Louisburg Cider Mill Pumpkin Patch Family Fun Tips

If you've lived in Kansas City long, you know that autumn in Kansas City is nearly synonymous with Louisburg Cider Mill! Long beloved for their apple cider pressed on site and irresistible apple cider donuts, the site is also home to an incredible 10-acre corn maze and pumpkin patch - that just keeps getting better!

Louisburg Cider Mill produces thousands of gallons of fresh squeezed cider annually and you can watch the process first hand on a visit. Read our blog: Watch Cider Making at the Louisburg Cider Mill for information on the cider making tour. In addition to visiting the Cider Mill and Country Store, we enjoy playing in the pumpkin patch and exploring the real 10-acre corn maze (my favorite attraction at the patch!).

Key things to know:

• The Cider Mill and Country Store are open year-round (Mon-Sat 8am-6pm, Sun 9am-6pm), but they're most exciting and interesting in the fall. There is no charge to visit the mill or the store, except that the alluring scent of cider donuts and the experience of watching fresh cider as it is pressed is sure to entice you to purchase some delicious goodies to enjoy. They also sell autumn decor, caramel apples, pumpkin and apple butter, jellies, soup mixes, and their Lost Trail sodas in the shop. 
• The last weekend of September and the first weekend of October are the annual Cider Fest, a fun-filled festival celebrating everything autumn. This popular event is a tradition for many families and thousands attend every year. If you want a fall festival and a beautiful setting, this is the event for you. If you'd like to explore the mill without the crowd, visit on a non-festival day during September or October.
• The most frequently asked question readers ask us about the mill is whether you can pick apples. The answer is currently no. However, they have planted apple trees and hope to be able to offer apple picking in the future. For the cider they produce, they make such a large quantity, they would be unable to grow all the apples they need, so they are purchased directly from farmers. 
• There is an additional fee for the pumpkin patch and corn maze. Admission to the Patch is $10 Fri-Sun and $6 Mon-Thurs. Note that weekend guests may enjoy live entertainment, the opportunity to purchase concessions from food trucks, and tours of the Historic Farmhouse (the original home on the property). This year's corn maze celebrates the Louisburg Cider Mill. This is always one of our absolute favorite corn mazes in the area. 
• Picnics ARE welcome (I LOVE LOVE LOVE this!)! And, you'll also be able to purchase food from Food Trucks on weekends!

Plan to Attend during a special event:

• 9/14: Opening Day for the Pumpkin Patch
• 9/29 – 9/30: Ciderfest Saturday & Sunday, Ciderfest at the Cider Mill
• NEW DATE 10/13 – 10/14: Ciderfest Saturday & Sunday, Ciderfest at the Cider Mill
• 10/12 – 10/14: Community Service Gratitude - As our way of saying “Thank You!” to all community service workers, all teachers, firefighters, enlisted military, first responders, EMTs, nurses and doctors will receive $2 off admission to the Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch with a valid ID badge.
• 10/13: Zombie Forest Night - 6:30 pm to 10 pm. Dress up for this fun night of spooks and thrills! Live music, bonfire, hayrides and more! Bring your flashlight to go through the maze in the dark! Zombie Forest is a fundraiser for our local Paola High School Robotics group.
• 10/19 – 10/21: College weekend!! College students receive $2 off admission when you show your student ID!
• 10/20: Burning Scarecrow - Event at 7:00 pm. Live music, bonfire, hayrides and more! Bring your flashlight to go through the maze in the dark! Zombie Forest continues!!
• 10/26-28 & 10/31: Halloween Weekend and Hallloween!! Wear your costume for $2 off your ticket and some Halloween fun!!
• 10/27: Cider & Spiders and Tricks & Treats A fun-filled afternoon of trick or treating, kids music show and a costume contest.

We LOVE the Louisburg Cider Mill Because...

Louisburg Cider Mill is celebrating their 41st birthday this year as a locally owned family run business. Josh & Alexis Hebert, son-in-law and daughter of the original owners are the new owners of the business, carrying on the family tradition with great pride and enthusiasm. They took us on a tour of the farm and shared the newest adventures awaiting guests. The family's enthusiasm for the farm and community are contagious! 

What you'll experience at Louisburg Cider Mill & Pumpkin Patch:

The Cider Mill

Every year, 7 million lbs of Kansas and Missouri apples are converted into 500,000 gallons of delicious cider (some of it used to make warm and tasty cider donuts). 

