Orange County is always sunny with good weather, but we make up the fall spirit regardless with all the spectacular pumpkin patches! From real working farms with corn mazes and barnyard animals to mall-adjacent carnivals with rides and petting zoos. Most of them run through the end of October. Here are four worth building a family weekend around.
Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch, Orange
1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869
This is the classic OC pumpkin patch tradition! Train rides, hay rides, a moon bounce, face painting, gold panning, cookie decorating, and carnival games, all set inside Irvine Regional Park, so you can easily make a day of it with the OC Zoo right there too.
Admission is free on weekdays and $3 for parking. Select peak weekends starting September 26 require a special reservation with tickets going for $16-22, and includes your choice of a train ride or wagon ride, as well as entrance into the Pumpkin Patch. Weekend parking is $5. Plan ahead if you are going on a Saturday.
Check out more information here.
Tanaka Farms at Irvine
5380 3/4 University Drive, Irvine, California 92612, USA
Tanaka Farms is the closest thing OC has to a real working farm experience, and for 2026 their public pumpkin patch is hosted at Hana Field in Costa Mesa. Expect u-pick pumpkins straight from the field, a corn maze, a cow train, barnyard animals to meet, and flower fields alongside the pumpkins, which makes this one a favorite for photos as much as for picking.
Weekday admission is $23, weekend $27, and includes a variety of things. If you buy 4 tickets, you'll get free parking. Otherwise, parking is $12.
Check out more information here.
Seasonal Adventures Pumpkin Patch, Costa Mesa
OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
If your kids want rides more than they want a quiet farm walk, this is the one. It is one of the largest pumpkin patches in the county, with inflatable slides, kiddie rides, and a petting zoo, plus a small farmers market with fresh gourds and squash if you want to bring home more than just a pumpkin.
General admission is $25, and include access to inflatable slides, kiddie rides, a petting zoo and a train. No additional tickets needed.
Check out more information here.
Pumpkin City's Pumpkin Farm, Laguna Hills
24203 Avenida de la Carlota, Laguna Hills, CA 92653, at Laguna Hills Mall
Pumpkin City leans fully into carnival energy, with amusement-park style rides, a petting zoo, a puppet theater, and games scattered among thousands of pumpkins. There is also an on-site diner if you want to turn the outing into lunch. A fun bit of trivia: this same lot quietly turns into a Christmas tree farm once Halloween passes, so it is worth remembering for December too.
Admission is free before 4PM, otherwise it is $10 for children, and $14 for adults.
Check out more information here.
