I look forward to fall every year in no small part due to the fact that it’s apple season! I don’t think there is really any better fruit than apples. Crunchy, sweet or tart, portable and so so tasty. Minnesota may not be first on the list when people think of apple producers. But, the minds over at the University of of Minnesota came up with everyone’s favorite apple… honeycrisp!
I’m going to share some of the orchards around the Twin Cities I’ve been to the past couple of years and tell you what I liked about them. So, if you have a hankering for apples, read on!
Apple Jacks Orchard
Location: 4875 37th St SE, Delano, MN 55328
Pick your own? Yes!
It had been several years since I’d been to this orchard but I went again this year. I forgot how cute it was! My friend and I were looking for an orchard which had Sweetango (my favorite!) apples and we had a great time. We picked (too many in my case) apples, had some delicious apple cider donuts, fed some animals, and found cute little pumpkins. There was even a craft fair going on that weekend which added to the fun. Plus, it’s only about 15 minutes from the most delicious drive-in, Peppermint Twist. Definitely make sure to stop at both 🙂
For more information, check out their website here.
Minnetonka Orchards
Location: 6530 County Rd 26, Minnetrista, MN 55364, about 30 mins from Minneapolis
Pick your own? Yes!
I was very pleasantly surprised by this orchard! There were so many things to do here. They had a big play area for kids, cute animals in their petting zoo, hay rides, a nature walk and a really nice shop for treats and goodies. We came here during an orchard crawl so there was a whole scavenger hunt set up which took us all around the orchard. I would definitely go here again!
For more info, check out their website here.
Aamodt’s Apple Farm
Location: 6428 Manning Avenue Stillwater, MN 55082
Pick your own? Yes! This didn’t use to be the case but it looks like they are starting it in 2017!
My friends who have kids really like this orchard as there is a big playground and lots of open space for them to run. There’s also a hay ride through the grape vines, a great shop for apple products with a whole bakery area (apple cider donuts people!), big bins full of already picked apples and an area where you can try each kind before you buy a whole bag of them. This place is always super busy but there is a lot of space and the staff is really efficient with the crowds.
For more information, check out their website here.
Nelson’s Apple Farm
Location: 3010 Douglas Ave. Webster, MN 55088
Pick your own? Yes!
In comparison to some of the other orchards on this list, Nelson’s is on the small side. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in charm! If you’re looking for a place that’s less crowded and easier to manage, then this is the orchard for you! They have a shop, tractor rides, a petting zoo and different lawn games for the kids.
Check out their website here for more information.
Pine Tree Apple Orchard
Location: 450 Apple Orchard Rd White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Pick your own? No
Even though you can’t pick your own apples, there are plenty of other activities to do at this orchard: from hay rides, to a corn maze, to pony rides and a big shop to buy anything apple you could ever want. Being the closest orchard to the cities, this place is always packed. Expect long lines! Even though it’s always busy, this is a big place and they know how to handle the crowds. The only downside is you have to pay for all of the extra activities they offer so just keep that in mind!
Head here for more information.
Images Via Sometimes Gracefully
Minnesota Harvest Apple Orchard
Location: 8251 Old Hwy 169 Blvd, Jordan, MN 55352
Pick your own? Yes!
I haven’t been here personally but the lovely Greta from Pickles Travel Blog wrote a great post about it. Go check out her full review here!
Lucline Apple Orchard
Location: 2755 Rose Avenue in Watertown, Minnesota 55388
Pick your own? No
We found this orchard through a really great Groupon deal. We got a hayride, admission to the corn maze and a meal (hot dogs or burgers) for $10 a person. This place is quite extensive so the hayride was actually long! It took you out to the pumpkin patch and corn maze which were both really fun to explore. My friend’s kids had a blast in the corn box and hay mountain. They also had animals to pet! Even though we couldn’t pick our own apples, we had a lot of fun here!
Images via Taking the Long Way Around
Check out their website here!
