Fresh fruit tastes better when you pick it yourself!
Apple picking is a classic activity in the fall. There’s something about grabbing a Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious straight from the branch and taking a bite that really brings out the crispness of autumn.
It’s tough to find large orchards in dense cities like Chicago, but there are many apple picking options just outside the city. You will need a car to reach them all, but most are about an hour’s drive from downtown. Pack up the family for a weekend outing, or help your babysitter or nanny plan a special trip with the kids.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find an orchard that isn’t family-friendly, and all the options on this list welcome people of all ages. Most even have additional activities and attractions on site to ensure an entire day of fun.
Plank Road Orchard
Address: 50 W. 549 Plank Road, Sycamore, IL 60178
Hours: Friday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Picking season begins Sept. 2.)
Phone: 815-899-4020
Fees: Call ahead for pricing.
Plank Road Orchard is a 10-acre, family-owned orchard that offers 16 varieties of apples — including Braeburn, Jonathan, and Jonagold — throughout the season. A 5-pound minimum per person is required for picking. Once you’ve gotten your fill of picking and have a full haul ready to take home, stop by the orchard’s bakery for some apple-based treat inspiration for your kitchen. In addition to its own cider, Plank Road has apple doughnuts, strudel, turnovers, and more available on weekends. Plank Road Orchard is located near Dekalb, about 55 miles outside of downtown Chicago.
Prairie Sky Orchard
Address: 4914 N. Union Road, Union, IL 60180
Hours: Open daily, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Picking season begins Sept. 9.)
Phone: 815-923-4834
Fees: Orchard admission, free | Parking, free | 10-pound bag of pick-your-own apples, $19 ($26 for Asian pears)
Prairie Sky Orchard is just over 60 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. Its farmers grow more than a dozen varieties of apples and Asian pears, which are available for picking throughout the September and October season. Don’t miss the Koffee Kiosk for a snack (hot dogs and sandwiches available), hot and cold cider, or a slice of apple pie. If you like what you taste, you can take home a U-Bake pie made with produce from the nearby fields.
County Line Orchard
Address: 200 S. County Line Road, Hobart, IN 46342
Hours: Open daily, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Picking season begins Sept. 4.)
Phone: 219-947-4477
Fees: Orchard admission, $1 (includes tractor ride and bag) | Pick-your-own apples, $1.79/pound | Attraction admission varies, most under $10
County Line Orchard is just a quick 45-mile drive across the Indiana state line. If you decide to visit this orchard, you’ll have a lot of fun to fit into one day, starting with the more than 30 varieties of apples ready for picking. Don’t worry, free tractor rides are available to get you from field to field. The attractions don’t stop there. You can also pick your own pumpkins for pie and jack-o’-lantern making, or visit the bee yurts for a guided tour. Hang with barnyard critters like pigs and pygmy goats at the Kids Farm, or get turned around in the giant corn maze. Weekend programming showcases local musicians as part of the free Barnyard Jams. County Line Orchard also has a kitchen and grill open daily, so you don’t have to worry about packing lunches.
Kuipers Family Farm
Address: 1N318 Watson Road, Maple Park, IL 60151
Hours:
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Aug. 19 – Oct. 31: Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. | Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
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Nov. 1 – Dec. 17: Open daily, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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Pick-your-own apples available Saturdays & Sundays through October.
Phone: 815-827-5200
Fees: Admission, $10.99 (includes tractor ride to grove & quarter-peck bag for apples) | Kids 2 & under, free but will not receive a pick-your-own bag
Kuipers Family Farm is a one-stop shop for all your seasonal needs, from apples to pumpkins to Christmas trees. Kuipers’ apple orchards grow more than a dozen varieties, including McIntosh, Ginger Gold, and Gala. Wagons and strollers are not permitted in the orchards. Multiple restaurants are located on the property, and the orchard’s bakery sells apple cider doughnuts, caramel apples, pies, cider, and more treats to take home.
All Seasons Orchard
Address: 14510 IL Route 176, Woodstock, IL 60098
Hours: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Picking season runs through Oct. 31.)
Phone: 815-338-5637
Fees: Adults, $13 for half-peck bag | Kids 12 & under, $8 for quarter-peck bag | Kids 2 & under, free but no bag (All prices include wagon ride to orchard.) | Parking is free. Barnyard tickets sold separately. Click here for pricing.
