This is a personal review from 2011, your experience may vary.
COVID-19 Update: Kroll’s Farm is open for 2020! The opening date is September 19. Admission is by timed ticket only, and masks must be worn. Read full guidelines and precautions here.
Are you looking for a great, inexpensive, fun place to take your kids to get the perfect pumpkin in northeastern Lake County?
Well, look no further, Kroll’s Fall Harvest Farm in Waukegan is open daily until early November, and it’s the perfect spot for a fun, inexpensive fall outing!
When I was looking online for fun places to take the girls to get a pumpkin, I was surprised to find this little gem right up the road from my house. Kroll’s Fall Harvest Farm is located off of Green Bay Road, directly across from the Waukegan Regional Airport.
A small family-run agricultural education farm, Kroll’s is perfect for the toddler/preschool set (my eldest daughter is 3 1/2) but has a little something for all ages. There is no admission fee or parking fee at Kroll’s, and the cost of their activities is reasonable.
Kroll’s has small farm animals (chickens, roosters, goats, a llama, donkey, and pony) to view, pet and feed. They have a staff member (most of which I believe are family members) at each pen to help facilitate the petting and to answer any questions you may have about the animals. They had some brand new baby goats (about three weeks old), which my daughter couldn’t get enough of. They have feeder machines by the goat and chicken pens, so be sure to bring your quarters.
Kroll’s also has a ton of fun, wooden “Harvest Themed” cut-outs located around the farm perfect for photo opportunities.
They also offer an educational hayride that circles their massive corn maze for an additional fee. The hayride stops about halfway around to talk about the different crops that they grow and what you can use various gourds and squashes for. My daughter got a little distracted while we were listening to our driver/teacher talk about the crops, but all in all, she enjoyed her first hayride!
Kroll’s sells bags of popcorn and other goodies (caramel apples and candy), so you can have a little snack as you wait for the hayride or walk about the farm. They also have numerous picnic tables, so you can bring a picnic lunch to enjoy with your family (some are shaded), and they have a fire pit available for bonfires at night!
Their main attraction (and best for the older kids and adults) is their corn maze. We decided not to do the corn maze this year, but I am interested in going through it next year when the kids are a little older.
Last but not least are Kroll’s beautiful pumpkins for sale! Their pumpkins and gourds are carefully placed in rows on the lawn and range anywhere from $1.50 to $11.00 apiece. I have to say their pumpkins were the most beautiful, round, unblemished pumpkins I have ever seen!
We spent two hours there, had a blast, and didn’t break the bank! There were plenty of other people there, but it never felt crowded, and there wasn’t a long wait for anything. As a side note, Kroll’s only accepts cash, so come prepared! I will be returning to Kroll’s next year to get our pumpkins and enjoy some family time!!
Kroll’s Fall Harvest Farm
13236 W. Town Line Rd., Waukegan, IL 60087
Please enter off of York House Rd.
(847) 662 – 5733 | Facebook
Find more Fall Fun in Lake County.
Editor’s note: Story was originally written by Whitney Smith in 2011, updated in 2018.
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