Ramsey's Farm
A working family farm in north Wilmington: summer berry picking, then pick-your-own pumpkins, hayrides, two corn mazes, and the bonfire nights that make October feel like October.
440 Ramsey Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803 · ~15 min from downtown Wilmington
Hours
9 AM – 6 PM
Show the week Hide the week
| Fri | 9 AM – 6 PM |
|---|---|
| Sat | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Sun | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Mon | Closed |
| Tue | Closed |
| Wed | Closed |
| Thu | 9 AM – 6 PM |
Last checked 2026-09-28
- Cost
- Paid activity wristband (fall festival) adult · One child 3 or under free with each paying adult child
- Best for
- All ages, sweet spot 2-9 for daytime; family/group event for bonfires
- Indoor / outdoor
- Outdoor
- Typical visit
- 1.5-3 hours daytime; about 2 hours for a Bonfire Night
A farm stop where the season decides how much there is to do.
The Quick Version
- • Working family farm tucked into the back of north Wilmington off Smiths Bridge Rd. The closest pumpkin patch to downtown Wilmington that feels like a real farm.
- • October is the season — u-pick pumpkins, hayrides, two corn mazes (a small one for little kids, a 10-acre one for older kids and adults), and a barnyard. The Bonfire Nights are the iconic Ramsey's experience: buy a ticket online or at the door and share the public fire pits, or book a private fire for your group. Bring s'mores and hang out.
- • In pumpkin season, daytime activities run Fridays 1–5 PM and Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM–5 PM, mid-September through the first weekend of November. Bonfire Nights run Friday and Saturday nights, 6–9 PM (enter by 7:30), through November 14 this year, except Halloween night (private bookings only); tickets online or at the door.
- • Summer is berry season: you-pick strawberries and blueberries early, then blackberries and raspberries, plus cut flowers. Thursday–Sunday, 9 AM–6 PM, no reservations; check in at the farm stand.
- • Budget 1.5-3 hours for a daytime visit. A Bonfire Night is its own evening outing; a private fire is typically a 2-hour block.
Best Ages
All ages, sweet spot 2-9 for daytime; family/group event for bonfires
Plan For
1.5-3 hours daytime; about 2 hours for a Bonfire Night
Adults
Paid activity wristband (fall festival)
Kids
One child 3 or under free with each paying adult
What to Expect
Ramsey's is the local fall farm. Smaller than Linvilla, less polished than Milburn, more authentic than either. It's a working family farm 15 minutes from downtown Wilmington that runs an October operation tuned for nearby families who don't want to drive to Chester County. The vibe is friendly, the staff is the family, and the scale is right for a 3-year-old.
Daytime visits in October are the standard family outing. You park, walk to the pumpkin field, pick a pumpkin ($0.80 a pound — pay before you leave), do a hayride to a farther field or back to the parking area, walk the small corn maze (older kids and adults can take on the 10-acre one), and visit the small barnyard. The whole loop is doable in two hours with a toddler, and you can be home for nap.
The Bonfire Nights are what makes Ramsey's special. They run Friday and Saturday nights, 6–9 PM, through November 14 this year, except Halloween night (private bookings only). You don't need to book a private fire to come: buy a ticket online or at the door and share the public fire pits. For a group, you can also book a private fire pit — typically a 2-hour evening block — and they provide the pit, wood, hay bales for seating, and string lighting. Either way, you bring the rest: food, drinks, marshmallows, blankets, kids in pajamas. It's the kind of evening parents in NCC plan as a group with another family, or as a Sunday-after-trick-or-treat tradition, or as the family fall outing they look forward to all year.
Private fires book up, and Saturday evenings go first. If you want one, book early — late August or early September is not too soon for a prime October weekend — or try a Friday. If you miss out, a regular ticket and the public fire pits still get you the whole evening.
The whole property is small enough that you'll never feel lost. The whole operation is run by people who clearly enjoy it. It's the best version of what a local fall farm can be.