This apple orchard, pumpkin patch, and corn maze is an hour’s drive northwest of Chicago. Climb aboard one of the orchard’s wagons and take in the more than 15,000 apple trees that fill the beautiful property. Visit All Seasons’ Barnyard (additional fee) for more activities, like a 10-acre corn maze, mini-zip line park, pedal carts, and more.
Apple Holler
Address: 5006 S. Sylvania Ave., Sturtevant, WI 53177
Hours: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (August through October)
Phone: 262-884-7100
Fees: Pick-your-own prices start at $15 for a quarter-peck (about 2.5-pound) bag.
This Wisconsin gem is home to 30,000 dwarf trees for easy picking and more than 30 varieties of apples, pears, peaches, pumpkins, and sugar snap peas. It’s not hard to make your kids’ day extra special at Apple Holler. If you don’t want to fill the entire day with apple picking, you can make more memories with pony rides, barnyard animal encounters, adventures in the corn maze, and visits to the farm’s country store and bakery.
Royal Oak Farm Orchard
Address: 15908 Hebron Road, Harvard, IL 60033
Hours:
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Aug. 18 – Oct. 31: Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Sunday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
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Nov. 1 – 12: Open daily, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Phone: 815-648-4141
Fees: Amaze ’N Apples maze, Train, Carousel, Hay Ride, and Orchard Tour rides $3 | Pick-your-own prices start at $6 for a quarter-peck (about 2.5-pound) bag for children ages 6 to 16 and $12 for adults.
Royal Oak Farm Orchard celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2017. The sprawling 120-acre property sits just south of the Wisconsin border — a two-hour drive from downtown Chicago — and welcomes families from all over the area in the late summer and fall. In addition to 30 varieties of apples for picking, Royal Oak is home to the country’s first apple tree maze. Corn mazes are a common form of family fun in the fall, but the Amaze ’N Apples maze is a unique attraction made up of nearly 2 miles of trails and nine types of apple trees. The farm is also home to hay rides, a carousel, orchard tours, which all require extra fees.
Jonamac Orchard
Address: 19412 Shabbona Road, Malta, IL 60150
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Aug. 18 – Nov. 22)
Phone: 815-825-2158
Fees: Pick-your-own bags start at $15 for a half-peck.
Jonamac Orchard is a 30-year-old farm and cidery located 70 miles outside of the downtown area. Its more than two-dozen apple varieties are available for picking throughout the fall. Wagons are available for carting around your little ones after a hard day’s work in the orchard. Kids will enjoy visiting the petting zoo and corn maze. Parents can even have some fun of their own with a glass of hard cider or apple wine in the farm’s Cider House.
Stade’s Farm and Market
Address: 3709 Miller Road, McHenry, IL 60051
Hours: Open daily, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Phone: 815-675-6396
Fees: Pick-your-own prices range from $6 for a quarter-peck of apples to $40 for a half bushel. | Theme Park Admission, $15 (Ages 65+, $10)
Explore 17 acres of pick-your-own fruits and vegetables at Stade’s, including Honeycrisp, Jonagold, and Golden Delicious apples. Raspberries, strawberries, pumpkins, green beans, tomatoes, and sugar snap peas are also available for picking, pending seasonal availability. The Farmtractions Theme Park opens for business during the weekends at Stade’s, offering family activities like an apple cannon, rope maze, and pedal cars. Visit the market on your way out to stock up on everything you need for the freshest at-home cooking and baking. Stade’s is located 50 miles northwest of Chicago.
Honey Hill Orchard
Address: 11783 Waterman Road, Waterman, IL 60556
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Phone: 815-264-3337
Fees: Half-peck bag of pick-your-own apples, $15
Find the ingredients for your next pie or apple sauce-making session at Honey Hill Orchard. The farm grows 17 types of apples available for picking. Be sure to check Honey Hill’s Harvest Update for availability before making the 65-mile drive. Take the kids by the farm for petting zoo fun and a hay bale maze before heading home. Mom and dad might want to stop by the County Store on the way out to stock up on cider, doughnuts, salsas, and other treats.
Did we list all the best apple orchards in the Chicago area? Let us know in the comments below!
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