11 Best Hayrides in Minnesota: Haunted & Family-Friendly (2023)
Are you looking for some hayrides in Minnesota to check out this coming fall season?
Whether you’re looking for a haunted hayride to seek a scare, or you’re going with little ones and want a relaxing time, there are plenty to ride!
The crisp autumn air, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, and corn mazes are all part of the fall tradition in Minnesota.
However, hayrides are one of the most popular activities that capture the season’s essence in just one simple drive around a farm.
Lucky for us Minnesotans, we have some of the best hayrides around, no matter if you’re heading out for a romantic date, with friends, or with your family.
I’m a Minnesota native and absolutely love the fall season, so in this post, I’m going to share some of the very best places to go for a hayride.
Best Family-Friendly Hayrides in Minnesota
Below are the best hayrides to visit if you’re bringing along little ones or if you’d rather not have to worry about jump scares. These are all family friendly!
1. Twin Cities Harvest Fest
If you’re looking for a family-friendly event to check out this fall, then a visit to the Twin Cities Harvest Fest will be perfect for you!
One of the most popular attractions at the festival is the hayride, which takes visitors on a scenic tour of the surrounding farm area.
You’ll get to enjoy seeing all of the fun happening at the farm from the tractor, and get to sit back and relax as you enjoy the brisk fall breeze.
After you’ve had enough fun on the tractor, bundle up and check out some of the other great activities at this fall festival!
These include a petting zoo, a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, and live entertainment, like music and magic shows on select days.
If you’re hungry, check out the many food trucks that offer different things to eat, as there are typically 10-12 each weekend.
One of the other main features of this festival is the corn maze, which takes the name for being the Twin Cities largest corn maze, featuring a massive picture of something new every year.
2. Sever’s Fall Festival
Sever’s is known for hosting some of the most fantastic fall festivals throughout the seasons, and their fall fest is one of the best!
Starting in September and running through October, you’ll find all sorts of fun family-friendly activities to check out.
In fact, there are 30 different attractions to see, meaning that there’s something that the whole family will have fun with!
One of their top fall activities is the hayride, which leads you through the corn fields of the property, allowing you to escape from some of the busyness of the main area.
You’ll pass by pumpkin patches and corn mazes, and maybe you can seek out the perfect pumpkin to come back to from a distance.
Along with the hayride, you can also check out the many activities that are included with your admission, such as a giant corn pit, a corn maze, a petting zoo, and zip lines.
Plus, there are multiple more things to do that cost a bit extra, like pony rides, a giant slide, and lots of foods to eat.
3. Waldoch Farm
At Waldoch Farm in Lino Lakes, you can take the entire family out for a hayride this fall to enjoy the warm weather for just a bit longer.
Hayrides take place on weekends and at select times during the week, and you can enjoy the beautiful colors as you make your way through the farm.
On the ride, you’ll stop in their pumpkin patch, where you can pick out the perfect pumpkin to bring home and carve into a Jack-O-Lantern!
After you’ve finished up on your ride, head indoors to shop their huge selection of pumpkins, squash, and gourds.
You’ll also find a few other activities to check out, like their barnyard with horses and other farm animals, and many play structures for the little ones.
4. Afton Apple Orchard
While Afton Apple is well known for being one of the best places to pick apples during the fall season, it’s also home to a variety of other fun fall activties!
There are so many great things to do with your time at Afton Orchard, and one of them being the fantastic hayride.
Hayrides take place on the weekends all day long, and at select time on weekdays.
You can sit back and relax, as you enjoy the sights and sounds of the orchard while the tractor pulls you behind on a trailer of hay.
Aside from just the hayride, you can check out other fun things to do like the 15-acre corn maze, giant swing, and petting farm.
And of course, since this is an orchard, you won’t want to miss out on picking some of their delicious fruit and bringing it home.
During the fall months, you’ll find pumpkins, squash, gourds, and 15 varieties of apples to choose from!
5. Thea’s Pumpkin Patch
If you’re looking for a smaller fall festival that won’t have as many crowds as some of the bigger options, then visit Thea’s Pumpkin Patch.
This family-owned pumpkin patch has plenty to do and still is a great place to spend some time at this fall, but with fewer people.
It’s located in Pelican Rapids, and during your visit, you can find another of the great hayrides in Minnesota!
Hop aboard the wagon and relax as the tractor pulls you around the farm. Look out for all of the other activities happening!
Enjoy other things as well, such as a themed corn maze that has been themed as fun things like Scooby Doo, the Wizard of Oz, and Snoopy & Friends.
Admission into the farm also includes an animal yard, plenty of kids games, and a hay bale maze.
One of the best parts about a visit to Thea’s is that you’ll be supporting a local family and helping to create a college fund for Thea, who the patch is named after!
6. Minnetonka Orchard
Another orchard that hosts a variety of fun fall events is Minnetonka Orchard in Minnetonka.
Being so close to the Twin Cities makes this fun location a great place to escape to for a fun family weekend!
You can check out all of their great things to do, including unlimited hayrides for the entire day that you’re at the orchard!
After you’ve ridden the hayride to your hearts desire, enjoy the other activites like bean bags, face painting, an animal barn, and a hay mountain.
There’s also live music on select days, so you can sit back and just enjoy the lively tunes!
And before you leave, be sure to pick some of your own apples, straight from the tree, and grab a cup of hot cider and an apple donut before the ride home.
7. Lendt’s Pumpkin Patch
Hayrides are a popular activtity at Lendt’s Pumpkin Patch in Wyoming, just about 40 minutes outside of the Twin Cities.
