The Ultimate Guide to
Twin Cities Fall Family Fun!
Welcome to fall in Minnesota!
It’s a beautiful time, when the temps drop from warm to just right, the colors are vibrant and there are activities galore.
Everywhere you go, you’re not far from something festive, whether indoors or outdoors.
And now you can find so many things to do in this Ultimate Guide to Twin Cities Fall Family Fun, sponsored by The Great Pumpkin Trail in Wyoming, MN (just 30 minutes north of the Twin Cities)!
Created by the visionary team behind The Dead End Hayride and Pinehaven Farm, The Great Pumpkin Trail provides an unforgettable journey packed with spooky autumn excitement. Whether you’re a thrill-seeker or a family seeking a charming night out, this event offers something unique for everyone.
We visited last year and it was exactly as the pictures show! It was amazing and so worth it.
SAVE big with my EXCLUSIVE discount codes!
Promo Code: Frugalmom50
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Valid for: 50% off Child Admission
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Days: Sunday–Thursday nights only
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Notes: Excludes Fridays & Saturdays
Promo Code: TCMOMS25
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Valid for: 25% off General Admission or Child Admission
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Dates: Opening Weekend only — October 3rd, 4th, & 5th, 2025
Visit their website at https://pumpkintrail.com/ to learn more and buy tickets!
This guide has:
- Apple Orchards
- Corn Mazes
- Fall Festivals
- Nature Centers
- Pizza Farms
- Pumpkin Patches
- Recipes for fall drinks
- Free Printable Fall Bucket List
- Free Halloween Printables
- Halloween Light Displays
- and DISCOUNTS where available!
Apple Orchards
See full list of Apple Orchards!
Corn Mazes
Pumpkin Patches
See full list of Pumpkin Patches!
Festivals & Special Events
Here are fall festivals happening in the Twin Cities!
Afton Apple Festival – Afton
Harvest Fest – Stillwater (October 12-13)
Minnesota Renaissance Festival – Shakopee
Pinehaven Farm Fall Festival – Wyoming
Severs Fall Festival – Shakopee
Twin Cities Harvest Festival & Corn Maze – Brooklyn Park
Oktoberfest Events
Twin Cities Oktoberfest – October 3-4
Wayzata Oktoberfest – Wayzata (October 4th from 11-3)
Pumpkin Trails
The Great Pumpkin Trail – Wyoming (2nd year!) Save with my exclusive codes! See above!
Minnesota Zoo Jack O Lantern Trail – Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley
Spooky Events (these are usually recommended for teens and up)
The Dead End Hayride – Wyoming (September 19 – November 2)
ValleySCARE – Valleyfair, Shakopee (September 20 – November 1)
Twin Cities Fear Fest – Mall of America, Bloomington (September 26 – November 2)
Farms to visit in the Twin Cities area:
Eveland Family Farm – Andover
Anoka County Farm – Ham Lake
Gale Woods Farm – Minnetrista
Historic Eidem Farm – Brooklyn Park
Oliver Kelley Farm – Elk River
Waldoch Farm – Lino Lakes
Go for a drive to these farms:
Big Springs Farm Pumpkins & Corn Maze – Lanesboro
Windy Willow Farm Adventure – Northfield
A Maze’n Farmyard – Eden Valley
Nelson Farm – Litchfield
Sunrise River Farm – Wyoming
Whistling Well – Hastings
White Pine Berry Farm – River Falls, Wisconsin
Sunflower Fields
Sunflower fields are fun to visit and for photo opportunities. Check with each before you go to make sure they’re open for the season. The season for sunflowers is short and sometimes sunflower fields may be closed early.
Also, most have an entrance fee.
Afton Apple – Hastings
Fresh Acres Farm – Monticello
Treasured Haven Farm – Rush City
Waldoch Farm – Lino Lakes
White Pine Berry Farm – River Falls, Wisconsin
Green Barn Garden Center – Isanti
Berry and Bloom Farm – Rochester
See my full guide:
Sunflower Fields Near Minneapolis–Saint Paul (2025 Edition)
Visit my Deals & Events Calendar for more.
Nature Centers
- Carpenter Nature Center (Hastings)
- Dodge Nature Center (West St. Paul)
- Eastman Nature Center (Maple Grove)
- Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden (Minneapolis)
- Harriet Alexander Nature Center (Roseville)
- Jay C. Hormel Nature Center (Austin) – read about our visit!
- Lee and Rose Warner Nature Center (Marine on St. Croix)
- Maplewood Nature Center (Maplewood)
- Minnehaha Falls (Minneapolis)
- Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (Chaska)
- Richardson Nature Center (Bloomington)
- Springbrook Nature Center (Fridley)
- Tamarack Nature Center (White Bear Lake) – read about our visit here
- Theodore Wirth Quaking Bog (Golden Valley)
- Westwood Hills Nature Center (St. Louis Park)
Pizza Farms
- Alpha and Omega Pizza Farm (Princeton)
- Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm (Waseca)
- Red Barn (Northfield)
Fall Drink Recipes
Looking for yummy fall drink recipes to make at home? Here are some of my favorites!
Make these and melt them in warm milk for a tasty hot chocolate!
Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso Copycat Recipe
Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte Copycat Recipe
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Latte Recipe
Caramel, pumpkin and coffee, all together.
Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino Copycat Recipe
Love Starbucks frappuccinos? You’ll love this!
Starbucks Copycat Skinny Mocha Recipe
Want a Starbucks mocha, but you don’t want the hefty calories? Try this recipe!
Free Printable Fall Bucket List
This free printable has a list of 32 frugal fun things to do, and a checklist for you to fill out with your plans or your own ideas!
Free Halloween Printables
Free Printable Halloween Bucket List
Have a fun Halloween season with these activities!
FREE Halloween 3D Coloring Scene Printable
Who doesn’t love 3-D crafts? And here you can make a 3-D Haunted House!
Halloween Light Displays
Schultz Family Lights – 1526 York Ave, St Paul, MN. They are known for their holiday lights, and lighting up the whole block, but their Halloween lights are awesome too!
Johnson Holiday Lights – 2065 California Ave E, St. Paul, MN. Note: It’s free to enjoy but they are collecting donations for JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research.
Art of Adam Turman – Brookside Neighborhood, St. Louis Park, MN.
The Haunted Oaks – Royal Oaks Neighborhood, Woodbury, MN. (Lamplight Dr & Courtly Rd intersection (Near WHS)
For more Halloween light displays in the Twin Cities, visit my Facebook group, Minnesota Holiday Lights!
For more family fun:
The Ultimate List of Minnesota Family Fun
Also check out my other guides:
Any activities I should add?
(Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.)