Halloween just isn’t Hallowen without a Jack o’Lantern grinning on your doorstep. Over the years, more and more farms and parks have built on the popularity of this strange, orange horror-buddy, and whether you’re looking for a gourd-geous little pumpkin patch where you can pick up your choice of gourd for your next pumpkin curry, pumpkin cake, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, or pumpkin pie s’mores, or whether you’re up for a full afternoon of family fun and rides, Los Angeles is guaranteed to have something for you.
We’ve shopped around and found you the 17 best pumpkin patches in Los Angeles – big and small, simple and action-packed (think train rides, face painting, carnival games, tractor rides, corn mazes, nightlights and other spooky and fun Halloween activities!), whatever your fancy- check out our list! But before that, did you know why we carve pumpkins at Halloween? Read on…
Why Are Pumpkins Such A Big Thing At Halloween?
The pumpkin carving tradition (cutting faces into pumpkins, which we in the US call Jack-o’-Lanterns) was started in Ireland, though not with the bright orange gourds of today- with turnips!
They say the tradition came about because a mean old man known as Stingy Jack somehow managed to trap the Devil himself. He only let him go after the Devil promised Jack he wouldn’t drag him down to Hell when he died. But when Jack eventually did die, he was rejected by Heaven too, meaning he was forced to wander the Earth as a spirit for all eternity. The Devil, perhaps feeling sorry for the guy, is said to have given Jack a burning lump of coal in a carved-out turnip to light his way. This story somehow turned into the locals carving scary faces into their turnips and lighting candles inside them to scare away Stingy Jack and all the other wandering spirits on Hallows E’en. When the first Irish families arrived in America, they had no turnips, and so started to carve pumpkins out instead.
Now we’ve explored how we got to today’s Halloween Jack o’Lanterns, let’s head on over to Los Angeles’ 17 best pumpkin patches so you can buy your own!
1. Tanaka Farms
- Through October 31.
Don’t buy your pumpkins at the grocery store this year – go for a full-on farm experience with all the family instead, and pick your pumpkins straight from the field! At Tanaka’s 30-acre farm, you can enjoy a petting zoo, corn maze, and an optional tractor ride to the massive U-pick pumpkin fields for $22. Add $6 to that fee per person on weekends to enjoy a wide choice of games, arts and crafts, face painting, mini ATVs, a shoot-the-pumpkin cannon and a ride on the bee train.
If you don’t want to take the tractor ride, you can drive yourself around the farm on weekends.
Open: Monday–Thursday 9am–6pm, Friday and Saturday 9am–9pm, Sunday 9am–6pm. Halloween day 9am–3pm.
Where: 5380 University Dr, Irvine, CA.
Tickets: $22. +$6 for weekend extra activities. Parking reservations required in advance on weekends ($10).
Website: tanakafarms.com
2. Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch
- Through October 29, daily 9am–9pm (activities shut down at 8:30pm).
While not the cheapest pumpkin patch on this list, kids of all ages will have a lot of fun at Mr. Bones, which promises row upon row of pumpkins to choose from, a giant hand-carved rocking horse (!), a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, a slide, a spooky bouncy castle, and a small but fun straw maze. Their pumpkin cottage takes you straight to a movie set and makes the perfect photo op. Hungry after that? There are food trucks to serve!
Where: 10100 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, CA.
Tickets $10 – $30 for general entrance (cheaper on weekdays), $1 per activity.
Website: mrbonespumpkinpatch.com
3. Underwood Family Farms
- Through October 31, daily 9am – 6pm.
Celebrate the annual Fall Harvest Festival at the 50-acre Underwood Family Farm, with a differently themed event every weekend, including the Wild West and All About Pumpkins – boasting live music, corn mazes to explore, animal shows (Farmer Craig’s Chicken Show is a must-see!), a tractor display, a pumpkin house, hay climbing pyramids, games, crafts, trains to ride, and a sea of pumpkins to choose from (and that’s just tickling their list of activities- check out their site for the full wowzer!)
Where: 3370 Sunset Valley Rd, Moorpark, CA.
Tickets: Weekends $28 (buy online, in advance), weekdays $14 (only available for purchase at the gate), free for under 2s. Parking is free.
Website: underwoodfamilyfarms.com
4. Tapia Brothers Farm
- Through October 31, daily 9am-7pm.
Tapia Brothers Farm is famous for its giant corn maze. Grab the map and a sheet of trivia questions and head on in ($10, closed Mondays). Separately, and for a separate charge each, there’s a pumpkin patch which you can explore and choose from, a farmers’ market, a petting zoo, and the chance to ride a train or pony around the farm. Best visited on the weekend when all the activities are up and running.
Where: 5251 Hayvenhurst Ave, Encino, CA.
Tickets: $3 admission, activities cost extra.