The hayrides are running every day during October, so you can check them out anytime you have the chance!
And be sure to also stop by their pumpkin patch and pick out the perfect pumpkin for you! There are many of all shapes and sizes!
You’ll also find a variety of props set up around the patch where you can pose for a photo with your family to remember your time!
8. Cowhorn Crossing Farm
At Cowhorn Crossing Farm in Grand Rapids, you can have a great time with your entire family taking part in the many activities.
Of course, one of the best things to do is hop aboard the hayride and wander through the pumpkin patch and farm.
You’ll even have an opportunity to see the farm’s cows that are grazing the fields, waiting for visitors to drop them some hay.
Be sure to check out the petting zoo, where you’ll find donkeys, goats, bunnies, and more, and try to find your way out of the corn maze.
There are also many other great activites on-site to check out, so the whole family will have a blast.
And before heading home, pickup your favorite pumpkin from their patch or from the store, which has pumpkins, squash, gourds, and more.
Best Haunted Hayrides in Minnesota
If you’d rather experience a haunt than a family-friendly ride, then these are the places that you’re going to want to visit.
9. Dead End Hayride – Wyoming
If you’re looking for a truly haunting experience, look no further than the Dead End Hayride.
This unique attraction is not for the faint of heart, as it takes visitors on a terrifying journey through dark woods and eerie cornfields.
It’s been voted as one of Minnesota’s scariest haunted houses and hayrides and runs between mid-September and the end of October.
You’ll start your journey into the unknown on a hayride into the dark forest of Pinehaven Farm, where you don’t know what you’ll find.
This immersive experience allows the actors to come up close and personal with you, so never turn your back, because they might be right behind you!
With creepy creatures lurking around every corner, and unexpected scares waiting to jump out at you, the Dead End Hayride is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.
10. The Abandoned Haunted Hayride – Chaska
If you’re brave enough to face your fears and venture into the unknown, then a visit to the Abandoned Haunted Hayride is the place to be.
Climb aboard the hayride and get ready to head out for a spine-tingling experience where you’ll be met with monsters and other terrifying creatures.
The hayride will drop you off and leave you abandoned in the woods to find your way on foot back to the parking lot.
Left with just a small flashlight to find your way, you’ll have to navigate through the forest on your own.
Creatures that go bump in the night are lurking around every corner… be sure to watch your back!
A night spent at The Abandoned Hayride in Chaska is a great way to spend some time this October in Minnesota.
11. The Haunting Experience on Highway 61
At The Haunting Experience on Highway 61 in Cottage Grove, you can choose to visit the haunted house or ride on the hayride, or go for both.
Either way, the monsters inside will scare the pants off of you, and you’ll be left with a chill down your spine!
It’s the longest running haunted hayride in Minnesota, and because of that, the actors know exactly what it takes to bring quite the scare to guests.
Hop aboard the hayride and head into the depths of the woods, where you’ll find haunted forests and monsters lieing in wait. And they’re just waiting for you to arrive.
Along with the haunted hayride, you can check out the haunted house, which feautres some of the same creatures, including a hospital wing that you’ll have to find your way out of.
If you were lucky enough to make it back to the parking lot, you can stay a while and check out the live music and delicious fall-inspired foods that happen every weekend.
12. Molitor’s Haunted Acres
Looking for a good jump scare to get your heat pumping this Halloween season? A visit to Molitor’s Haunted Acres will surely deliver.
Wander through the deep woods of Molitor’s Haunted Acres and be sure to watch your back, because there are creatures lurking everywhere.
They might jump out from behind trees, from above you, or come running from afar; you’ll never really know.
These terrifying creatures are waiting for you to wander into the place they call home, and aren’t going to want you to leave.
The event is found in Sauk Rapids, just about an hour outside of Minneapolis.
13. Haunted Shack and Hayride
Located just a short distance outside of Duluth, the Haunted Shack and Hayride will provide you with a thrilling haunt.
Climb onto the hayride and keep an eye out for the creatures lurking in the woods, because they’re even in places that you least expect.
Between the hayride and the shack, your heart will be racing and your breathing heavy, thanks to all of the scares that you encounter.
Each year, more and more aspects have been added to the shack and hayride to continue making this a terrifying place for locals to get a good scare.
14. Harvest of Horror
Found in St. Augusta, the Harvest of Horror will send shivers down your spine and have you thinking you saw something in the shadows after you leave!
Starting on the hayride, you’ll wind through the dark woods where creatures of all sorts live, but they aren’t happy that you’re visiting.
Stumble through a variety of haunted houses, corn fields, and the deep forest to make your way back to the safety of your car.
This haunted hayride in Minnesota truly will leave you scared, but somehow wishing you could go back for more.
FAQs
Jeremy Hastings of Pinehaven Farm runs Dead End Hayride and is the creator behind the terrifying haunt.
The Dead End Hayride has been around for over 10 years, and Pinehaven Farm has been hosting fall-themed events for over 60 years.
Prices for Scream Town might vary by year, but they range between $30 to $150. You can buy VIP passes which are more expensive.
A hayride is a wagon, typically pulled on the back of a trailer, that is filled with hay and hay bales. You’ll ride on the wagon and go through the countryside during the fall months.
Wrap-Up: Minnesota Hayrides
From the stunning fall foliage to the crisp autumn air, there’s something truly magical about riding through the countryside on a hay-filled wagon.
With a cool breeze blowing across your face, bright colors around you, and the sound of cows mooing in the background, these hayrides in Minnesota will give you the perfect activity.
I hope that you’re able to use this list to fill your fall calendar with fun things to do.
