In Episode 6 of The Howells Farm Experience podcast, host Mike Downer sat down with Erin Conner of Howells Greenhouse & Pumpkin Patch to answer a question many families ask before visiting a fall attraction: how long does it take to walk through a corn maze?
What becomes clear during the discussion is that the value of a corn maze isn’t measured by how quickly someone reaches the exit. The experience is intentionally built around exploration, problem-solving, teamwork, and time spent outdoors. Whether families choose the shorter scavenger-hunt route or tackle the more challenging maze with checkpoints, the goal is the same: creating an environment where people work together, stay active, and make lasting memories away from screens.
For anyone curious about what actually happens inside a large-scale corn maze—and why these attractions continue to draw visitors every fall—Conner offers a rare behind-the-scenes perspective from someone who has spent years perfecting the experience.
More Than a Maze: A Giant Family Puzzle
For Conner, the appeal of a corn maze goes far beyond simply finding the exit.
“It’s like solving a giant puzzle.”
That perspective helps explain why corn mazes remain such a popular fall tradition. Every turn requires a decision, creating an experience where families naturally collaborate. Some groups treat the maze as a race to the finish, while others slow down and enjoy the exploration.
At Howells, visitors enter an eight-acre maze surrounded by corn stalks that typically grow between eight and twelve feet tall. The result is a fully immersive environment where the next turn remains hidden until you reach it.
How Long Should You Plan for a Corn Maze Visit?
One of the most practical insights from the episode was that there is no single answer to maze completion time.
Howells intentionally offers two experiences within the same maze:
Easy Maze
Designed for younger children, the easy route includes an animal-track scavenger hunt and generally takes between 20 and 30 minutes to complete.
Hard Maze
Created for older children and adults, the hard route incorporates optional checkpoints and challenges that typically require 30 to 60 minutes.
Conner’s recommendation is straightforward: plan for approximately one hour if you want to enjoy the full experience without feeling rushed.
How Modern Corn Mazes Are Built
One of the most fascinating parts of the conversation focused on how maze design has evolved.
Years ago, the process was highly manual. Designs were sketched on large sheets of grid paper before teams physically cut pathways through mature corn fields. According to Conner, the process could take nearly two weeks during the hottest part of summer.
Today, GPS-guided planting technology allows the team to plant directly into the maze design itself. Paths are built into the planting plan from the beginning, enabling far more detailed layouts while dramatically reducing labor requirements.
This behind-the-scenes insight highlights the level of planning and agricultural expertise required to create a successful maze each season.
Addressing the Biggest Fear: Getting Lost
When asked about common misconceptions, Conner immediately identified the concern she hears most often.
“The biggest fear is getting lost.”
Fortunately, she explained that visitors have more tools than they realize. Maps are posted throughout the maze, and guests are encouraged to note landmarks before entering. At Howells, nearby wooded areas can help visitors maintain their sense of direction.
The farm also features a combine observation deck where visitors can climb above the corn and view the maze from a higher vantage point. It’s a practical solution that provides reassurance while preserving the adventure.
Why Corn Mazes Remain Relevant
Perhaps the most compelling takeaway from the episode is that corn mazes combine multiple benefits into a single activity. Children stay physically active, families work together to solve challenges, and everyone spends time outdoors away from screens.
As Conner explained:
“Less screen time and more family time.”
That simple philosophy captures why corn mazes continue to attract families year after year. They provide a rare opportunity to combine recreation, problem-solving, and meaningful interaction in an environment that feels distinctly tied to the season.
Whether you’re planning your first visit or you’re a longtime fall tradition enthusiast, understanding how long does it take to walk through a corn maze is only part of the story. As Erin Conner’s experience demonstrates, the real value lies in the teamwork, exploration, and family memories created along the way.
Watch The Full Episode
Want to hear Erin Conner’s full perspective on what makes a great corn maze experience? In this episode of The Howells Farm Experience, she shares firsthand insights into designing one of Iowa’s largest corn mazes, helping families navigate the experience, and the surprising technology that goes into creating a new maze every year. Listen to the full episode to hear the complete conversation and discover why a corn maze is about much more than finding the exit.
FAQs
How long does it take to complete a corn maze?
At Howells Farm, the easy maze typically takes 20–30 minutes, while the hard maze takes approximately 30–60 minutes.
Are corn mazes suitable for young children?
Yes. The easy maze is specifically designed for younger visitors and includes a scavenger hunt to keep children engaged.
What should families bring to a corn maze?
Conner’s top recommendation is water, especially on warmer days when children tend to run through the maze.