Website: facebook.com/TapiaBrosFarm
5. Carved At Descanso Gardens, Pasadena
- Through October 29, daily 6 – 10pm.
Descanso presents literally hundreds of carved pumpkins packed into a mile of Halloween under-the-stars illuminated delight in the Camellia Forest. What could be more Halloweeny than that? We’ll tell you – demonstrations from top artists on how to carve your own pumpkin masterpiece, as well as Descanso’s popular Pumpkin House and hay maze!
Where: 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA.
Tickets: Adults from $25–40 for members and $30–45 for non-members, Children 12 or under $20–25 (members), $25–30 (non-members). Buy online, as tickets are not sold on-site.
Website: descansogardens.org
6. Pa’s Pumpkin Patch
- Through October 31, daily 1pm – 5pm.
Grab a weekend of nostalgic carnival fun with your little trick or treaters at Pa’s Pumpkin Patch, with mechanical rides, inflatables, giant haystacks, slides, mirror mazes, face painting, a mini train to go around on, and more. On top of that, they have 13 varieties of pumpkin on display, including some exotic ones you won’t see in the stores!
Where: 6701 CA-1, Long Beach, CA.
Tickets: Adults $5, Children 3-12 $2.50 for a 3.5-hour session. Group tickets available. Additional fees for activities from $2.50 per go.
Website: paspumpkinpatch.com
7. Pumpkins In The Pines (Skypark at Santa’s Village)
- Saturdays and Sundays through October 29, 10am – 6pm.
Go pumpkin picking and painting, decorate themed cookies, enter a costume contest, enjoy puppet and magic shows, stock up on seasonal food and drink, watch an after-dark light show, and try some trick-or-treating! But don’t use up all your energy- you’ll need some for the “Monster Mash” skate night on closing night (Oct 29)! Also not to be missed is the Sky Park After Dark weekend at the end of October. 13+s will love the Fantom Forest Haunted Hike on October 21 and 28. Check out their website for other special events on the lead-up to Halloween.
Where: 28950 California 18, Skyforest, CA.
Tickets: Best bought online in advance. Parking is $10. See their website for details.
Website: skyparksantasvillage.com
8. Irvine Park Railroad’s Pumpkin Patch
- Through October 31, Weekdays 10am – 6pm, weekends 8am – 6pm.
Worth a visit just to see the giant pumpkin weigh-offs, not to mention the fun tractor rides, mini train, carnival games, face painting, haystack maze, and the chance to bounce it out at the bounce house – this is a Halloween treat without the scares, great for little ones and those of a gentler nature.
Where: 1 Irvine Park Rd, Orange, CA.
Tickets: FREE admission, activities from $7. There is also a parking charge.
Website: irvineparkrailroad.com
9. Whittier Pumpkin Patch
- Through October 31. Daily 9am – 8.30pm.
Grab some fun and come home with the perfect Halloween buddy for your front porch! Whittier offers a family afternoon out packed with inflatable jumpers, slides, gem mining, pumpkin painting and tractor rides.
Where: 11760 Whittier Blvd., Whittier, CA.
Tickets: Admission is free but the prices of the activities start at $6 per child. Cash only! There’s an ATM on site.
Website: whittierchristmastree.com
10. Magic Of The Jack O’Lanterns
- Various dates and times through October 31.
Carved and illuminated pumpkins as far as the eye can see! Take your loved ones into a magical and beautifully lit nautical sea-scape, past a spooky pirate ship, dinosaurs, dragons, and more! You’ll find plenty to eat and drink, and a must-do while you’re there: a build-your-own s’mores experience!
Where: Whittier Narrows Park, 750 S. Santa Anita Ave., South El Monte, CA.
Tickets: Tickets start at $19.99 for children and $24.99 for adults.
Website: magicofthejackolanterns.com
11. Mr. Jack O’ Lanterns Pumpkin Patch
- Through October 31. Daily, 11am – 8pm (Friday and Saturday 10am – 9pm, Sunday 10am – 8pm).
Two locations, two action- and pumpkin-packed festivals to enjoy! Pick out a pumpkin (they have everything from teeny-weeny to 50-pounders!) and decorate it on-site, then try your hand at pumpkin bowling, take a walk through the maze, pet some cute farm animals, have a jump on the bounce house, and then grab a bite and enjoy the live musicians and pig races. If you have the constitution, why not enter the pie eating contest? Check the website to find out what is happening where. Note that the annual farmers market is not open in 2023.
Where: West L.A. (11852 Santa Monica Blvd), Torrance (17520 Prairie Ave).
Tickets: Free admission, see online for activity prices.
Website: mrjackolanternspumpkins.com.
12. Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Fest
- Through October 29. Fridays through Sundays 10am – 7pm.
