I've been to the Pleasant Valley Orchard several times over the years. It's a nice addition to an autumn afternoon hiking through Interstate Park up the road in Taylor's Falls. PVO has all the things you would find enjoyable about an apple orchard: pick-your-own apples, hay rides, a small barn with some farm animals, a barn with pies, jams and knick-knacks for sale. It's all nice and fun, but lacks some of the features of some of the other orchards in the extended Metro area.
This isn't necessarily a failing, as it can be annoying to deal with the crowds of hundreds of people at the orchards in White Bear Lake and Stillwater, but those places also have bigger barns with amenities like bathrooms and running water. You'll pay more for the privilege of visiting those orchards and they have a more theme-park feel to them. PVO really feels like a farm. It's not the worst thing in the world to have to clean your apple-juice-covered hands by wiping them on dewy grass and then on your jeans, but if you want to wash your messy toddler up before she eats, you're stuck with any water or hand sanitizer you brought with you (unless you're ok using the strongly perfumed stuff available from the portable toilets).
That said, the prices for apples are quite low and the quality of the apples is excellent. It doesn't hurt that apples had a spectacular year: I've never seen such enormous HoneyCrisp apples, nor ones so large and picture-perfect.
The hay ride is nice and takes you to the fields where the pick-your-own pumpkins lie in wait for Halloween. It was a bit early to be picking up a pumpkin, so we did not partake in that opportunity, but the ride was exactly what you'd expect. It costs $3 per person and takes about 20 minutes.
There's a little barn with a few animals in one corner. It feels like sort of an after-thought, with only a tiny area where you can peek in and see a few goats, rabbits and chickens. My daughter liked the chance to see some bunnies, but don't try to fit more than 3 adults in at the same time, as you risk getting close to the goats (signs posted warn you that they may bite!)
One thing that the kids really loved was a sandbox filled with dent corn. It's a simple feature, but they just loved "swimming," jumping, and playing with the kernels, which offered a significantly different experience than a sandbox. One thing to note, however, is that the corn gets everywhere, and i mean EVERYWHERE. Be sure to check your child's clothes, shoes and diapers (if applicable), as you will find significant amounts in all of these places. If you're a germophobe... well, see my above comment about lack of restrooms (besides, what do you expect when you're on a farm?)
In all PVO is a lovely place with nice people and great apples. That's all you need. read more