If you are looking for a fall day trip worth the drive in central or southern Iowa, Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch in Cumming, just southwest of Des Moines, fills a whole day with flower fields, a corn maze, pick-your-own pumpkins, farm animals and food on site. Its fall activities run from September 12 through November 1, 2026, and the plan below works for families coming from anywhere in the Des Moines metro, including Ankeny, Waukee and Norwalk, or from anywhere in central Iowa.
In Episode 15 of Howell’s Farm Experience, host Mike Downer and Erin Conner, one of the owners of Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch, walked through a well-planned visit from start to finish.
Erin shared her top recommendations: arrive early, allow four to five hours, dress for changing weather and prioritize activities without following a rigid schedule. These simple tips can help families enjoy everything the farm offers at their own pace.
What Time Should You Arrive at Howell’s for a Fall Day Trip?
Arrive close to 10 a.m., when Howell’s opens for the day, because mornings bring cooler weather, potentially smaller crowds and more room to move around.
Arriving early also gives families a chance to:
- Watch butterflies become active in the flower fields.
- See the goats when they’re typically more energetic.
- Explore popular attractions before larger crowds arrive.
- Take advantage of the cooler morning weather.
Howell’s is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day during its fall season.
How Long Should a Fall Day Trip to Howell’s Take?
Plan on four to five hours, Erin says, although she has seen visits range from three hours to six. Families with younger children may stay even longer, because the kids will want to go back to the corn pool and the jumping pillow.
In What Order Should You Do the Activities?
With attractions spread across the property, Erin recommended starting with the flower fields, the pumpkin patch and the corn maze while everyone has energy, then coming back to the main farm area for the play areas.
How Long Do the Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze Take?
Begin with a tractor ride to the fields, where families can explore colorful flowers, take photographs and search for pumpkins.
Allow approximately:
- 14 minutes for the round-trip tractor ride.
- 30 minutes in the corn maze.
- 20 to 30 minutes to find and pick pumpkins.
These estimates provide a helpful starting point, but families can adjust their schedule based on their interests.
Which Attractions Should You Save for the Afternoon?
After visiting the fields, head back toward the main farm area, grab a snack and finish the day with the attractions close by.
Popular options include:
- Corn pool: Play and explore in a pool filled with corn.
- Jumping pillow: Bounce and burn off extra energy.
- Obstacle course: Enjoy friendly family competitions.
- Bee line: Experience repeated trips up and down the hill.
- Bathtub train: End the visit with a fun family ride.
Children may want to revisit certain attractions, so leave room for extra playtime. For a closer look at each one, see where to take your kids for fall fun near Des Moines.
What Should You Wear for a Fall Day on the Farm?
Wear layers and comfortable shoes, because temperatures on open farmland change through the day and there are fewer buildings and trees to block the wind.
Erin’s advice was simple: “Layers, layers, layers.”
To stay comfortable, families should bring:
- Sweatshirts or jackets for cooler temperatures.
- Comfortable tennis shoes or boots for walking.
- Clothes that can handle dust, dirt and mud.
- All-terrain strollers or wagons for younger children.
Avoid wearing brand-new shoes or clothing that could be ruined by dirt.
Visitors should also expect plenty of walking. Because the attractions are spread out, comfortable footwear is essential. For a full packing list, see what to bring to a pumpkin patch in Iowa.
To time the drive with peak color, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources publishes a Fall Colors Report with the timing and locations of peak autumn color around the state.
Is There Food and a Place to Change Diapers at Howell’s?
Yes. Families can enjoy meals, snacks and drinks without leaving Howell’s, and both restrooms have a diaper-changing area.
Erin explained that food selections vary by day. Weekday options typically include hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos and snacks.
Weekend menus feature additional choices, including chili, beef burgers and walking tacos.
Visitors can also enjoy seasonal treats such as kettle corn and mini donuts, along with beverages for different age groups. “Our food prices are very reasonable,” Erin said.
For families with babies or toddlers, Howell’s provides indoor restrooms with diaper-changing stations in both men’s and women’s facilities.