Who It's Best For
Babies and toddlers: easy pumpkin picking, the barnyard, the calm scale of the place. Preschoolers: hayrides, the maze, the smaller pumpkin field, animals. Elementary: u-pick, the maze, hayrides, hanging out at the bonfire. Bonfire Nights are a great family group event for any age — even toddlers love a fire and a marshmallow under supervision.
Highlights
Bonfire Nights
All ages, especially group familiesFriday and Saturday nights 6–9 PM (enter by 7:30), through November 14 this year, except Halloween night (private bookings only). Buy a ticket online or at the door and share the public fire pits, or book a private fire for your group (Saturdays book up first). The signature Ramsey's experience and a Wilmington fall tradition. Bring marshmallows and blankets; food trucks are posted on the farm's night-events page.
U-Pick Pumpkin Patch
All agesPick your own pumpkin from the field. Priced by weight ($0.80 a pound), paid at the exit. Lower-key than the destination farms and ten times closer.
Summer you-pick berries & flowers
All agesStrawberries and blueberries early in the summer, then blackberries and raspberries, plus cut flowers. No reservations: check in at the farm stand, Thursday–Sunday.
Hayrides
All agesTractor-pulled hayrides on October weekends. Short, kid-friendly, the canonical farm experience.
Corn Mazes
All agesTwo mazes, neither a haunted production: a small maze sized for little kids — a 4-year-old can do it with a parent — and a 10-acre corn maze for older kids and adults.
Barnyard
Ages 1-7Small barnyard with farm animals during fall-festival weekends, included with the activity wristband. A pleasant calm anchor between bigger activities.
What to Skip with Little Ones
- • Showing up in fall expecting berries, or in summer expecting pumpkins. Summer is berry and flower picking; the pumpkin patch, hayrides and maze are the fall operation. Check what's on before you go.
- • Bonfire Nights for under-twos unless you have a clear plan for them — dark, cold, fire, late bedtime. Older toddlers do great if you bring blankets and warm layers.
- • Saturday afternoon arrivals in mid-October. Go at the 10 AM opening, or try a Friday afternoon.
Logistics
Admission
Adults
Paid activity wristband (fall festival)
Kids
One child 3 or under free with each paying adult
Under
One child 3 or under free per paying adult
Fall-festival activities use a paid activity wristband — everyone entering the activity area needs a ticket, and one child 3 or under is free with each paying adult (current pricing is on the farm's Purchase Tickets page). The wristband covers the hayrides, corn maze, and barnyard; pumpkins and produce are sold separately. Bonfire Nights are a separate evening ticket, sold online or at the door, and anyone can come and share the public fire pits. Groups can also book a private fire pit in advance (they provide the pit, wood, hay-bale seating, and lighting; you bring your own food, drinks, and s'mores supplies).
Membership tip: No membership program. Private bonfire bookings open well before the season — sign up for the email list or check the website in late August/early September.
Getting There
Parking
Free gravel and grass lots on the property.
Ramsey Rd is a narrow country road off Smiths Bridge Rd. Easy to miss the entrance — watch the signage. Daytime October weekends fill up in the afternoon; arrive by 11 AM or after 2 PM for an easier landing. Bonfire Night parking is generally calm because arrivals spread out across the evening.
Entrance
Single entrance off Ramsey Rd. The pumpkin patch, hayride loading, maze, and fire pit area are all within a short walk of the parking area.
Parent Logistics
Mostly. The barnyard and central area are hard-packed dirt. The pumpkin field and hayride loading are dirt and grass. Strollers work but a wagon is better. The maze rows are dirt — fine for a wagon, awkward for an umbrella stroller. For Bonfire Nights, stick to a carrier or a wagon — strollers aren't useful around the fire pits in the dark.
Porta-potties on the property during peak season. No permanent indoor restrooms — plan accordingly with toddlers.
None. Bring a portable changing pad in the wagon or stroller.
Limited. Open fields with scattered trees. Bring hats and sunscreen on warm October days.
Food & Snacks
A food truck is on site every Saturday and Sunday during the day, and the snack shack sells pre-packaged snacks and baked goods; the produce stand runs through mid-October. Bonfire Nights have food trucks too (the farm posts them on its night-events page), or bring your own food for the fire.
