Your Guide to Three Nunns Farm Pumpkin Patch with Kids in Brentwood, California
Our family’s favorite fall activity is taking a trip to the pumpkin patch – it is a great way to spend the day outdoors, support local farmers, and have some family fun. Three Nunns Farm in Brentwood, California is only an hour away from the San Francisco Bay Area and is worth the trip.
Read our guide below to find out why you should add a trip to Three Nunns Farm’s pumpkin patch to your fall activity list.
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Getting There
Three Nunns Farm is located in Brentwood, California – about a one hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Traffic to east Contra Costa County can be tricky on weekdays, but smooth sailing on weekends.
Quick Tips
When To Visit
Three Nunns Farm’s fall pumpkin patch is usually open starting the last weekend of September through the end of October.
Open daily from 9am-8pm unless it is raining.
Before You go
- They accept cash, card, and mobile payment
- Expect to spend 3 hours here
What To Pack
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Sunscreen and hats
- Wagon
- Closed-toed shoes for walking in dirt
- Ergobaby or soft baby carrier, if needed
- Layers for cooler weather
- Snacks
Costs
Purchase tickets at the main entrance or at the patch
| Item | base cost |
|---|---|
| General Admission (includes 5 lbs. combinable pumpkin credit) | $15 / person ($30 for a season pass). Free for ages 2 and below. |
| Parking | Free |
| Add-Ons | |
| Pumpkins | $0.75 / lb over the 5 lbs. credit |
| Rides | $3 / ticket to ride |
| Melon Canon | $6 for 3 shots |
| Food, produce stand | ~$10 |
| Popsicles | $5 |
Pro Tips for Visitng Three Nunns
- Go early in the day to snag parking; the parking lot is small. If you arrive late you will have to find parking along a busy street
- Expect to pay for extra activities not included in your ticket. Rides are $3 each
- Dress in layers - fall in California can be hot or cold, or both in the same day!
- Pack sunscreen, snacks, and water
- Wear comfortable and closed-toed shoes
- Your ticket only includes 5 lbs. pumpkin credit. Be prepared to pay more for larger pumpkins
What to Expect at Three Nunns Farm
Start your day at the White Barn
A great way to get out those wiggles after a long car ride
The white barn at the entrance to Three Nunns Farm is just the start of your adventure. Inside you can pay for the entrance fee, purchase ride tickets, and grab a homemade popsicle.
Behind the barn you’ll find adorable photo opportunities and a play structure made out of hay. Let your kids get out their wiggles from the long drive as they slide down the hay bales. Don’t forget to grab a photo near the Three Nunns Farm sign before you head to the patch – the kids may tolerate family photos more at the beginning of your day.
Hop on the tractor to the pumpkin patch
An exciting way to start your day at the pumpkin patch
The pumpkin patch is a short, five-minute tractor ride away from the entrance. Queue up behind the white barn to catch the next available tractor. Each tractor seats many riders and has extra room in the back for strollers or wagons.
Ride the Corn Coaster
A toddler-friendly roller coaster through a corn field
- $3/ticket, one ticket per rider
The Corn Coaster bobs you up and down through the corn field. For kids of all ages, the corn coaster fits two per row and offers plenty of space for a grown up to sit with their child.
Our 8-year-old rode happily in the front row with her grandpa, while our kindergartener chose to stay behind and watch. The coaster was not that scary, as the remaining seats on the coaster were full of toddlers and their parents.
Pick the perfect pumpkin at the patch
Each ticket includes a 5 lbs. pumpkin credit
The kid-friendly pumpkin patch at Three Nunns Farm is in the center of the activities. Be sure to grab a wagon provided by the farm to haul your squashes around their 40 acre patch. We wandered down the pumpkin patch paths to find the perfect gourd but did not find too many options in mid-October. I wonder if there was a larger pumpkin selection earlier in the season.
From the small selection available, we found a few beautiful pumpkins the color of a sunset, and one large yellow pumpkin.
We hauled our five little pumpkins in the wagon to the queue for the tractor ride to take us back to the entrance. Three Nunns Farm staff load up your pumpkins in the tractor and unload them for you into a wagon when you reach the front. Before you go home, staff will weigh your pumpkins and charge you $0.75/lbs for every pound over the 5lbs pumpkin credit you paid for per ticket.
Even though we picked small pumpkins, we ended up being 2lbs over our combined credit.
Twirl in the Berry-Go-Round
A strawberry-themed ride that spins like the tea cups in Disneyland
- $3/ticket, one ticket per rider
Great for kids of all sizes and ages, the Berry-Go-Round delighted my family of four as we went spinning through the farm. We each took turns controlling the speed of our giant strawberry, and left happy and dizzy.
take a journey on the free tractor ride
Great to rest your legs after the corn maze
The free tractor ride is located on the north side of the farm. The covered queue often looks long but moves quickly. The tractor pulls a two bench seat and a few rows of individual bucket seats, recommended for one adult or one adult and one small child per bucket.
