It’s that time of year when you should be planning your fall road trips.
So for the next week or so, we’ll be bringing you some likely candidates for dynamite road trips. First up…
SPRING GROVE, ILL. — After a hot, wet summer, the corn at Richardson Adventure Farm is “as high as an elephant’s eye” and the famous corn maze will be ready for family fun on opening day, Saturday, Sept. 1.
After putting the finishing touches on the 28-acre maze’s 10 miles of trails, George and Wendy Richardson took the farm’s small plane up and snapped some aerial photos. Seen from the air, the trails cut through the tall corn portray a panorama of images celebrating Illinois’ Bicentennial, or 200th birthday.
The lush green rectangular cornfield is sculpted with an intricate network of paths portraying Illinois symbols. The maze design is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River and on the east by Lake Michigan, Navy Pier and Chicago skyscrapers. The state capitol and Abraham Lincoln fill in the center, along with symbols of Illinois agriculture: a barn, silo, tractor, row crops, apple trees and pumpkins. (Did you know that Illinois produces more pumpkins than any other state? And that America’s first vertical silo was built near Spring Grove?)
This is Richardson Farm’s 18th maze. Over the years, maze themes have honored milestones for the Chicago Cubs, Star Trek, Chicago Blackhawks, the Star Spangled Banner and even the Beatles. (Imagine 21 football fields arranged in one big rectangle; that’s the size of the maze.) But don’t be intimidated! The maze has many entry and exit points and no dead-ends. You can explore a small portion of the trails that comprise the design, or the whole thing. Maps are provided, marked with corresponding “checkpoints” and three wooden “bridges” within the maze serve as viewing platforms. “No one’s ever gotten lost,” said Robert Richardson, with a grin. “At least not for long! And no one’s ever called 911.”
Photo by Candace H. Johnson – lcjedit@nwnewsgroup.com
What’s new this year? “We’ve added two food trucks,” said Wendy Richardson. “One’s a taco truck and the other serves wood-fired pizza.” The trucks supplement the main concession stand, which sells “fair food” such as funnel cakes, bratwurst, hot dogs, corn dogs, hamburgers and beverages. The “Dairy Depot” dishes up ice cream and the gift shop sells homemade kettle corn, fudge and donuts. Also new is a second picnic pavilion and additional modern restrooms
Richardson Farm has been in the family since 1840, and they planted their first corn maze in 2001. Over the years, it has become an annual destination for family fun, with a huge maze that’s different every year, plus more than 30 activities, including wagon rides, pig races, a vintage carousel and a “park train” that runs on real tracks. Most of the activities are included in the admission fee. Only a few, such as the zip line and zorb rides, cost extra. Private picnic sites with campfires and firewood are available by reservation, and there’s plenty of free parking.
Location & Information
Richardson Farm is located at 909 English Prairie Rd. near the small town of Spring Grove in McHenry County, just a 60-minute drive northwest of Chicago, southwest of Milwaukee and northeast of Rockford, Ill. For more info:
www.RichardsonAdventureFarm.
Open Dates & Times
Richardson Adventure Farm is open Sept. 1 – Nov. 4, Thursdays through Sundays, plus Labor Day and Columbus Day. Wednesdays are open for school and corporate groups, by reservation. Hours are: Thursday 3-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 12 noon to 10 p.m; Labor Day and Columbus Day 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. On the two weekends nearest to a full moon — Sept 21-22 and Oct 26-27 – you can “Maze ‘Til Midnight”, but tickets must be purchased by 10 p.m.
Ticket Prices
Admission is $17-$19 per person for ages 13 and up, $14-$16 for ages 3-12 and free for ages 2 and under. Group rates by reservation. (Lower rates are on Thursdays and in September.) See website for details.
Activities Included in Admission
- The Maze, with five Maze Games: Finger Sillies, FSI (Farm Scene Investigation), Farm Tracks, Quiz Questions and 24 Hidden Checkpoints. Game times range from 10-20 minutes to 60-90 minutes.
- Fenced Play Area especially for little kids (under 48″) with swings, pedal trikes, shelled corn box, spider web climber, jumping pillow, mini-zip line.
- Giant 100′ slide.
- Tractor-drawn wagon rides.
- Vintage 30-horse carousel.
- Park train rides.
- Animatronic chicken show.
- Petting zoo.
- Hungry goats.
- Pig races.
- Jumping pillows.
- Pedal carts.
- Air cannons shooting tennis balls at targets.
- 50′ high observation tower
- Three 8′ high x 16′ long observation platforms.
- Community campfire.
- Two large picnic pavilions.
- Modern indoor restrooms.
Activities Available for Additional Fees
- Pumpkin Patch: Pick your own or choose from pre-picked pumpkins, squash and gourds for 45 cents per pound. They come in all sizes, shapes and colors: giant or small, smooth or warty, round or crook-necked, orange, yellow, red, blue, green or white!
- Xtreme Air Bungee-Enhanced Jumping: See how high you can jump in a bungee harness over a jumping pillow.
- Paintball shooting gallery.
- Panning for Treasures: gemstones, arrowheads or fossils.
- Bunnyville, with rabbits to cuddle, pet and feed.
- Ride a 750′ long zip line from the top of the 50′ observation tower.
- Zorbing: Strap yourself and a friend inside a giant clear plastic ball and roll downhill.
- Private picnic sites with campfires and firewood, by reservation.
Richardson Farm is located at 909 English Prairie Rd. near the small town of Spring Grove in McHenry County, just a 60-minute drive northwest of Chicago, southwest of Milwaukee and northeast of Rockford, Ill. For more info: www.RichardsonAdventureFarm.