15 Best Pumpkin Patches Near Washington, DC

The big festival farms open in mid-September: Gaver Farm on September 4, Belvedere Plantation on September 12, Summers Farm on September 13, and both Cox Farms and Butler's Orchard on September 19. Most run through Halloween or the first days of November — Cox Farms goes latest, to November 8.

Two, in different senses. Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon is a free working farm park year-round (you only pay for its ticketed October events), and Yankey Farms in Bristow charges no gate fee at all — you pay $0.89/lb for pumpkins and $8 per person only if you want the activities wristband. Inside the District, NoMa's PumpkinPalooza is free with free pumpkins.

It depends, and it's the single biggest price difference between farms. Cox Farms includes a patch pumpkin with every admission. Butler's Orchard ($0.79/lb), Great Country Farms ($0.59/lb) and Yankey Farms ($0.89/lb) all price pumpkins separately, so budget for them on top of the gate.

For the two anchors, effectively yes. Cox Farms sells tickets online only — there is no box office, tickets are date-specific, and busy dates sell out. Butler's Orchard calls reservations strongly encouraged and turns walk-ins away at capacity on weekends. Temple Hall Farm has historically been the opposite: gate sales only, no online tickets.

Often not. A hard spring freeze in 2026 damaged the crop across the region — Homestead Farm in Poolesville reports no apples and no stone fruit this year, Marker-Miller in Winchester lost most of its apple crop and is not offering pick-your-own from the trees, and Hartland Orchard's season was cut back to weekdays only. Call before you drive out for apples.

Burke Nursery's Pumpkin Playground is the shortest trip with weekend pony rides, and Frying Pan Farm Park's animals suit walking age with no ticket at all. Cox Farms' Kiddie Zone and Great Country Farms' jumping pillows work from about two. Save Gaver Farm's zipline and seven-acre maze for school-age kids.