Twin Cities Apple Orchards: A Family Guide

Girl eating apple picked from a tree: "Twin Cities Apple Orchards - Family Fun Twin Cities"

The Twin Cities is perfect for a crisp fall day that begs for a family day of apple harvesting. It’s an autumn tradition that our team’s families – including 12 children – would not miss. In 2022, apple picking season runs from mid to late August through early November. We hope you’re able to use our Twin Cities Apple Orchards Guide to find details on the most kid-friendly apple orchards in the metro, rediscover an old favorite or try out a new destination:

MAP OF TWIN CITIES APPLE ORCHARDS
WHERE TO FIND THE BEST APPLE ORCHARDS IN Minnesota

Family friendly West Metro Twin Cities Apple Orchards

For more details on our visits with kids: Twin Cities Apple Orchards: Fresh Picks in the West Metro.

Collage of children playing at Apple Jack Orchard in Delano Minnesota - left: two girls rolling a large pumpkin, right top: girl catching apple on a string with her teeth, right middle: little girl in a cow-shaped cart, right bottom: kids playing on pretend train

Apple Jack Orchards

4875 37th Street SE, Delano, MN 55328
Opening day: August 15, 2022
Hours
: Daily, 10am-6pm (last Fun Farm entry at 5pm)

Cost: An all-access wristband costs $10-$15 each day of the week and depends on how many activities you’d like to take part in. They run the classic orchard gamut from pick-your-own apples and play equipment to an apple cannon and cow train.
Picking & more: Pick-your-own apples and pumpkins fresh from the patch. This orchard literally bursts with fall activities (but bring your wallet for activities like the jumping pillow, cow train and apple cannon). There are a few free diversions such as a play area and petting farm. A café and bakery onsite will fill your dining needs.

Apple Tree-O

5667 90th St. SE (Franklin Township Rd) Delano, MN 55328
Opening day:  September 3, 2022

Hours: Call ahead for picking times 763-390-7795.5.
Cost: Free admission
Picking & more: U-pick apples including SweeTango, Zestar!, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Melrose, First Kiss and Haralson. Pick-your-own pumpkins on the same visit. Weekends bring occasional activities.
Girl learning to blacksmith at Apple Tree-O Orchard in Delano, Minnesota
Learning to Blacksmith at Apple Tree-O

Deardorff Orchards & Vineyard

8282 Parley Lake Rd, Waconia, MN 55387
Opening day:  August 26, 2022. Due to a small crop, Deardorff Orchard closed early for the season on Sept. 20, 2022.
Hours
: Orchard: Wed-Sun, 10am-6pm & Winery Tasting Room: Friday 3-8, Sat & Sun 12-6
Cost: Free admission, free family activities
Picking & more: Varieties include Zestar!, SweeTango, Chestnut Crab, Ruby Mac, Red Baron, Cortland, Regent, Sweet Sixteen, McIntosh, Fireside, Haralson, Honeygold & Honeycrisp Apples. Ride the tractor into the orchard to pick your own apples. There is a limited amount of free activities; adults may enjoy the onsite Parley Lake Winery, where they use the grapes and apples grown on the farm to make wine.

Collage of children enjoying Deardorff Orchards: Top left: Boy jumping off hay stack; top right: young girl showing her half-eaten apples; bottom left: girls picnicking on pizzas; bottom right: four kids posing together on a stack of climbing logs
Family Day Out at Deardorff Orchards

Fall Harvest Orchard

345 County Road 30 SE, Montrose, MN 55363
Opening day: August 27, 2022
Hours
: Thurs-Sun, 10am-6pm plus Labor Day and Wed of MEA weekend

Cost: Free admission; Some attractions are ticketed ($3/ticket)
Picking & more: Pick-your-own apples & pumpkins available. Buy a pie mix by the bushel. There are lots of FREE family activities to enjoy at this sweet, family-operated farm (small corn pits, tire climb and hay bale mountain,  hands-on animal encounters, live music on select days, yard games and photo ops). Have you ever been dying to feed a cow? At this apple orchard with animals, we found it strangely fascinating to watch them chow down on apples. A few diversions require a small fee. These include wagon rides, train rides, apple cannons, corn maze, pedal carts, bounce pillow, pumpkin bounce, giant corn pit and pony rides.

This orchard will also take reservations for private wagon rides and bonfires any time from mid-May through December.

Small boy in a red hoodie holding a black, gray and white baby goat at Fall Harvest Orchard in Montrose Minnesota
Petting Farm at Fall Harvest Orchard

LuceLine Orchard

2755 Rose Ave, Watertown, MN 55388
Opening day: August 27, 2022 (the orchard keeps Google hours updated)
Hours
: Wed-Sun, 10am-6pm

Cost: Free admission, some fees for additional activities
Picking & more: Apples are now pick-your-own while supplies last! There are lots of other activities onsite to stay busy, including some that are open on weekdays such as the hay mountain, petting zoo, corn boxes and swings. Plus Saturday musical entertainment aka “Concerts in the County”. Sounds like fun to us!

