Visiting Johnson Farms Pumpkin Patch

One of our favorite annual traditions is visiting Johnson Farms Pumpkin Patch is a great day trip for the entire family. They offer a lot of fun that you won't find at your local park (and some of that too). As a working farm, this is a great agricultural field trip with animals and a real farm to explore. There are many great places to play including two jumping pillows, the corn crib challenge (an obstacle course for older kids), tunnel, playgrounds, a sand bus, and more. The brand new baby pigs and the other farm animals (goats, brahma bull, mule, and chicks) are delightful. The Pumpkin Chomping Dragon is a crowd favorite. The Pumpkin Popper (cannon launching pumpkins into the stratosphere, or into the pond whichever the case may be) is great fun. The play areas are large, clean, and unique. And, the farm itself, was - as always - BEAUTIFUL!!!

At Johnson Farms, they have the one of largest real pumpkin patches in the area with small, medium, and large pumpkins to pick off the vine. They also have a garden of U-Pick Vegetables (we picked fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and cabbage to enjoy for dinner) and an amazing Sunflower Garden with super tall sunflowers in a variety of colors - ideal for photos!

The team of adults working at Johnson Farms is fantastic! Every member of the staff is friendly, helpful, and top notch. Add to that the abundance of fun attractions and this is truly a perfect family fall outing. For lunch, buy a hot dog lunch from the grill, or grab snacks including their moist and delicious pumpkin donuts and tasty cider slushes!

This year, we happened to visit during the week, so the weekend only attractions are photos from past visits. We still had a GREAT time and highly recommend this patch to families.

So, what is a visitor to expect at Johnson Farms?

Some of our Favorite Features at Johnson Farms Pumpkin Patch:

The REAL 40-acre Pumpkin Patch! Every year we read lots of great books about pumpkins from the local library. The girls have been learning all about the pumpkin harvest. It's great to visit a REAL patch at Johnson Farms. Visitors take a hayride to the patch and pick the perfect pumpkin. The patch is gorgeous.

Choices Choices! - There are pumpkins in EVERY size. If you don't want to go out into the patch, there are pre-picked pumpkins in the shop.

When it's too big to carry, there are many Wheelbarrows to use and a Wheelbarrow Parking Lot so you can save your pick and continue to play before you leave!

The U-Pick Vegetable Patch! Visitors pick fresh produce right off the vine, or out of the patch. Cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers - these are just a few of the delicious treats we picked. You pay per pound - the more you pick, the cheaper it is per pound.

The 13-Acre Corn Maze! No map, no clues... just find your way through the maze. This year's maze was super simple, meaning the younger girls could lead the way and there was no concern about getting lost. (Note: These are 2015 photos, but the maze this year is just as nice!)

My five year old was VERY happy to lead the way!

The staff and the atmosphere! I cannot say enough about the staff at Johnson Farms! Every year I am impressed by the team at Johnson Farms and this year was no exception.You can tell that they all love working at the farm and making memories with the kids. The Johnson family has worked hard to create a fun, creative, and pristine attraction.

The beauty. This is perhaps the prettiest pumpkin patch in town... the flowers, the fields, the cleanliness of the property. The fields make lovely fall photo backgrounds!

The Jumping Pillow. Truth be told, if I asked my kids - this would probably be their FAVORITE feature. Johnson Farms is one of the only patches in town with a Jumping Pillow and it is open EVERY day the patch is open. This year, they have TWO jumping pillows. The staff used the two pillows to separate older and younger kids (orange and green) so both age groups could safely have fun. The giant jumping pillow is "better than a trampoline." The first jump is free, additional jumps are $2/ea. The Jumping Pillow is for children 3 and up.
 

The Pumpkin Chomping Dragon (weekends  only). This mechanical dragon is great fun to watch. The Pumpkin Chomper is a signature feature you'll ONLY find at Johnson Farms (no other local pumpkin chomping dragons that we know about).... and it is super fun!!!
 

The Pumpkin Popper (weekends only). It is "a blast" (literally) to watch pumpkins fly across the sky and make a big splash in the pond.... and thanks to the staff one of them exploded in the air with debris flying everywhere... including small chunks of pumpkin on us.... the girls had a great laugh! This is one of the few patches in town with this attraction.
 

The barrel train (weekends only). This is especially fun for young children, and parents can ride with the youngest passengers to help them stay seated. There is an additional charge for train rides offered only on weekends. (This is a photo of the 2014 train - we visited during the week and were unable to ride this year.)
 

The animals. Pig Races are weekends only and they are free - and super fun to watch. All animals can be enjoyed every day. We saw farmyard birds, and goats are just a few of the animals to enjoy at Johnson Farms. The "Golden Goat Bridge" is a fave! We love The 3 Little Pig Houses and were fortunate to see baby pigs, baby chicks, and baby ducks on our visit!
 

The delicious food! I love their roasted corn on the cob and my girls give the cider slushes and pumpkin donuts two thumbs up! I want to go back soon.... JUST for the donuts! We were even able to sample some experimental recipes... if they add these treats to the menu this season you'll love what they have in store!

The play areas! With tunnels, slides, swings, the Sand Bus (an old school bus filled with sand and toys - so much fun!), hay barn, and more - there were many creative ways for kids to climb, play, explore, and enjoy fresh air and exercise. The Corn Crib Challenge is difficult to photograph (especially as it is a kid-only attraction), but my girls are in love with this! This is an obstacle course just for bigger kids. Ping Pong is available for all ages to enjoy.

Tips before You Visit Johnson Farms:

• Read the Johnson Farms Pumpkin Patch Listing for complete details, hours, pricing, and map!
• Save on Admission with our coupons!
• We spent 4 hours at the patch.
• Read our Pumpkin Patch tips for what to bring, what to wear, and more!
• It is conveniently located! We live in the Southland, so it took us less than 10 minutes to get there. Johnson Farms is ONLY 15-20 miles from most locations in Johnson County Kansas, Cass County Missouri, and Jackson County Missouri.
• Bring money for additional attractions.
• Bring money for Pumpkins and Veggies you pick.
• Bring money for concessions. 
• They offer group tours and discounts if you lead a school group, play group, or church group! Mondays are a great day to visit for deals and smaller crowds.

So, you can see why a visit to Johnson Farms is one of our favorite fall traditions and one we recommend for your family's bucket list!