Having food and essential amenities on-site makes longer visits more convenient, particularly for families traveling with children.
What Is Erin’s Best Advice for the Day?
Come with a loose plan, Erin says, because once the family starts having fun, the schedule stops mattering.
“Come with a loose plan, not a rigid one,” she explained.
Choose a few must-do attractions, but allow time for unexpected discoveries, extra photographs and repeat visits to favorite activities.
A flexible approach helps families focus on enjoying the experience instead of rushing through a checklist.
That flexibility is what makes Howell’s a fall day trip worth the drive: one stop covers the outdoor fun, the food and the photographs for a whole day.
Watch the Full Howell’s Farm Experience Episode
Planning a visit to Howell’s this fall? Watch Episode 15 of Howell’s Farm Experience on YouTube, where Mike Downer and Erin Conner shared practical tips for organizing your day, choosing activities and preparing for changing weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Fall Day Trip in Southern Iowa Worth Driving To?
Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch in Cumming, just southwest of Des Moines, makes a full fall day with flower fields, a corn maze, pick-your-own pumpkins, farm animals, play areas and food on site, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through November 1, 2026.
What Time Should Families Arrive at Howell’s?
Arriving around 10 a.m. offers cooler weather, potentially smaller crowds and more time for activities.
How Long Should Visitors Plan to Stay?
Allow four to five hours for a full visit. Families with younger children may need additional time.
What Activities Can Families Enjoy?
Attractions include pumpkin picking, the corn maze, flower fields, corn pool, jumping pillow, obstacle course, bee line and bathtub train.
Does Howell’s Offer Food?
Yes. Visitors can purchase meals, snacks and beverages, with additional selections available on weekends.
What Should Visitors Wear?
Comfortable shoes, layered clothing and outfits suitable for walking through farmland are recommended.
Can Families Bring Strollers?
Yes. All-terrain strollers or wagons are recommended because visitors encounter gravel, grass and uneven surfaces.
Where Is Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch?
Howell’s is in Cumming, Iowa, just southwest of Des Moines and next to Norwalk.
Ready to plan your fall day trip? Buy admission online and start your day at Howell’s when the gates open at 10 a.m.
Mike Downer: Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Howell’s Farm Experience. I am your host, Mike Downer, joined once again by Erin Conner, one of the owners at Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch. How are we doing today, Erin?
Erin Conner: I’m doing great. It’s my favorite time of year. It’s fall.
Mike Downer: This is when you guys get to do all your fun stuff. I mean, all the holidays are coming up. You’ve got Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and everything else coming up.
Erin Conner: Yes, but here at the farm, we are full of fall right now. Everything is fall out here, so you can get your need for fall here at Howell’s.
Mike Downer: That’s awesome. I love fall. I love sweatshirts. I love sweatshirt weather. I love the feeling of the air.
So, the perfect fall day. What we’re going to talk about is how to plan the perfect fall day out at Howell’s. We’ll be discussing what a well-planned, start-to-finish visit to Howell’s actually looks like for a family coming from anywhere in the Des Moines metro or anywhere in central Iowa.
Let’s plan a visit from the beginning. What time of day do you recommend families arrive, and why?
Erin Conner: If you’re coming out to experience our fall fun here on the farm, I suggest arriving early in the day. Get here before there is potentially a crowd. It’s cooler weather, or more fall-crisp weather, before the sun comes out. It also gives you more room to maneuver around.
Go out to the flower fields and watch the butterflies come out from their overnight slumber. The goats are always more active in the mornings, too, so arrive early.
Mike Downer: Very cool. What time do you guys open?
Erin Conner: We open at 10 a.m. every day. We’re open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Mike Downer: There you go. So you’re open for eight hours. How much time should a family realistically set aside for a full visit if they want to see it all?
Erin Conner: The time you should spend out here depends on the age groups you have. I’ve seen people range from three hours to six hours, so I would say four to five hours on average is what you should plan to be out here on the farm.
