Add Event My Events Log In

Upcoming Events

    We see you appreciate a good vintage. But there comes a time to try something new. Click here to head over to the redesigned Louisville.com. It's where you'll find all of our latest work. And plenty of the good ol' stuff, too, looking better than ever.

    Bit to Do

    Deere Farms: Yes, another pumpkin patch and corn maze exists in Southern Indiana
    Print this page

    It's the middle of October. To be honest, I'm already up to my ears in pumpkin patches, thanks in part to the dozens of pictures I see my friends post everyday on social media. Let's face it, a mommy never met a pumpkin patch photo opp she didn't like.

    If you still haven't hauled your kids out to one of the various farms surrounding Jefferson County for a fun day at the pumpkin patch, here's a new (to me) suggestion: Deere Farms in Lanesville, IN. You'll put a few more miles on the minivan than if you visited the other top-of-the-line farm in Southern Indiana, but you'll be rewarded with fewer crowds at this quaint, off-the-beaten-path pumpkin patch experience.

    You won't get bored at Deere Farms. In addition to the wagon ride to the pumpkin patch, your kids will enjoy a pumpkin-shaped bouncy house, giant tire mountain, enclosed downhill slide, corn husk cannon, gem mining, barrel train ride, farm animals and more. My family particularly liked the corn mazes. In one maze designed for the younger set, kids are prompted in the correct direction by pages from the book "Spookley the Square Pumpkin." As the kids turned in between the dried stalks, my oldest child read this cute story to my younger children, and in no time, they had successfully completed the maze—and the story. But Deere Farms also has more intricate mazes that will entertain older kids and adults, especially if they choose to play the FSI (Farm Scene Investigation) game while winding through the paths. 

    The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating, the pumpkins were plump and inexpensive ($4 for a giant, heavy-to-haul pumpkin!), and the farm was beautiful and clean. It was well worth the thirty-minute drive. Even my three year-old agreed, screaming, “Let’s go 'pumpkin-patching' here again!” When you make up a new word about a family outing, you know you had a good time.

    Get all the information about Deere Farms at www.deerefarms.com. Pay attention to their hours, however: they open Fridays at 5:00 pm, Saturdays at 11:00 am, and Sundays at 12:00 pm through November 4.

    Photos by: Anna Frye

    Slideshow: 
    Anna Frye's picture

    About Anna Frye

    After living in Chicago, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Colorado, my husband and I made our (hopefully? probably?) final move back to Louisville, where I was born and raised. Ahhh...it's nice to be home. Now I'm busy making sure my three little ones learn to love the quirks and traditions of their new hometown: Kentucky Derby Festival, no school on Oaks Day, grits and hot browns (not necessarily together), monograms, parks, festivals, and even our seasonal allergies.

    More from author:

    Share On:

    Most Read Stories