Minnetonka Orchards

6530 County Road 26, Minnetrista, MN 55364
Opening day: August 20, 2022
Hours
: Daily, 10am-6pm

Cost: Free admission weekdays, $8-$10/pp weekends covers all activities including hayrides. Season passes available.
Picking & more: Pick-your-own apples are available any day of the week, and there is no admission to pick if you choose to visit Monday-Friday. On the weekends, all the activities are open for you to enjoy and are included with admission. Refresh after apple-picking with hot apple cider and delicious apple cider doughnuts.

Minnetonka Orchards Collage: Top left six children standing in front of a sign that reads "Mildred was tempted to go the orchard and 'Peck'", Top right: kids riding pull wagons, bottom left: 4 girls in front of llamas; bottom right: 4 girls climbing on and jumping from hay mountain

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Apple House: 7485 Rolling Acres Rd, Chaska, MN 55318
Arboretum: 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN 55318
AppleHouse Opening day: August 25, 2022
Hours
: Apple House 10am-6pm daily; Arb Grounds: 8am-8pm daily.

Cost: AppleHouse is Free to Visit. The arboretum itself still requires pre-registration and $15 admission for anyone 16+.
Picking & more: While there is no picking at The Arb, I think we would be remiss if we neglected the birthplace of the Honeycrisp Apple. The shop includes a rotating crop of in-season apples, plus North Star Donuts from 10am-6pm Tuesday-Sunday. Combine your apple shopping with a visit to the Arb’s orchards to see where they are grown!

child and mother playing in the crabapple trees at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Arboretum Photo by Susie Hopper- Crabapples Spring

Get our complete Fall Family Fun Guide,
stocked with apple orchards, pumpkin patches, corn mazes and other outing ideas your family will love!

"FFTC's Guide to Fall Fun for the Family in the Twin Cities" on a yellow background of fall leaves


FAMILY FRIENDLY EAST METRO TWIN CITIES APPLE ORCHARDS

For more on our visits with kids: Twin Cities Apple Orchards: East Metro

Aamodt’s Apple Farm

6428 Manning Avenue North, Stillwater, MN 55082
Prime season: Labor Day – Mid October 
Hours
: 10am-6pm daily, PYO 10am-5pm daily

Cost: Free admission
Picking & more: Possibly the closest apple orchard to Saint Paul, pick your own at this apple orchard in Stillwater. Pay for the bag in advance in quarter or half peck sizes. Not all varieties of apples will be available when you come out so you’ll want to check their picking schedule (website) or call in advance. Fall apples can include: Jonathan, Minnesota Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Cortland, Gala, Sweet RiverBelle and Sweet Sixteen.

There are a couple free activities (such as meeting the resident goats) and much to do that requires a small fee (sweet little wagon rides pictured below.) Adults who’d like something to sip on may enjoy the onsite winery or hard cider, also brewed right on the farm. Plus treats galore in the Apple Barn. Activities include the Honecrisp Express (small fee) and Goat Farm (free). Apple Cider Donuts (and other food & drink) are for sale.

Hay Wagon pulling hay with kiddie ride in the background at Aamodt's Apple Farm in Stillwater Minnesota

Pine Tree Apple Orchard

450 Apple Orchard Rd, White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Open: Daily August 25, 2022 through February and Weekends in March
Hours: Find current hours here.
Cost: Free admission, additional fees for activities
Picking & more: No picking at this location. Pre-picked apples only. Instead, challenge yourself to take on the corn maze (September 24-October 23, 2022), pick pumpkins (October 1-October 23, 2022) and listen to live music on select weekends. Take your little ones through the big red retail barn; they’ll be mesmerized by the apple sorting equipment.

Toddler Girl selecting apples at Pine Tree Orchard in White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Choosing from pre-picked apples

White Pine Berry Farm

1482 Oak Drive River Falls, WI 54022
Open: Saturdays in September & October are “Fall Family Day”
Hours: 9am-6pm Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Cost: Free admission, call or check Facebook before heading out!
Picking & more: There are tons of fun fall events at this farm, but there are no apples in 2022. Family Fun includes corn maze, pumpkin patch, corn boxes, jumping castles, tire mountain, farm animals, guided wagon ride tours, food & berry desserts, raspberry picking

Check back next year for possible apple picking. Future apple varieties may include Honeycrisp, Zestar, Sweet Sixteen, Harrel Red.