Do people actually get lost in corn mazes?
Visitors can take wrong turns, but maps, landmarks, and observation points make it easy to get back on track.
What makes a corn maze different from other mazes?
The height of the corn, the seasonal atmosphere, and the immersive farm environment create an experience that cannot be replicated by traditional hedge mazes.
Mike Downer: Hello, everybody. I’m your host, Mike Downer, and welcome to the Howell’s Farm Experience. I am joined today by Erin Conner with Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch. How are we doing today, Erin?
Erin Conner: I’m doing good. It’s another great day.
Mike Downer: It is. It’s beautiful outside today. It’s a great day to go to a pumpkin patch. Today, we’re going to be talking about corn mazes. Are they worth it, and how do you actually get through one?
I know a lot of people have questions about corn mazes. I’ve actually never been through one, so I’m going to have to experience that this fall. What makes a corn maze fun? How long does it take to get through it? And what should families know before going in?
Erin Conner: Well, I have a lot of information for you. Here at Howell’s, our corn maze is in Cumming, Iowa, and we have an eight-acre corn maze. That makes it one of the biggest corn mazes in the state of Iowa.
It’s where families go to learn about teamwork and working together to solve a problem. It’s like solving a puzzle to figure out how to get out of the corn maze. There are a lot of winding paths, and you can’t see what the next turn is going to be. At every turn, there’s a new decision to make.
Some people do it as a timed challenge. They want to get out as fast as they can. It’s a great family activity, and it can even be a team-building activity where you learn to work together.
Mike Downer: That sounds great. For someone like me who has never walked through one, what does an eight-acre corn maze actually look and feel like at Howell’s?
Erin Conner: It feels like a tunnel. You have corn on both sides, and you feel like you might get lost in it. The corn is so tall, and it’s a very neat, cool experience because it’s just you in the cornfield.
Mike Downer: How tall are those corn stalks?
Erin Conner: It depends on the variety of corn, but they can be eight, ten, or even twelve feet tall, especially if the corn is still green. It’s cool.
Mike Downer: Oh, wow. How long should visitors expect the maze to take? Is there a quicker route for people who want that, and another option for those who want to fully explore it?
Erin Conner: We have two mazes all in one maze. We have an easy version and a hard version. There’s a sign that says where to go for the easy version and where to go for the hard version.
The easy version probably takes about twenty to thirty minutes, which helps keep the little ones focused. There’s also a game in there where they can scratch off little tracks and find animal tracks. It’s not as difficult as the hard maze.
The hard maze also has a game in it. You can choose to play it or not, and you can still get where you need to go. That typically takes thirty to sixty minutes, depending on whether you go to each checkpoint.
Mike Downer: Okay. So plan for about an hour?
Erin Conner: Yes, plan for an hour.
Mike Downer: That sounds like a good idea. If people have that in their heads, they won’t over- or under-budget their time. What advice do you have for families with young kids so the maze feels fun and exciting rather than overwhelming?
Erin Conner: Kids love running through the maze. I suggest bringing water with you because kids are running so much, and all of a sudden they want a drink. But you’re in the middle of a corn maze, and you can’t get water right away. I would definitely make sure you have water with you.
We also have a combine observation deck on the outside of our maze. You can climb up on the combine and look into the corn maze to see where your friends are. A parent can see where the kids are from the top of the deck if they want the kids to go in by themselves.
Mike Downer: Oh, that’s pretty cool.
Erin Conner: I typically don’t recommend sending kids in by themselves because we don’t want any lost children in the corn.
Mike Downer: Has that ever happened?
Erin Conner: Yes, it has. We send out a rescue mission every Thursday to pick up people who have been lost in the corn maze.
Mike Downer: Every Thursday. That’s funny. Is there a best time of day to go through the maze, whether it’s a cooler morning or later in the afternoon?
Erin Conner: Anytime is a good time to go through the maze. I would skip the maze on a ninety-degree day. Other than that, it’s the same temperature inside the maze as it is outside. Just bring your water with you.
Mike Downer: Bring your water. That’s about the third time you’ve said that, so I think that’s a hint you’re giving people.
Erin Conner: Yes.
Mike Downer: When you design the maze, how does Howell’s come up with and create the maze design each year?
Erin Conner: That’s always a winter project. We decide what the maze is going to be. Back when we first started doing the corn maze, we designed it on a big piece of grid paper. We would draw out the design we wanted on the grid paper.