If you want to go out to the corn maze, you could spend 30 minutes in the corn maze. Plus, there is about a 14-minute round-trip tractor ride out to the corn maze. Then you’re going to be picking pumpkins, which could take another half hour or 20 minutes, depending on how many pumpkins there are out there, how picky you are, and whether you want the perfect pumpkin or the biggest pumpkin on the block.
And then, of course, if you have lots of younger kids, they’re going to want to go to the corn pool. Then they’re going to want the jumping pillow. Then they’re going to want to go to the obstacle course. Then they’ll want to go back to the corn pool.
Three to four hours would be on the safe side, but don’t be surprised if you end up spending six hours out here.
Mike Downer: Yeah. I’ve been out with little kids, and that can be a full day.
Erin Conner: Yes. But we have food on site, so even if they get hungry or need a little snack, we’ve got it. You don’t have to go anywhere. You can stay here and enjoy your day.
Mike Downer: Yeah, you have everybody covered as far as food and beverages. You’ve got quite the extensive beverage selection too, don’t you, Erin?
Erin Conner: Yes, I do. I have drinks for every age group out here—even the adults.
Mike Downer: Very good. Adult beverages never hurt if you have one and just enjoy your day. A cold beer on a crisp fall day tastes great.
Erin Conner: Yes. Yep.
Mike Downer: Walk us through a sample order of activities. Let’s just say I’m bringing my family out. Where should I start, and where should I end?
Erin Conner: A good flow to start with would be the flower fields and the pumpkin patch. Take the wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch, which is right by the flowers. We’ll also have the corn maze there.
Once everyone’s energy is ready to go, you can get all that running and outdoor, far-out fun done first. Then, when they’re a little tired, you can come back up here, grab a snack, and head over to the corn pool to get buried in the corn. Or you can run over to the obstacle course and do a challenge to see who can do the obstacle course the fastest.
Or you can go down to the bee line and go up and down the hill a million times. Then you can end your day in the bathtub train as a family.
Mike Downer: Nice. Very cool. Again, when you were giving those timelines earlier, that could easily fill up a full day.
Erin Conner: Yes. Plus a little meal break, and bathroom breaks too.
Mike Downer: Yeah. And you have indoor plumbing bathrooms, so people don’t have to worry about that. You’re modernized out there on the farm.
Erin Conner: Yes.
Mike Downer: That’s awesome because I am not a huge fan of porta-potties. It’s not my favorite.
Erin Conner: A lot of people have that same opinion.
Mike Downer: Yes. It just takes me back to when the kids were babies, and I wasn’t a great diaper changer, let’s put it that way. So porta-potties don’t work very well for me either.
Erin Conner: Inside our bathrooms, we do have a diaper-changing area in both our men’s and women’s bathrooms. If you need a place to change a baby, we’ve got you covered.
Mike Downer: That’s awesome. So those fathers who are better than me at it—there you go. You’re covered too.
Erin Conner: Yes.
Mike Downer: What should families bring or wear to make sure they’re comfortable for the whole visit?
Erin Conner: Here on the farm, we have a different environment than you’d find in town or in the city. There’s more wind, and the temperatures are different out here because we don’t have the concrete or buildings blocking the wind and stuff.
So layers, layers, layers. And we’re also a farm, so I would say comfortable shoes. Not necessarily your heels. Wear tennis shoes, boots, cowboy boots, or work boots.
And if you have little kids, maybe think about off-roading strollers or off-roading wagons because you’ll be going on some gravel, grass, and potentially in a cornfield.
Mike Downer: I agree. You need to take into account that it is Iowa and it is fall. It could be 52 degrees when you show up, and it could be 72 degrees three hours later.
Like you said, with the layers, you’ve got your sweatshirt, then your long-sleeve shirt, and maybe a T-shirt for when it is 72. Then you can layer back up as it gets colder because once they get there, they’re not going to want to leave.
Erin Conner: Yeah. Yep. And then if you stay later, the sun goes down and you’re cold, and then you’re glad you brought your sweatshirt.
Mike Downer: One hundred percent. Like I said, it is Iowa, and temperatures do change a lot.
How does food factor into the day? Should families eat before they come, or should they plan to eat on-site? What is your recommendation?
