By Ollie the otter
Ollie here. If you want one pumpkin patch with the most for kids to do, I'd head to Lemos Farm in Half Moon Bay (open daily in October 2026) or Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch in Morgan Hill (free entry, rides and a corn maze). For toddlers, the low-key weekend patch at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont is hard to beat, and for free entry try Petaluma Pumpkin Patch and Amazing Corn Maze or Joan's Farm#pr_joans-farm-and-pumpkin-patch-livermore in Livermore. Go on a weekday morning if you can, and skip Half Moon Bay on October 17–18, when the Art & Pumpkin Festival fills Highway 92.
I went looking so you don't have to. Where a farm has posted 2026 hours, I list them; otherwise I give the usual pattern and link the official site.
Half Moon Bay and the coast
The coast has the most patches in one place, and the most traffic. Arrive before 10 a.m. or come on a weekday.
Lemos Farm, Half Moon Bay
If you want "everything in one ticket" on the coast, this is your farm: pony rides (70 lb limit), a little train, hay rides, a petting zoo, a farm slide, jumpers, gem mining and a mild haunted house. I think it works best for ages 2–8.
- 2026 dates and hours: the official site says the 2026 patch runs September 5 to November 15, open every day in October from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends only (10 a.m.–5 p.m.) in November.
- Cost: the farm sells passes online and doesn't list prices on its patch page. 510 Families' 2026 write-up lists about $35 for a kid's pass with pony rides and $18 for adults; babies under 14 months are free.
- Tips: buy tickets ahead; walk-ins are limited and it can sell out. October weekday tickets are discounted. Pack lunch. Lemos Farm pumpkin patch
Arata's Pumpkin Farm, Half Moon Bay#p2
Arata's is famous for its two-acre hay maze, the Minotaur's Labyrinth, plus a six-acre cornfield, hay rides, a train, guided pony rides, a petting zoo and a haunted barn. Big kids (6–12) go wild for the maze; littler ones are happier in the smaller play area.
- Hours: the farm's site lists October hours of 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and 9 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Friday–Saturday, and the site is current for this season. Call (650) 726-7548 if you want to double-check.
- Cost: pay per activity or buy online at least 24 hours ahead; prices aren't posted on the home page.
- Tips: leashed, well-behaved dogs are allowed. Arata Pumpkin Farm
Free coast stops: Bob's and Farmer John's
If your crew just wants to float around a field and pick a pumpkin, Bob's Pumpkin Farm#p_b2916b11 on Highway 1 South has free admission and parking, wheelbarrows, and a small petting zoo, with no rides or maze (Visit Half Moon Bay). Farmer John's Pumpkin Farm#p_4b398e1b on Highway 1 North has its well-known tipi, a vintage tractor and hay rides; its site says it's open daily 9 a.m.–6 p.m. (Farmer John's). Local press calls it free entry, though the farm's page doesn't say. Both suit all ages.
South Bay
Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch, Morgan Hill
Spina is part farm, part fall fair: train rides (including a new Bee Train in 2026), a cow train, a corn maze, pumpkin blasters, a hayride with a dinosaur walk, and big dinosaur figures that preschoolers adore. I'd say it suits ages 2–10.
- 2026 dates: September 17 to November 2, seven days a week, weather permitting. The October calendar shows roughly 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday–Thursday and Sunday, and 8:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday–Saturday. Entry and ticket sales close one hour before closing.
- Cost: free entry. Rides are $8 each (hayride $10) or $45 for a Park Pass, sold on site only. On Tuesdays the Park Pass is half price this season.
- Parking: free Monday–Thursday (except holidays); $30 cash on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Wear closed-toe shoes; the farm requires them. Spina Farms · 2026 calendar
Queen's Pumpkin Patch, Saratoga#p_b013aa3f
This one has been running since 1984, with a petting zoo, pony rides, hay rides, a corn maze, bumper boats and gold mining. It's a good pick for ages 3–12 if you live in west San Jose, Cupertino or Los Gatos. 2026: open every day September 25 to November 1; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. weekends. Admission is $10 per person. Queen's Pumpkin Patch
Need a plan for this weekend? gokidbay lists hundreds of kids events across the Bay, filtered by age, city and day.See this weekend →East Bay
Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont
On October weekends, Dig Deep Farms runs a small pumpkin patch at this historic farm, with a hay pyramid to climb, a corn maze, games and a craft table. It's calm and very toddler friendly, the kind of place where small paws can roam. The East Bay Regional Park District calendar lists the patch on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 10 a.m., and 510 Families reports it runs weekends October 3–31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The park's event page lists $5 per adult and $2 per child ages 3–11 (free for under 2).