 FAMILY FRIENDLY SOUTH METRO TWIN CITIES APPLE ORCHARDS

For more on our visits with kids: Twin Cities Apple Orchards: Southern Hospitality.

Afton Apple Orchard

14421 South 90th Street, Hastings, MN 55033
Opening day: August 20, 2022
Hours
: Daily through October 31st, 10am-6pm

Cost: Admission is $7/pp ages 5+, $5/pp under 5, includes some orchard activities.
Picking & more: Come pick your own apples, fall raspberries & pumpkins on a crisp fall day. There is lots to do here that is included with the admission fee such as the playground, huge tire mountain and petting farm. We’ve easily made a full day of it just with those diversions and riding the hay wagon into the orchard. It’s almost impossible to bypass the cow train (and your tots will want to ride it) but it’s a little easier to avoid paying extra for the jumping pillow and corn maze (opening Sept 18) if you’ve got a budget. Limited hayrides will be offered weekends 10am-6pm until Labor Day. Starting Labor Day Weekend, hayrides run Monday-Friday 12pm-6pm and Saturday-Sunday 10am-6pm. Pay activities are $2/pp.

Afton Apple Orchard: Boy posing in cut-out apple, "You Are The Eye of Our Apple!"

Applewood Orchard

22702 Hamburg Ave, Lakeville, MN 55044
Opening: Saturday, September 3, 2022
Hours
: Tues- Sun, 10am-6pm through mid to late October

Cost: Free admission
Picking & more: This little haven is one of the few places to pick-your-own apples in Dakota County. Fun stuff for the littles include pedal tractors and play equipment. The corn maze is closed in 2022 but hopes to return for future falls.

Carpenter St Croix Valley Nature Center Orchard

12805 St Croix Trail S, Hastings, MN 55033,
Apple Shack opening day: Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Open
: Wednesday-Sunday, 9am-5pm

Cost: Free admission
Picking & more: Pre-picked apples only from St Croix Valley’s own orchard. Stop in at the nature center for some animal exhibits (open 8am-4:30pm). The annual Apple Festival will be held October 8th & 9th, 2022 and is free to attend (hayrides! Stuff for kids!)

Boy playing with branches at Carpenter Nature Center in St. Croix Minnesota
Make it a full day with the kids, out and about the Carpenter Nature Center grounds

Emma Krumbee’s Orchard & Farm

311 E Enterprise Drive, Belle Plaine, MN 56011
Opening day
: August 27, 2022
Hours
: Daily, 9am-7pm

Cost: Admission to the “Little Farmer Activities” is $7.50 per child over age 2. There is no charge if you visit the orchard solely to pick apples.
Picking & more: Call the crop hotline at 952-873-3006 before coming out to get the schedule for PYO apples, raspberries & pumpkins. Emma’s is busy with activities, all of which are included in the price noted. Note: the popular restaurant was sold and subsequently closed.

Ferguson’s Minnesota Harvest

Apple Lovers Lane, 8251 Old Hwy 169 Blvd, Jordan, MN 55352
Opening Day: August 27, 2022
Hours
: Daily, 10am-6pm

Cost: $15 ages 2+ (includes a FREE season pass). Pre-purchase admission and PYO apples here.
Picking & more: PYO apples ($12.50/10-lb bag). One of the apple orchards with animals, you’ll want to visit the barnyard for a visit with the critters, try out the apple cannon or brave the corn maze.

Whistling Well Farm

Whistling Well Farm, 8973 St Croix Trail S, Hastings, MN 55033
Opening Day: September 3, 2022
Hours
: Daily, 9am-6pm

Cost: Free admission
Picking & more: The draw here is a lovely small farm setting scattered with chickens and a picturesque well (fall family photo op, anyone?). There are pick-your-own apples or pre-picked options available.

StoryHour by Lu & Bean Read at Whistling Well Farm in Hastings, Minnesota
StoryHour by Lu & Bean Read at Whistling Well Farm

Road Trip! Driftless Orchard

N3050 US HWY 63, Hager City, WI 54014
Opening Day: September 3, 2022
Hours
: Weekends, 10am-6pm

Cost: Free admission
Picking & more: Combine this apple-picking excursion with the beautiful autumn drive to Red Wing. The Orchard is just 10 miles north of Red Wing. Family activities onsite include straw calf roping, visiting the orchard’s horse and pony and hiking to the orchard’s overlook to take in the view.
2022 Events:

  • Pony Party & U-Pick Apples. Help make and decorate a pony-friendly cake, sing happy birthday to Cricket the pony, make & sample  apple cider in an antique apple press and sample it. FREE.  September 24, 2022 at 10am.
  • Farm Scavenger Hunt. Find a few of the lesser known farm features on the scavenger hunt list when you visit the orchard this weekend. October 15 & 16, 2022. 10am-6pm.
  • Costume Contest & Giant Pumpkin Race. Costume contest both days at 1pm and 3pm for small prizes and bragging rights. Try your skill at rolling a giant pumpkin as fast as you can. October 29 & 30, 2022. 10am-6pm.
Image courtesy of Driftless Orchard

Croix Farm Orchard

12971 St. Croix Trail South, Hastings, MN 55033
Closed for 2022 Season. Check back in 2023
Cost: Free admission, fees for additional activities
Picking & details: Croix Farm Orchard is a beautiful apple orchard run by a multi-generational family. A sampling of some of the ways to spend a fall day: Scout for apples (pick-your-own and pre-picked), climb the hay pile, or take a wagon ride out to the corn maze ($3/pp, weekends only).

Children playing on a wooden train at Croix Farm Orchard in Hastings, Minnesota
Croix Farm Orchard Playground

 FAMILY FRIENDLY NORTH METRO TWIN CITIES APPLE ORCHARDS

For more on our visits with kids: Twin Cities Apple Orchards: Pickings in the North Metro.

Girl with two top front teeth missing eating a caramel apple at Sunrise River Farm in Wyoming, Minnesota
How does she do that without her two front teeth? Sunrise River Farm.

Applecrest Orchards

7306 24th Avenue North, Hugo, MN 55038
Opening Day: September 3, 2022

Hours: 2pm-6pm weekdays; 10am-4pm weekends. Or by appointment.
Cost: Free admission. Minimal activities like yard games.
Picking & more: Only pre-picked apples this year.

Knapton’s

5695 Hwy 55, Rockford, MN 55373
Opening Day: Orchard is open beginning late June. Apple varieties are reading for picking in late August through October.
Hours
: Daily, 9am-5pm

Cost: Free admission
Picking: Pick-your-own apples: Zestar, Chestnut (other varieties pre-picked); pick-your-own pumpkins, raspberries and other seasonal produce. Children must be supervised.

Pleasant Valley Orchard

5695 Hwy 55, Rockford, MN 55373
Opening day: September 3, 2022
Hours
: Daily, 10am-6pm

Cost: Free admission
Picking & more: Pick your own apples available weekends only, pumpkins can be picked mid-Sept thru October. Free activities and – kinda fun and unique for an orchard – an annual 12 Days of Halloween event. We’ve enjoyed this orchard so much we include it on our list of the Top 8 Things for Families in Taylors Falls, Minnesota.

Twin Cities Apple Orchards
My pumpkin baby was actually born on Halloween!

Sunrise River Farm

7602 Wyoming Trail, Wyoming, MN 55092
2022 season: Opening Labor Day Weekend
Hours: Thur-Sun, 10am-6pm
Cost: Free admission
Picking & more: Pick your own apples in a quiet, charming atmosphere with free family activities such as a farmyard and small play area. Take some time to groom the pets and let your teen push you on the tire swing (it may even take a couple years off your life!) There are also train and wagon rides for a small fee.

Collage of children exploring Sunrise River Farm in Wyoming, Minnesota - Top let: tot on a pedal tractor, top right: two kids picking apples in orchard, bottom left: tween girl brushing horse, bottom right: teen boy swinging on tire swing

Victoria Valley Orchard 

4304 North Victoria Street, Shoreview, MN 55126
2022 season: Opening day September 17, 2022
Hours
: Fridays 9am-2pm; Weekends: 9am-6pm.

Cost: Free admission
Picking: While there is no pick-your-own option and no kid-activities, this may be the closest apple orchard to Minneapolis if you are just looking for farm-fresh apples. Choose between 21 varieties of apples and grab a pumpkin while you are there. No petting zoo, but you might see deer or wild turkeys.

Gone, but not forgotten:

Remick’s Orchard

2418978 Lake George Blvd. NW, Anoka, MN 55303
We were sad to learn that Remick’s announced the sale of their orchard to developers in the spring of 2022. We’ll miss them, but we have several other North Metro options above.


Minnesota has some world-renowned apples – Honeycrisp, for instance, but there are also many types that don’t grow as well here. We recommend picking from local varieties during the harvest season and saving apple varieties like Fuji, Braeburn, Pippin, Golden Delicious and Red Delicious for off-season or baking.  Leave us a message on our Facebook page or in the comments to let us know how your apple picking day goes:

  • Where did you go and would you recommend the orchard to other families?
  • What was the best family activity at the farm you visited?
  • Did you bake something with your apples — apple pie, apple turnovers, apple cider doughnuts?
  • What else did you find that your family loved? Pumpkins, local honey, baked goods?

We’ll share your recommendations with the community.

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