My Anderson Farms Review

Anderson Farms is a farm in Erie, Weld County, Colorado, that has a yearly fall/Halloween event that is open to the public. We make a yearly trip to Anderson Farms, which includes the corn maze, pumpkin picking, and activities for the kids.

Anderson Farms park map.

Anderson Farms is larger than expected, with lots of activities, a gift shop, and live music. There is quite a bit of parking, and I can usually get a spot close to the entrance, or if I have to go back to the car for whatever reason, is usually when I can re-park close to the entrance for an easy getaway.

There are plenty of photo opportunities at Anderson Farms. Taking pictures is free!

Throughout the farm you will come across various pumpkin-themed spots that are great for taking family photos in. This farm is very family-oriented, so there is always something fun for the kids to do. Other photo spots you can find include a cornucopia, a pumpkin weighing scale, and a couple hay barrel and pumpkin setups/staging for pictures.

The 2019 corn maze layout for Anderson Farms.

Other activities at Anderson Farms include a pumpkin weight guessing challenge, farm animals, and campfire sites. It is open from Sept. 25th through November 3rd. There are two diaper changing stations, one by the entrance, and a nursing station. Staff is friendly and accommodating.

The kettle corn here is amazing. Get a larger bag than you think you want, and make yourself sick later, like I did. :P

Some kid's activities include the playground, barrel car rides, the pumpkin cannon, pumpkin patch, train station, kiddie korral, general store, and corn maze.

There is also a pumpkin cannon that shoots small pumpkins up to 1/4 mile. Fun to watch!

I haven't been impressed with the food options/quality here. It's generic fair food; it'll get you through the day. It's also expensive fair food; a bison bratwurst was $9. A regular brat was $7. We make our own lunches so that we don't bleed money for fair food. Water is already $3 a bottle, and the water throughout the day adds up.

There were no lines for anything. It was a really easy day, as far as having other people there, though we did go at the end of September this year, before most people are going. This is the earliest we have gone, and the lack of people was delightful, so try to go before October and you will skip lines for anything.

Tickets for going before October were also $5 cheaper a ticket, so you'll save a lot for a lot of people if you go early.

The general store has a bunch of odds and ends: pumpkin bread, jams, framed comic books, clothes, flavored popcorn, apple butter, pumpkin butter, etc.

The corn maze is 25 acres. There is an optional discovery game/scavenger hunt to go along with the maze, but I prefer to get lost. That's the point of the corn maze!

Watch this short video I took of a panoramic view of the corn maze:

Usually we would save the corn maze and pick your own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, for last on our list, but this year we ate our packed lunches and went straight into the corn maze. I much preferred doing it this way this time. The walk in the corn maze is where you use up most of your energy, so by the end of a day of walking around, going in the corn maze is less exciting, although the trade off is doing the maze at night, where it can be spookier.

The Barnyard 500 pedal karts. Included in admission!

The pedal carts are available for adults and kids.

You can also jump on the jump pads, which is like a bounce house without walls. Adults are allowed on them too.

jump pads. Feel the excitement of a bounce house, without the walls. Raising the stakes!

There are over 70 varieties of pumpkin to choose from at the pumpkin patch as well! You are given 15 minutes to find your pumpkin before the tractor and wagon takes off, but you are encouraged to spend extra time finding your pumpkin if you need, and you can hitch a ride back to the farm on any of the wagons that come back and forth.

You will see many carve worthy pumpkins, though pumpkins here cost more than they do at the grocery store, so I would probably get a carving pumpkin from there. At Anderson Farms you can get pumpkins, gourds, and anything in between, so now is the chance to get something weird/warty/unique.

Once you picks your pumpkins, they get roughly measured. The bigger the pumpkin, the more it costs, at a max of $12 a pumpkin (those are the monster-sized pumpkins). They will give you a sticker for each pumpkin, and you pay for them at the general store, which is right next to where you get off the tractor from picking your pumpkin.

Gourds and multi-colored corn and husks are also available for purchase. We got a few of each for our Halloween/fall decoration around the house.

We have not done the Zombie Paintball Hunt, or the Terror in the Corn, as we are newer parents, and we don't have a lot of time to ourselves. I would do the zombie hunt in a heartbeat though! I have heard that it is very long and elaborate, and well worth the money. If you can stay up late without kids, definitely check it out.

Anderson Farms Pumpkins

The best part of Anderson Farms: bringing home the pumpkins! We spent $16 on these four pumpkins.

You have a longer lasting souvenir from Anderson Farms: pumpkins! The fun part is getting a pumpkin that you're not likely to see at the grocery store.

You can easily spend an entire day at Anderson Farms, for not too bad a price. The drive from Colorado Springs is a bit longer, at an hour and a half, so Denverites have it better for visiting Anderson. Still worth the wait! It's a great yearly fall and Halloween tradition for the family.

Tips for Anderson: bring layers/jackets. Particularly if you stay later when it gets colder, you will appreciate the option to bundle up. Also, bring a cooler with as much water as you possibly can. It gets hot during the day, and water is expensive here. Also bring your own food.

Things you want to get at Anderson: kettle corn, Baskin-Robbins ice cream, a souvenir at the general store, at least one pumpkin per person, and maybe some gourds and corn for decorating with. Also, if you do the corn maze at night, when it's cooler, get yourself a hot chocolate or hot apple cider to keep yourself warm with on your maze journey.

Are dogs/animals allowed at Anderson Farms?

No, service animals only are allowed at Anderson Farms.

When did Anderson Farms open?

The pumpkin patch part of Anderson Farms opened in 1997, and the corn maze started in 1999. The Anderson Family bought Anderson Farms in 1958.

How much does Anderson Farms cost?

Mon-Thu, tickets are $12, and Fri-Sun they are $19. Children 3 and under are free. The Zombie Paintball Hunt and Terror in the Corn are separate, and are $27 each.

Early tickets (to be used before October) are $5 cheaper a ticket.

Can you leave and come back on the same day?

Yes. You will get a wristband when you purchase or redeem tickets, and you use the wristband to get back in.

What kind of food vendors are there?

Bison brats, hot dogs, meats on sticks, nachos, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, funnel cakes, as well as an indoor small cafe, with pulled pork. There is also kettle corn, and a Baskin-Robbins.

When does the pumpkin patch close?

November 3, 2019. Each night they close the pumpkin patch at dusk because they do not have any lights out in the field.

What is included in the general admission ticket?

The general farmgrounds, the ride to the pumpkin patch, the corn maze, the pedal carts, and most of the stuff for the kids, is all included in the general admission. Any pumpkins you take are extra. Terror in the Corn and the Zombie Paintball Hunt are extra.

Are there adult beverages available?

No, there is no alcohol served at Anderson Farms.

Anderson Farms is located at 6728 County Rd 3 1/4, Erie, CO 80516.