- Park basics (2026): Ardenwood is open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., parking is free, and the park is cashless. Heads up: from October 12 to November 25, 2026, some buildings and exhibits may be closed for construction.
- Evenings: the Haunted Train runs on select October nights (the park calendar shows 7 p.m. on October 16 and 17). Book it separately. Ardenwood on ebparks.org
Joan's Farm, Livermore
I love how old-fashioned this one feels. It's cash-based, with free entry: a fort maze, the Little Blue Train, pumpkin bowling, animals to feed, an inflatable slide and an Old West town. Great for ages 3–10.
- 2026: open October 2–31, Tuesday–Sunday (closed Mondays except Columbus Day), 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; activities stop at 5:30.
- Cost: free admission; $5 per activity or a $25 unlimited wristband; $5 parking. Cash or check only, with an ATM on site. Bring your own wagon. Joan's Farm
G&M Farms, Livermore
Come here for a bigger corn maze, jump pillows (Wednesday–Sunday), and weekend-only hay rides, pedal carts and a cow train. Best for ages 5–12.
- 2026: open October 2–31, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Weekdays (Wed–Fri) 3–7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.–7 p.m. (maze to 9 p.m.); Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. A haunted corn maze runs after dark on October 17 and 24, which is better for older kids. Parking is $5; no pets. G&M Farms
Peninsula
Webb Ranch, Portola Valley
Near Stanford and I-280, Webb Ranch is your easy Peninsula pick: bounce houses, an activity course, a haunted house, hay rides, and on weekends a petting zoo, reptile zoo and pony rides with the Full Pass. It suits ages 2–10.
- Hours: the site says the patch is open daily from September 25 to October 31 (no year given), with the store and patch open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and the activity area 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Cost: parking is free. Passes are sold on site; the current site lists weekend child passes from about $27 (Classic) to $40 (Full), weekday child passes about $17, and kids 24 months and under free. Each child pass needs an adult pass.
- Tips: weekend parking fills before noon, so reserve a weekend slot online, which also gets you priority parking. Webb Ranch pumpkin patch
North Bay
Petaluma Pumpkin Patch and Amazing Corn Maze, Petaluma
This is a family farm in its 34th season with about 50 kinds of pumpkins and gourds to pick from the field, free farm animals, a free kids' maze, rubber duck races, and the big corn maze. Ages 3 and up; the night maze is for older kids.
- 2026: opened September 25. Hours are 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday–Saturday; maze entry stops 30 minutes before close.
- Cost: free admission and parking. The corn maze is $9 by day, $13 at night. Most vendors take cash only. No dogs and no outside food. Petaluma Pumpkin Patch
Mickelson Pumpkin Patch, Petaluma
Little ones will have lots to do here: a grain train, hay maze, corn pit, tractor ride, Jump Zone, petting zoo, plus an apple cannon and paintball gallery for big kids.
- 2026: open daily from September 19 until Halloween, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday–Saturday.
- Cost: free on weekdays, $5 per person on weekends. Wristbands are $30 per child (ages 2–13, includes the Jump Zone) or $20 without it; single tickets are $9. No outside food and no dogs. Mickelson pricing
Beat the crowds
These are the tricks I use every fall.
- Avoid Half Moon Bay on October 17–18, 2026. That's the Art & Pumpkin Festival on Main Street (9 a.m.–5 p.m. both days), and Highway 92 backs up for hours. Go midweek instead.
- Go on a weekday after school or a weekday morning. Several farms are cheaper then too: Mickelson has free weekday entry, Spina has free parking Monday–Thursday and a half-price Park Pass on Tuesdays, and Lemos discounts October weekday tickets.
- Arrive at opening on weekends. Webb Ranch notes weekend parking is limited before noon. Spina opens at 8:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Book ahead where you can. Lemos, Arata's and Webb Ranch take online tickets or reservations; walk-ins can sell out.
- Bring cash and a wagon. Joan's Farm, Spina's weekend parking and most Petaluma vendors are cash only, and a wagon carries both toddler and pumpkin.
- Check the morning of. Farms close for rain or mud.
Quick picks
- Best for toddlers: Ardenwood's weekend patch (calm, cheap, free parking), Lemos Farm (everything sized for small kids), Webb Ranch on a weekday.
- Best with activities: Spina Farms, Lemos Farm, Arata's Pumpkin Farm, Mickelson Pumpkin Patch.
- Free entry: Spina Farms (pay per ride), Petaluma Pumpkin Patch, Joan's Farm, Bob's Pumpkin Farm, and Mickelson on weekdays.
- Best corn maze for big kids: Petaluma's Amazing Corn Maze, Arata's hay maze, G&M Farms.
That's my whole raft of pumpkin picks for this fall. Grab a wagon, pick a weekday, and go find your perfect pumpkin. See you in the field, Ollie.
