Twin Cities Fall Apple Picking
Minnesota Orchards to Harvest in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Area
Sep 12, 2007
Autumn in the Twin Cities is too short, but with the crisp air and beautiful foliage, it leaves a lasting impression. For the locals, one of the favorite way to celebrate fall is by picking apples at the many large orchards across Minnesota. Most of these orchards allow visitors to pick their own apples, but also offer a pre-picked selection. And there's more going on at these orchards than just apples. To compete for business, orchards offer lots of kid-friendly activities such as corn mazes, hayrides, birthday parties, and more. They also offer bakeries that sell everything from fresh cider to enormous pies, and some orchards also have restaurants. During the summer months, some of these orchards grow berries that visitors can pick, and for Halloween, pumpkin patches become the local hot spot.
So where can you find great apple picking in the Twin Cities metro area? In most cases, you'll need to drive to the outer-ring suburbs of the Twin Cities, which are 30-45 minutes from the downtowns. Here's a list of some of the biggest apple orchards in the area.
- Aamodt's Apple Farm. (6428 Manning Ave, Stillwater). Aamodt's offers over 27 varieties of apples, a bakery with amazing sour cream apple pie and applesauce brownies, and lots of activities for the kids, including pony rides, a tractor and trike farm, and a petting zoo. 651-439-3127.
- Afton Apple Orchard. (14421 South 90th Street, Hastings). Afton is mostly a pick-your-own orchard, and has an apple festival in early October. For kids, there's a 5-mile corn maze and hay rides. 651-436-8385.
- Apple Jack Orchards. (4875 37th Street SE, Delano.) Visitors can pick 29 varieties of apples and enjoy weekend musical events. Kids can enjoy the Cow Train, the Apple Cannon, and the 5-mile corn maze. 763-972-6673.
- Emma Krumbee's Orchard & Farm. (501 East South Street, Belle Plaine). Emma Krumbee's has lots going on. This orchard includes a restaurant, bakery, ice cream shop, play areas, general store, floral shop, and even its own motel. Among other attractions, they offer an annual scarecrow festival and camel rides. 952-873-3006.
- Minnesota Harvest. (8251 Old Highway 169 Blvd, Jordan). This large, kid-friendly farm hosts weddings and birthday parties. They also have a small restaurant, petting zoo, corn maze, and lots of horseback riding. 952-492-7753.
- Deardorff Orchards. (8350 Parley Lake Road, Waconia). This smaller orchard includes a fun rustic apple barn that was built in 1900, where visitors can be crafts, honey, cider, and more. For kids, there are tractor rides and haystacks. 952-442-1885.
See also:
Kid-Friendly Activities in the Twin Cities
Halloween Fun in the Twin Cities
Minnesota Winter Fun & Festivals
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