8 pumpkin patches where you can pick the perfect pumpkin

A visit to a pumpkin patch makes for a pleasant fall afternoon.

Pumpkins on display at a local pumpkin patch in 2021. John Tlumacki / The Boston Globe

October 12, 2023

There’s perhaps no autumn activity as quintessential as heading out to a farm and picking your own perfect, plump pumpkin to usher in the arrival of autumn.

Want a large gourd for carving an elaborate design? Or perhaps you prefer small gourds to build a gorgeous, seasonal entry display? Either way, a visit to a pumpkin patch means you get to choose. And, not only is it a fun day trip — friendly for all ages — but it’s also an excuse to take the scenic route and peep some fall foliage on your drive out.

Here are eight of our favorite pumpkin patches near Boston:

Boston Hill Farm
1390 Turnpike St., North Andover

Family-owned and operated for 12 generations, Boston Hill Farm is a multigenerational outing, even including fur-children thanks to their dog-friendly policies. Whether you want to pick a pumpkin or entrust the farmers to do it for you — they offer a curbside pickup — this North Andover-farm has you covered. There’s also a farm stand that serves up pizza and freshly baked pies filled with fruit from the property.

The Big Apple Farm
207 Arnold St., Wrentham

Wrentham may be known for the outlets, but The Big Apple Farm provides a different type of shopping trip worth taking. The 200-acre farm offers pumpkin and apple picking, and you can pluck fall delicacies straight from the vine or branch. There’s also a bakery churning out seasonal pastries, which pair nicely with a jar of local honey, jam, or maple syrup.

Connors Farm
30 Valley Road, Danvers

Connors Farm has become well known for its popular kid-friendly attractions, including hayrides, a corn maze, a treehouse village, and mini railroad. Of course, the pumpkin plucking and apple picking abound for visitors of all ages. The farm is family-friendly during the day, but once night falls, things can get a little spooky due to the haunted offerings.

Shelburne Farm
106 West Acton Road, Stow

While a stroll through the Shelburne Farms fields may feel like you’re in a meticulously painted still life, there are some more contemporary attractions at Shelburne, like the John Deere Gator, Harvester dump truck playgrounds, and hayrides to the pumpkin patch. A bonus: Their warm cider doughnuts melt in your mouth and offer a true taste of the season.

Oake Knoll Farms
70 North St., Foxborough

An excursion to Oake Knoll Farms also brings the opportunity to score some dairy treats while also picking up a petite pumpkin. The farm produces an incredible selection of fresh cheese, milked from their own pasture-raised cows. It’s the perfect farm for those who want to take home a full bounty.

Smolak Farm
315 S. Bradford St., North Andover

Though its farm stand operates year-round, selling homemade pies, stacked sandwiches, and ice cream, visitors come for cider doughnuts in the fall and stay for the festivals during September and October. The weekends bring a flurry of activity, with pumpkin and apple picking, music, carnival games, a cow train, hay rides, and a petting zoo.

Parlee Farms
95 Farwell Road, Tyngsboro

There are many reasons to love this multifunctional farm between Lowell, Mass., and Nashua, N.H., but the 13-acre pumpkin is certainly a standout. Every year, Parlee Farms grows some 40,000 pumpkins, from mini gourds to perfectly plump orange 40-pounders. The patch is open every Saturday in October, and after you find your prize, swing by the Farmstand for warm apple crisp for all the fall feels.

Nihtila Farm
12 Nihtila Lane, Holbrook

Pick your own pumpkins at Nihtila Farm any Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in October. The family-owned and operated patch grows their pumpkins with love, so you’ll have plenty of choices from bunches of flawless pumpkins. If you prefer to swing by for a hay ride and farm activities then collect a pumpkin on your way out, the farm pre-picks some pumpkins so they’re readily available whenever.