The Country Store

Watch Apple Cider Donut Making in the store

Things You'll Enjoy at Louisburg Cider Mill Pumpkin Patch 2018:

Begin your pumpkin patch adventure at the entrance barn. You may purchase your pumpkins (picked from the real pumpkin patch off the vine), some pumpkin carving tools and decor, apple cider, snacks, and bottled water. (The original Country Store near the Cider Mill sells many more items than the barn if you crave fall shopping.) Outside picnics are welcome (which is unusual at local patches). I recommend bringing bottled water or purchasing it in the barn before you embark on the corn maze adventure. 

The REAL 10-acre Pumpkin Patch! My girls enjoyed exploring the patch on a hunt for the perfect pumpkin. We were there early in the season (before the first fall freeze). We found a variety of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes - and the prices were very reasonable and comparable to our local grocery store, but they were fresh off the vine and we were supporting a local business (a win-win in my book). 
 

The Corn Maze... with a GAME to play inside! Every year the Louisburg Cider Mill team plans a new corn maze and this year's design celebrates their brand. The Corn Maze is included in the price of admission to the pumpkin patch and it is one of the largest and prettiest mazes in the area. As you go through the maze, you can play a game to help find your way. Hidden in the maze, visitors will find letters that you can unscramble to create a word. Tips: Make sure everyone uses the restroom before you start the maze (it takes 30-60 minutes). Bring bottled water in the maze (it was a warm / hot day for us and we were grateful for water). Wear tennis shoes or rain boots (depending on recent rainfall, it may be a bit muddy). Stick with your group. And, use #LouisburgPumpkinPatch when uploading photos to social media! 

Tractor-pulled Hayride! The hayride takes passengers to the play areas on the far side of the corn maze (including the beloved Sunflower Hill Slide and NEW attractions).

The Sunflower Hill Slide! This large slide is big enough for the entire family to enjoy! My girls LOVE LOVE LOVE this slide!
 

NEW Low-level obstacle course! This attraction was still in development on our visit, but will be completed soon. The early version is still great fun giving children another area to play near sunflower hill

NEW Tire Mountain. This is another new play area near sunflower hill.

NEW Visit the Historic Farmhouse. Weekend visitors are invited to visit the new onsite museum to learn the history of the cider mill. They will be invited to engage with the history of the business and the property.

The Jumping Pillow. There is an additional $2/person fee for the jumping pillow.

Giant Corn Crib. Kids (of all ages) LOVE to play in this huge corn crib!

The Smaller Jack-O-Lantern Corn Crib. Playing in dried corn is definitely a favorite feature at local pumpkin patches and the Jack-O-Lantern is a great touch!
 
 

The Learning Barn. This little barn is a fun place for little ones to play.

NEW Bee Hive! Learn about bees and watch a live bee hive in action!

Animals. The girls enjoyed watching the goats play.

The Play Space. Lots of creative Country Themed play spaces are fun for young children, including the Trike Track, Sand Pit and Bridge, and Spider Web! The girls really loved the spider web.
 

Fun Photo Ops. Painted signs and fall scenes make fun photo ops!
 

Tips before You Visit Louisburg Cider Mill & Pumpkin Patch:

• Read the Louisburg Cider Mill Pumpkin Patch Listing for complete details, hours and map!
• Bring bottled water and some healthy snacks, or plan to purchase snacks at the Country Store or the Pumpkin Patch barn. You may bring your own lunch - we love this option! Or bring money and buy concessions there on weekends.
• We spend 3-5 hours at the patch, playing, riding the hayride, getting lost in the corn maze, and visiting the Cider Mill. 
• Read our Pumpkin Patch tips for what to bring, what to wear, and more!
• Bring money for the goodies at the Country Store. Apple Cider Donuts and fresh cider are some of autumn's tastiest traditions!
• They offer group tours and discounts if you lead a school group, play group, or church group!
• Louisburg Cider Mill is close to wherever you are: Twenty miles south of metro Kansas City via US Hwy. 69 to the Louisburg exit (Hwy. 68), then three miles west. Approximate Driving Distances: Overland Park, Kansas — 25 miles. Country Club Plaza Kansas City, Missouri — 29 miles. Downtown Kansas City, Missouri — 39 miles. Leawood, Kansas — 23 miles. Olathe, Kansas — 20 miles. Lenexa, Kansas — 24 miles.

Louisburg Cider Mill Pumpkin Patch is a favorite fall tradition for our family! I love supporting local family owned businesses and I love autumn traditions, so this is a favorite fall tradition for our family.