards - Homemade Potatoes Chips, Turkey and Apple Slaw Sandwich w/ Cranberry Mayo Less than $10 - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

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I was really bummed by our experience at Lyman orchards cuz I strayed away from my usual place to try it out. The prices were outrageous, I know food is at an all time high right now but this was ridiculous. $8 for a small bag of kettle corn ....$6 for a bag of chips. Not to mention the things I did buy were not good. Pasta salad, no salt, super mush over cooked pasta, heavy onions. The raw milk cheese was creamy but the flavors were so over powering. I bought an apple pie spice blend that I'm convinced is only cinnamon. It was a huge waste of money and time. Also the staff wasn't very welcoming and we weren't there when it was busy or crowded. We kept almost getting run over by employees rushing around with carts almost running me over a few times with out an excuse me or sorry in sight. Terrible experience, won't be back or recommend. read more

First the orchards are hard to find and far from the main areas. We decided to try the 1/2 peck bag which costs a WAPPING $25.00. What you end up with is about 15 apples. Today at BigY those same name apples cortland costs $1.39/lb. What a ripoff from a farm that gets all these praises but comes up short to me. Never to return. read more

As for our entire experience on the Lyman Orchards property, I would overall give it a 4. Peaches and Nectarine Picking We picked peaches and nectarines. Peaches this season are smaller to do the weather. Bags were provided in the cost and they take cards or cash at the booth. In order to pick squash or squash flowers, you needed to pay a fee for a separate bag. At this booth, the ladies working were knowledgeable and aware of the surroundings ensuring that guests were safe and socially distancing. Rating - 5 Pear and Apple Picking We started with pears. The girls at the booth were unable to tell us the features of a pear ready to be picked from color or texture that we should look for. They did attempt to look it up though. Pears were mostly hard and small and will take a bunch of days before they will be ripe enough to eat. From there, we went to apples, which they had ginger gold, early Mac and ruby red. The ginger golds were huge while the early Macs and ruby reds that were ready for picking were mostly fallen on the ground and bruised. Check your pick your own receipts this season for a coupon for a free ice cream cone at the Apple Barrel. This is kinda a fun extra and who doesn't need a refreshing dessert after all that walking. Rating - 4 Sunflower Maze This is normally a highlight of the Lyman experience but due to the recent tropical storms, the maze lost most of its height. They reduced the admission to $8 but those in my party who went into it found it not to be worth that cost. Rating - 3 Apple Cannons This is super fun! 8 apples for $5. The man monitoring the station sanitized the cannon between users and also gave me a demo of how to shoot the apples. While I only hit one target, I had a good time and was definitely worth $5. 1741 Pub and Grill The restaurant is located at the golf course hub. There is no real signage to direct you minus the address. They had a lovely outdoor seating area but fans were aggressively blowing our menus everywhere. Our waitress was very nice but seemed overwhelmed along with the other staff over having to the small number of customers. Our food too quite a long time to come out and we did not order anything super complicated. Chicken tenders, chowder fries and a blt. When the food arrived, we were not presented with napkins or silverware and one of the sides of fries was cold. We informed the waitress and she replaced it. Food quality was fine for the money but not particularly noteworthy. We also waited quite a bit to get our check and had to request to pay it in order to leave which indicated staff might be overextended or underexperienced. Rating - 3 Apple Barrel Offers wonderful pies, pastries, butters, salsa and spread and Apple cider featuring fruits from their orchards. They also feature lots of products local to CT if you are someone who likes to buy local. They also feature a bulk pastry counter, deli and ice cream shops for families looking for a good spot to grab a bite at a good price before heading back home. My recommendation is do not leave without some of their Apple cider and cider donuts/donut holes. You will certainly regret it. Also sign up for their Sweet Rewards card for access to weekly in door specials. It did seems that they were having a bit of difficulty keeping people from reentering the market and keeping count of how many are in the market at any given time. Rating - 4 read more

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I actually went to the orchard to pick apples, not to the Apple Barrel. Staff was very nice and helpful in directing to the different Apple varieties. I picked Macintosh apples. Trees had many but many had strange swirly alien looking marks in them near bruises. Never saw this before. Apples tasted amazing, nothing like a fresh picked apple! My only complaint is how they do things now. Rather than getting bags to fill and paying after you have to pay ahead. I paid $14 for a 1/4 peck which is pricey and you don't get many. read more

AT ONE TIME.....Lyman's Orchards was the place to go......always crowded but fun with good products and decently priced. NOT ANYMORE. Went there on a Tuesday to avoid crowding..which was a good idea...BUT the only good idea for that day. Had lunch there which consisted of a barBQ pulled pork sandwich on a roll with a handfull of chips and a very small apple. The pork must have been left over from the weekend crowd as it was dry..cold...unmelted cheese and old tasting. The kettle chips we hard as rocks and oil laden. The apple looked as though it came from the bottom of the barrel. For 3 of these "lunches" (with a drink) the total was...$54.47. Most of all 3 lunches ended up in the garbage . PRICES..they were SO OVER PRICED ON EVERY ITEM. Needless to say I don't recommend going there and I will never go back. read more

I wanted a blueberry pie.. so off I went. I'm a desert guy, I'll admit. Lyman has always been a great place to go.. in the various months, you can pick your own fruit. During the corona season, you can pick your own freshly made blueberry pie. Which is exactly what I did. The regular food is rather expensive, so it ain't cheap folks. But, for things like freshly made pie, it's actually reasonable. Not wanting the blueberry pie to get lonely, I may have also got a key lime pie to remind me of FL. Both were good, but that blueberry.... wow! read more

Lyman Orchards - Blueberry pie. - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

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