Snack strategy: Daytime: the weekend food truck and snack shack cover lunch; pack water and snacks for the kids anyway. Bonfire Nights: check which food truck is coming, or bring a picnic dinner, marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, drinks, and roasting sticks. Coolers are welcome.
Pro Tips
- ✓ No booking needed for a Bonfire Night: a ticket gets you a spot at the public fire pits. Want a private fire for your group? Book in late August or early September; Saturday evenings sell out, and Friday is the easier grab.
- ✓ Pack for Bonfire Nights: marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, drinks, roasting sticks, blankets, headlamps for kids, warm layers. Check the night-events page for that evening's food truck, or bring your own dinner.
- ✓ It's 15 minutes from downtown Wilmington. The closest pumpkin patch with real farm character — use that as your default rather than driving to Chester County.
- ✓ Friday afternoons in October are calmer than the weekend and feel like having the place mostly to yourselves.
- ✓ Bring cash. Card works but cash moves faster at the pumpkin exit.
- ✓ Layer up for Bonfire Nights even when the day was warm — north Wilmington fall evenings get cold fast after sundown.
When to Go
Best Time to Visit
Friday afternoons (1–5 PM) are the calmest daytime window in pumpkin season. On Saturdays and Sundays, arrive at the 10 AM opening. The Bonfire Nights are the marquee evening experience. Anyone can come with a ticket and share the public fire pits; if you want a private fire for your group, book weeks ahead, since Saturday evenings go first.
Seasonal Notes
Operations are heavily fall-focused. Fall-festival weekends run mid-September through the first weekend of November; the produce stand is open through mid-October. Daytime activities run Fridays 1–5 PM and Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM–5 PM. Bonfire Nights run Friday and Saturday nights, 6–9 PM, through November 14 this year, except Halloween night (private bookings only); tickets are sold online or at the door. In summer the farm runs you-pick berries and cut flowers: strawberries and blueberries early in the season, then blackberries and raspberries, Thursday–Sunday 9 AM–6 PM with no reservations (check in at the farm stand). Check the farm's pick-your-own page for what's ripe before you go. The farm also hosts private events year-round. Christmas trees in late November and December.
Rainy Day?
Daytime activities pause in heavy rain. Bonfire Nights generally cancel for rain or high winds — call ahead the day of and they'll reschedule. Light drizzle is fine for both. Save this one for a clear forecast.
While You're in the Area
Ramsey's also runs a second location, New Roots by Ramsey's Farm, in Chadds Ford on the former SIW property — a daily farm stand for produce, beef, and CSA pickup (newrootsbyramseys.com). It's a different thing — no pumpkins, no hayrides, no maze — but worth knowing about if you want their meat or vegetables outside of the October weekends. Highland Orchards is 10 minutes east on Foulk Rd — the other local farm option, complementary (Highland is bigger market, Ramsey's is bigger fall vibe). Brandywine Creek State Park is 10 minutes east for a longer outdoor day. Talleyville's coffee and breakfast spots are 5 minutes south on Concord Pike. After a Bonfire Night, you're already in pajama territory — head straight home.
Upcoming Events
Bonfire Night at Ramsey's Farm
Oct 23 – Nov 14 (7 dates)
This public bonfire evening at Ramsey's Farm features string lights, picnic tables, and a large fire. It runs Friday and Saturday evenings from October 2 through November 14; Halloween night (Oct 31) is private bookings only.
More infoGoat Yoga On The Farm
Sun, Oct 25 at 9:00 AM
Families will enjoy a 45-minute yoga session outdoors on the farm, followed by 15 minutes to interact with a herd of mini goats by feeding, petting, and taking photos. The event takes place on a farm with open outdoor space, and participants are expected to bring their own yoga mats.
More infoGoat Yoga
Sun, Oct 25 at 9:00 AM
Families will participate in a 45-minute yoga session outdoors on a farm, followed by 15 minutes to interact with a group of mini goats by feeding, petting, and taking photos. Mats and hand sanitizer are provided for use during the session.
More infoBirthday parties here
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