Erin Conner: We do have food available on site. We have a wide range, and it changes depending on whether it’s a weekday or weekend.
During the week, you can get hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos, and little snack items. On the weekend, you can get chili, beef burgers, walking tacos, and more food options.
We’ll have snacks like kettle corn. If you come in the fall, you need to have kettle corn. We always have drinks, and our prices aren’t crazy. They are very reasonably priced items. It’s not like when you go to other special events and everything is expensive. Our food prices are very reasonable.
Mike Downer: That’s awesome. So basically, what you’re saying is that food is there for your guests. You’re not getting rich off the food.
Erin Conner: Exactly.
Mike Downer: I love that. On a day like that, thinking back to when my kids were little, maybe give them a light breakfast just so they can get their day and energy started. Then you’ve got everything taken care of from that point forward.
Erin Conner: Yes, we do. Even if they have a light breakfast, we have little mini donuts out here, so you can get them a second breakfast.
Mike Downer: Oh, shoot. Then they don’t even need to eat at all. Just come out hungry.
Erin Conner: Yeah, just come out hungry.
Mike Downer: Home food always stinks. Let’s be honest. Away food is always better, especially farm food. So actually, don’t eat anything. Just go out hungry. Erin will take care of you.
What’s one thing first-time visitors often don’t plan for that you’d want them to know in advance?
Erin Conner: One thing first-time visitors underestimate is the amount of ground to cover because of all the attractions we have out here. There are some over there and some over here. We like to spread things out so that it feels more open out here.
There is a lot of ground to cover, and sometimes people underestimate how big Howell’s is. Be prepared to do a little bit of walking.
Mike Downer: And like you said, when we were talking about clothes, make sure you or your kids aren’t wearing brand-new sneakers.
Erin Conner: It is a farm. It is a farm, yep. And who knows if it rained the night before or whether the corn maze will be muddy? Wear your farm shoes out to the farm.
Mike Downer: Yeah, I love that. Just think about it: you’re going to a farm, so keep it comfortable. I think people need to understand that even when it’s dry, it’s going to get dusty. It is what it is.
Wear something extremely comfortable that you like to wear and that you won’t get mad about if it gets a little dirty.
Let’s wind this up because I know you’re ready to get back out there and pet your goats and get everybody going as they come in the gates. What’s the single best piece of advice for making the most out of a Howell’s family visit this fall?
Erin Conner: Come with a loose plan, not a rigid one, because you’re going to get here and want to do this and that. Then you’ll lose track of time because you’ll be having so much fun creating memories and taking pictures.
Just come knowing that you’re going to be having so much fun that you won’t be able to keep quite the rigid schedule you may think you need.
Mike Downer: That’s great advice because we do have friends who are very planned and organized. I would have to tell them, “Open mind. We’re not planning. Our only plan is our show-up time. We’re not even going to plan a departure time.” That’ll keep the stress down if you don’t have a specific plan.
Erin Conner: Yes. You can have some goals, like, “We’d like to get to the corn maze,” or, “We’d like to do this or that,” but don’t make a rigid plan.
Mike Downer: Yeah. You might say, “I’ve got to get this group picture,” or, “I’ve got to try this,” or, “Have you tried this? We need to try this.” Very good.
It sounds like the place to be this fall is out at Howell’s. It sounds like you can get breakfast, lunch, and, well, I guess if you’re really hungry and want to go three times, breakfast, lunch, and dinner out there all on the farm.
If you’re going to spend the whole day out there, you can. You can be as active or inactive as you want. It sounds perfect for families, couples, and anybody who is just looking to have a little bit of fun, get away to a farm, and relax a little bit.
Erin Conner: Yep. I can’t wait to see you.
Mike Downer: All right. Well, Erin, once again, thanks for joining me on the Howell’s Farm Experience. Again, I’m with Erin Conner, one of the owners of Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch.
Have a great fall, and I’m sure we’ll be talking soon about some more upcoming activities you guys have because I know you’re always busy.
Erin Conner: I can’t wait to talk again.
Mike Downer: All right. Thanks a lot, Erin. Have a great day.