Then we would plant the corn both vertically and horizontally so it looked like a giant grid map out in the cornfield. We marked the rows A, B, C, D, and then one, two, three, four. Then we would play a life-size dot-to-dot game where we connected points like B1 and C3. We would cut down the corn in between to make the line.
That took about two weeks every year, and it was always hot in the middle of the cornfield while we were making the maze.
About six years ago, we hired a company to plant the corn using GPS in the design we wanted. We love that because it helps us focus on other things, and it also makes a more detailed and harder maze for the customer.
Mike Downer: So you actually have the corn planted in the maze pattern?
Erin Conner: Yes. When we first started, we planted the corn and then came back and cut down the paths. Now they plant the corn and skip the spots where the paths will be.
Mike Downer: That’s actually really cool. I didn’t know that. I figured you had to go in there and cut the path through. I learned something today.
Why do you think corn mazes are such a great activity for kids beyond just being fun?
Erin Conner: Kids learn a lot. Yes, it’s fun to get out there and run around, but it’s also a challenge. They work on their problem-solving skills as they try to get out of the corn maze.
It can be a timed race with their friends, and it’s just a different type of experience. It’s not like a hedge maze. It’s corn, and that’s what Iowa is known for. It’s just different.
Mike Downer: It sounds like they have a lot of fun, but it’s also good physical activity and good brain activity. I like all of those aspects. My kids are twenty-two and twenty-four now, so they kind of decide their own physical activities.
What are some common fears or misconceptions people have about corn mazes? What would you say to ease some of those concerns?
Erin Conner: Everyone is afraid they’re going to get lost, but you really can’t get lost in the corn maze. You can just pick a row and start walking in one direction, and eventually, you’ll end up on the outside.
Here at Howell’s, we have a little wooded area, or timber. Before you go into the corn maze, look at your surroundings and notice where the trees are. When you’re in the corn maze, you can look for those trees, and that helps you create a little map in your head of which direction you need to go to get out.
We also have maps in the maze that tell you where you are, so you won’t get too lost.
Mike Downer: So you have some little cheat points if people want to use them.
Erin Conner: Yes, we have little cheat codes.
Mike Downer: That’s good to know because a lot of people get nervous about getting lost in a corn maze. They worry about what happens if it gets dark and things like that.
Erin Conner: Well, congratulations to you on Thursday.
Mike Downer: Only on Thursday?
Erin Conner: Yep.
Mike Downer: Don’t go there on Friday, because if you get lost, you’ll be out there for six days.
Erin Conner: Oh, that’s great.
Mike Downer: Corn mazes have become a big fall photo and video moment. What makes Howell’s maze so shareable for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and family memories?
Erin Conner: I personally like the backdrop of a cornfield. It just feels very fall and very Iowa, with the corn in the background. You get that whole country feel, that whole Hallmark-style country feel for your Instagram.
We also have a few photo opportunities out there to help with your pictures. People always take pictures after they finish a challenge in the corn maze, like, “I did it in this many seconds,” or, “I did it in this many minutes.” We have lots of photo opportunities for you, especially in the cornfield.
Mike Downer: That sounds fun. When does the corn maze actually open at Howell’s?
Erin Conner: The fall season starts around early September, and that’s when the corn maze opens every year.
Mike Downer: What are your hours during the fall season?
Erin Conner: We’re open daily from 10:00 to 6:00 starting in early September, and the corn maze runs through Halloween. After Halloween, we have to combine the corn because we don’t want snow to get on it. We’re still farmers at heart, too.
Mike Downer: That makes perfect sense. You’ve answered a lot of questions about corn mazes, and I think you’ve helped people overcome some fears about getting lost. If they do get lost, they know that on Thursdays, Erin and her rescue team will be out there.
With the cheat codes and everything else, it sounds like a great family activity. It gets the kids out there, helps them burn energy, makes them think a little bit, and gives everyone a lot of fun.
Erin Conner: It helps people get away from screens. Less screen time.
Mike Downer: I agree with you. That’s what I love about doing these shows with you. You’re bringing back a lot of family bonding time. Phones get put in pockets, other than to snap pictures, obviously. You engage people and encourage them to work together as a unit. I love everything about that, Erin.
Erin Conner: Corn mazes are fun.
Mike Downer: Corn mazes sound like a blast. I’m going to get out there this fall and try it. I’ve always been scared of getting lost, but I don’t feel so bad now. I’m coming on a Thursday morning, though.
Erin Conner: Okay, that’s fine. That’s fair.
Mike Downer: All right, Erin. Thanks for joining me, and I look forward to the next time we talk.
Erin Conner: Thank you.
