New York City's only corn maze opens on October weekends. The "Amazing Maize Maze" at the Queens County Farm Museum runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 10, 11, 12, 17, 24 and 25, with admission of $10 to $17. The pumpkin patch is free to enter all month, and a Halloween event takes place on the 31st. The farm can be reached by subway and bus without a car, making it an easy outing with kids.
If you're looking for somewhere to take the kids in October, it's hard to beat a farm. Picking out pumpkins and getting lost among the cornstalks can easily fill half a day. There's a place in Queens where you can do it all without leaving New York City.
The only corn maze in New York City
The Queens County Farm Museum, near Floral Park, has been farmed since 1697. It is the longest continuously farmed land in New York City, and every fall its cornfield turns into a maze called the "Amazing Maize Maze."
This year it opens on Oct. 10, 11, 12, 17, 24 and 25. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission ranges from $10 to $17. Completing the maze takes about an hour, and hints are available along the way, so children tend to see it through to the end.
The pumpkin patch is open all month in October, and entry is free. You pay for the pumpkins you pick. The farm store sells freshly baked bread and pies.
The farm's biggest advantage is that you don't need a car. Take the E or F train to Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike and transfer to the Q46 bus, which stops near the farm. Considering how quickly the parking lot fills up on weekends, public transit is actually more convenient.
Halloween caps the month
"Halloween on the Farm" takes place on Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $15 to $25. Children in costumes walk around the farm collecting candy and watching performances. If your child is too young for trick-or-treating around the neighborhood at night, finishing up here during the day is one option.
Schedules may change depending on the weather, and it is safer to buy tickets for the maze and the Halloween event in advance. Tickets are sold by date on the farm's website.
If you're on the New Jersey side
Near Bergen County, there is Demarest Farms in Hillsdale. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this year as well. Visitors pick their own apples and pumpkins, and it has long been a favorite of Korean American families. Lines at the entrance get long on weekends, so it's better to go in the morning.
What you wear matters a lot on a farm outing. The fields stay muddy for several days after rain. Shoes that you don't mind getting dirty are better than new sneakers, and packing an extra change of clothes for your child makes the trip home easier. From mid-October, it gets chilly quickly after sundown, so it's a good idea to bring an extra layer as well.