Fall is almost here, and that means cooler air, shorter days, pumpkin spice flavored everything and harvest-themed local events all over the Upstate. Greenville is surrounded by beautiful family farms that open their gates to the public for fall festivals.
Several farms near the BJU campus offer corn mazes as part of their autumn programs. We’ve compiled a list of Upstate corn mazes under an hour’s drive away from campus, complete with pricing information and hours of operation.
Stewart Farms
Distance from campus: 32.4 miles (38-minute drive)
Website: stewartfarms.net
Stewart Farms delivers a genuine farm experience. Three generations of the Stewart family work together to maintain this working farm and nursery while providing educational experiences for their community. Stewart Farms keeps an active seasonal calendar, including the S.C. MAiZE. There’s way more to do at Stewart Farms than complete the corn maze, so the fall program lets guests pick and pay for the activities that interest them most.
Hours of operation (Starting Saturday, Sept. 21):
Friday: 4–10 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
Sundays 1–7 p.m.
Admission price:
$7 anyone ages 6 and up. Children under 6 can experience the maze for free!
Denver Downs
Distance from campus: 31.2 miles (37-minute drive)
Website: denverdownsfarm.com
Denver Downs Farm in Anderson hosts a full Fall Festival, complete with carnival games, light shows at night, food vendors and farm animal races in addition to one of the largest corn mazes in the Upstate and in the Southeast. This year’s maze honors the 50th anniversary of the moon landing with an astronaut- and rocket-shaped path through the cornfields. Like many of the farms on our list, Denver Downs offers a lot of other fall-themed activities other than the corn maze, so they sell a general admission pass to experience everything they have to offer.
Hours of operation:
Every day: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. starting September 28 and ending November 10.
Admission price:
$12.50 per person on weekdays (Monday-Thursday)
$17.50 per person on weekends (Friday-Sunday), with a discounted weekend rate for large groups.
Strawberry Hill, U.S.A.
Distance from campus: 42.6 miles (49-minute drive)
Website: strawberryhillusa.com
Strawberry Hill, U.S.A started out at Cooley Farms. Gene Cooley and his son James transformed their cotton farm into a peach orchard in the 1940s, opening up a peach and produce stand on the property as well. They added acres of strawberries to their annual crop, eventually growing to the largest strawberry farm in South Carolina. Over time, the Cooley farm earned the nickname Strawberry Hill, U.S.A. It stuck.
This year, the farm is hosting its ninth annual corn maze on the property. The maze will be open September 21 until November 3.
Hours of operation:
Saturday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sunday–Friday: 12–6 p.m.
Admission Price:
$8 for ages 3 and older. Group rates are available as well.
Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard
Distance from campus: 45 miles (57-minute drive)
Website: steppapples.com
A visit to Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard will take you into North Carolina. Just outside Hendersonville, Stepp’s Orchard provides a pick-your-own apples experience for visitors during the harvest season. The 38-acre orchard produces 21 different kinds of apples. In addition, the farm offers a pumpkin patch and a pick-your-own grapes vineyard. It also runs a 5-acre corn maze that’s one of the lowest cost mazes on our list.
Hours of operation:
Monday–Thursday: 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Admission prices:
Adults: $5
Children under 12: $3
See Also: Around Greenville: You-Pick Apple Orchards
Bonus: Little Cane Creek
Distance from campus: 45.2 miles (1 hour and 5-minute drive)
Website: littlecanecreekfarm.com
We know we said this is a list of Upstate corn mazes located less than an hour away from campus, but we’re adding one more because it sounds extra fun and only takes a few extra minutes to reach. Little Cane Creek Farms in West Union runs a 5-acre corn maze and a shorter Mini Maze for those bringing large groups of children or who are short on time. They’re sponsored by Chick-fil-A and this year’s maze is shaped, you guessed it, like a cow holding an “EAT MOR CHIKIN” sign. (You can visit their website to see the cool maze designs they’ve featured in the past.)
Unlike other farms on our list, Little Cane Creek’s mazes are the primary attraction. In addition to the mazes, they also run a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, sunflower patch, children’s play area, hayrides and concession stands that send proceeds to charity.
Hours of operation:
September 27–November 10
Friday: 6–10 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
Sundays: 2–7 p.m.
Weekdays: For school groups and booked appointments only
Admission prices:
Adults: $12
Children under 12: $8
