Fall Field Trips

Weekday Pumpkin fun at the Farm!

Plan a trip to the Farm! Butler’s Orchard offers a Fall Field Trip perfect for schools, daycares, and preschools! Experience agriculture at a real working farm! It’s a great time to be with friends and enjoy an autumn morning full of fall fun. All participants will pick their own small pumpkin to take home!

Fall Field Trips are open to groups of 20 or more people and reservations are required.  We welcome everyone – school groups, church groups, home-school groups and mom’s groups.

Pumpkin Field Trip activities include:

• Full access to our 5-acre Farm Park, jumping in the hayloft barn, swooshing down the giant slides, visiting barnyard animals, taking a hayride to pick a pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, and exploring the straw maze. (Our hayride to the pumpkin patch is not wheelchair accessible. We want to make sure that every visitor receives their pumpkin so please inform our staff if you need additional pumpkins! Our office staff are happy to answer any questions you may have ahead of your visit, 301-428-0444)
• Each person picks one small pumpkin to take home and will also receive a copy of the “Pumpkin Post” – a worksheet full of fun facts that can be used in the classroom or at home to reinforce material learned on the Farm.
• Field Trips are self-guided, and all activities run continuously.  You may do any activity in any order, but we do encourage you to take the hayride to the pumpkin patch when you first arrive.

2023 dates for Fall Field Trips:

• Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, September 27 through November 3, 9:00am – 1:00pm. At 1:00pm our weekday Pumpkin Festival begins and the Farm is open to the General Public until 6:00pm. You are welcome to overlap your Field Trip during this time but please be aware that the Hayride will no longer stop at the Pumpkin Patch after 1:00pm.
• The Farm is closed on Mondays, and Field Trips are not available on Tuesdays
• NEW FOR 2023! There are 3 timeslots available for reservations. Reservation times are on the hour and allow for a 1 hour arrival window.
  • 9:00am reservation, arrival window between 9:00am – 10:00am
  • 10:00am reservation, arrival window between 10:00am – 11:00am. This is the busiest time to arrive, if you have flexibility please book around it!
  • 11:00am reservation, arrival window between 11:00am – noon
• Come early in the month for the best pumpkin selection!

2023 Fee: $8.00 per person, groups must have a minimum of 20 people.  If your group number is below 20, you will be charged for a minimum of 20 people.  Please count all children and adults, including teachers and chaperones in your group number. Children under 12 months old are free unless they want to choose a pumpkin and are not included in your group count.

Allow at least 2-1/2 hours to enjoy all the activities. After 1:00 pm, the hayride will no longer stop at the Pumpkin Patch. Please make sure you plan enough time to pick your pumpkin.  You are welcome to stay longer and enjoy the Farm Park and its activities!

Bring a bag lunch or you can purchase food at the Farmer’s Porch to enjoy in our picnic area.

Online reservations may be made via the button at the bottom of this page.  No payment is necessary when making your reservation, you will receive an email confirming your details.

Teachers:  Fridays are the busiest days for Field Trips and often sell out early.  If you require a Friday reservation please plan early to make your reservation. Please verify any county blackout dates for bus transportation before you book your trip.

Payment: You will pay the day of your visit for the actual number of people in your group. All staff and chaperones in attendance must pay admission. You may use cash, a check, or credit card on the day of your visit. Please collect all money in advance and make one payment for your entire group if possible.

If your group requires an invoice please contact our office as soon as possible.  Any refunds required due to overpayment with a check, are processed through our office only. The refund check will be made payable to the issuing institution and will be mailed to the address on the check received.

When you arrive at the Farm, please follow the signs to the Farm Park/Festival area where you will park.

Special Notes for Groups Arriving by Bus:

• Busses should approach Butler’s Orchard via Route 27 directly to Davis Mill Road.  Avoid Brink Road and Wildcat Road due to dangerous curves. Map and directions are on our website. PLEASE share this information with your bus drivers.
• PLEASE, have children stay on the bus while your group leader pays at the booth and returns to the bus with wristbands for each child.  You may then all proceed to the Farm Park area together.

Please call us at 301-428-0444 if:

• If your group has special needs of any kind.
• You need to cancel or reschedule your visit.
• If the number of people in your reservation changes by more than 10.  There is no need to call if your group number changes by 9 or less.  (If your group number is below 20, you will be charged for a minimum of 20 people.)
• If there is any doubt about the weather.  If it’s too wet, we will be happy to reschedule your visit.
• You have lost something on the farm.  Please note that Butler’s Orchard is not responsible for lost items.

Service animals welcome. Comfort and emotional support animals and other non-service animals (pets) are not permitted.

The Farm has portable restrooms.