The Pomona Pumpkin Festival offers over 40,000 pumpkins to choose from at the start of the season, so even if you can’t get there until the end of the month, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find a gourd-geous gourd to carve!
The festival also provides plenty of imaginative, pumpkin and fall-themed fun with squash tunnels to crawl through, pumpkin seed-spitting contests, hay wagon rides, two corn mazes, a sunflower field, a petting farm, live music, talks from the students, and a farmer’s market packed with products that the agricultural students grew themselves!
Food and drinks can be bought from on-site vendors.
Where: 4102 S University Dr, Pomona, CA.
Tickets: Buy online! Adults: $10 on weekends or $6 on Value Fridays, Children: (ages 3-12): $8 on weekends or $4 on Value Fridays.
Website: www.cpp.edu
13. Live Oak Canyon Pumpkin Patch
- Through October 31. Monday – Thursday 4pm – 9pm, Friday 4pm – 10pm, Saturday 10am – 10pm, Sunday 10am – 9pm.
Live Oak Canyon holds the title of Biggest U-Pick Pumpkin Patch in San Bernardino County, but that’s not the only draw, as it also prides itself on displaying those bright orange gourds to perfection, too – our top pick this year being the pumpkin house where you’ll see cleverly woven vines with the pumpkins still attached! Alongside that worthy exhibition are over 50 rides, carnival games, a petting zoo, a haystack pyramid, a giant rocking horse for the perfect photo, the Singing Chicken Show, and a fall food court to keep up your energy levels- you’ll need it!
Where: 32335 Live Oak Canyon Rd, Redlands, CA.
Tickets: Available at the entrance. See the site for details on pricing.
Website: liveoakcanyon.com
14. Tina’s Pumpkin Patch
- Through October 31, Sunday – Thursday 10am – 8pm, Fridays and Saturdays 10am – 9pm.
What better way to spend a warm, fall day with your little ones than at a petting zoo with a friendly llama and lots of other fur babies besides? Well, I suppose you could throw in a pony ride, a train ride, a bounce, a slide, an obstacle course and an adventure in a straw maze too! And when they’re all animal-ed and explored out, take them to the pile of pumpkins to pick out their orange Halloween buddy, ripe for the carving.
Where: 4725 Woodman Avenue, Sherman Oaks, Westfield Fashion Square, CA.
Tickets: FREE admission. Activities from $4. Pony rides are available after 2pm Wednesday and Thursday, and all day Friday – Sunday.
Website: tinaspumpkinpatch.com
15. Nights Of The Jack
- Open various evenings 6pm – 10pm through October 31.
Take a stroll along a one-mile selfie central – an illuminated trail surrounded with Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos treats, including thousands of carved pumpkins! Our picks are the giant pumpkin dinosaur and animal sculptures! Enjoy how-to carving demos, a family-fun scavenger hunt, and your choice of food and drink. At the weekend there’s free face painting too!
Where: King Gillette Ranch, 26800 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas, CA.
Tickets: $39.99 – $64.99.
Website: nightsofthejack.com
16. Forneris Farms
- Through October 31. Daily 9am – 6pm.
Forneris Farms offers a wide choice of pre-picked pumpkins, a fall market of produce and festive decor, and a one-hour tractor-trailer narrated ride around the property – with a U-pick pumpkin field to stop by for your own fresh pumpkin. The great thing here is that you get the admission discounted off any orange pumpkin you buy over $10! What a deal!
Where: 15200 Rinaldi Street, Mission Hills, CA.
Tickets: $5 admission. Train ride +$15. Note: Cash only! ATM on-site.
Website: fornerisfarms.com
17. Shawn’s Pumpkin Patch
- Through October 31. Hours vary by the day – check on their website.
Shawn’s Pumpkin Patch is the perfect pumpkin patch for families on a budget, with free entry on weekdays and just $2.50 on weekends for those 15+, and activities from $4 per person. Once in, you can enjoy giant animal-shaped slides (the tiger is our favorite!), train and pony rides, a petting zoo, obstacle courses, a bounce house, a ball pit, a rock climbing wall and face painting. When the little ones are exhausted, head on over to the patch and pick out your Halloween buddy for carving, then sit down together and get to it on-site.
Where: 11650 Santa Monica Blvd. West LA, CA.
Tickets: Free during the week and, for those 15+, $2.50 on Saturdays and Sundays. Extra charge for attractions ($4+).
Website: shawnspumpkinpatch.com.
The Takeaway
Now you’ve got your pumpkin, get carving and head on over to this article about all the great Halloween activities going on around the state for more seasonal fun!
Disclaimer
While we at Traxplorio do our very best to give you the most up-to-date information, we always recommend you do your own research before you travel, and check conditions and prices with official sites. Thanks for understanding, and enjoy your adventure!