The slow tractor ride takes you along a corn path lined with scarecrows, inflatable aliens, dinosaurs, and pumpkins. Our kindergartener was a little frightened of the headless horseman statue looming nearby along the ride.
Play on the "hot springs hotel"
Great for kids to run and play
The “Hot Springs Hotel” is a giant play structure made in tribute to an old hotel that used to be in the area. Kids can climb inside, slide down, and play pretend.
Get lost in the corn maze
Kid-friendly corn maze
- 15 min = beginner maze, 45 min = advance maze
Before you get your pumpkins, take a stroll through the corn maze. There are clear signs showing the entry point for the beginner maze, which would take about 15 minutes to complete, and the more advance maze that would take 45 minutes to complete.
Pro tip: try very hard to stay on the clearly marked path. We let the kids make a few turn decisions and found ourselves on the advanced side of the corn maze! Thank goodness for the maps placed throughout the maze.
shoot the melon canon
Kid-friendly melon canon, grown-up approved
- $6 for three shots
Take a shot at the melon canon, located just past the Hot Springs Hotel play structure.
For two tickets ($3/ticket) you can shoot three melons with a giant canon at a wall of tires, and targets. Our kids loaded up the canons with three pomegranates – not melons as I had assumed – and pulled the kid-friendly trigger. The kids giggled with glee as the fruit exploded against the wall, purple seeds flying everywhere.
Farm staff provide ear protection, but did not wipe it down between users – a red flag for a lice survivor! Be sure to bring wipes to clean your headgear before use.
Beautiful Brown Perspectives
Our first visit to Three Nunns Farm lived up to the hype! We went on a busy Sunday afternoon with perfect sunny, breezy weather and it didn’t feel crowded. I would go earlier in the season for more generous pumpkin offerings and earlier in the day to get closer parking.
-Lexie & Chris
- age of our kids: 2 & 4 years
- Length of stay: 5 hours
History Corner
The Bay Miwok and Yokut people have been stewards of this land since time immemorial. They lived along the vibrant delta rivers and creeks. Many were forced to live in the Spanish Missions in the 1700’s due to drought and being removed from their lands thanks to the Spanish land grants.
The Bay Miwok are not a federally recognized tribe. The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe claims to have descendants from the Bay Miwok community. The Muwekma Ohlone petitioned for federal recognition in 2002 but their petition was denied. Learn about their fight for sovereignty and donate here.
our experience
The staff at Three Nunns Farm were mostly Spanish-speaking. We also noticed a mix of BIPOC and white families visiting the farm. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. I wish there was some land acknowledgement or history of the land present on this giant farm.
Learn More
1. Read about the Bay Miwok and Yokut resistance to the Spanish Missionaries in the 1700’s
2. Share some Bay Miwok history and language with your kids from the East Bay Parks curriculum
3. Watch this video about Miwok dancing
Antiracist Travel Considerations
What to eat at three nunns farm
Bring lunch or choose from a variety of food trucks. Don’t forget the popsicles!
Three Nunns Farm offers a snack stand with ice cream pops and a variety of food trucks. There are plenty of covered picnic tables to enjoy your food.
Guests are asked not to bring coolers or large bags, so if you decide to bring in your own food you must plan accordingly, i.e., bring only small cooler bags or snacks to tie you over until you have lunch off the farm.
If You Have Time...
Things to do in Brentwood
Brentwood is full of farms to visit. If you have time, visit our favorite pumpkin patch just down the road, Smith Family Farm.
Have a little extra time? Grab tea at A Steep in Time or go for a hike in the nearby Corteva Wetlands.
Extras
Final Thoughts
This was our first trip to Three Nunns Farm and we learned a lot! Our kids enjoyed the novelty and excitement of the rides, and my husband loved the corn maze.
I was very grateful for the free wagons Three Nunns Farm provided for guests to use to grab their pumpkins. Our whole family took turns pulling the wagon around the farm, and taking rides.
Although I enjoyed our time on the farm, I did miss the live music, farm animals, and piles of pumpkins found at Smith Family Farm.
Depending on what you’re looking for, the Three Nunns Farm pumpkin patch is definitely a great place to take your kids for a fall Bay Area adventure.
reflect
Read on
Enhance your trip by reading a book featuring Native and local voices to deepen your understanding of the places you visit.
Keepunumuk Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story
Written and illustrated by four Indigenous creators, this picture book honors both the history and tradition that surrounds the story of the first Thanksgiving.
Discover the first Thanksgiving through Wampanoag eyes, as the Native Americans teach the Pilgrims to grow the three sisters—corn, beans, and squash—for a successful harvest.
Looking for more?
Browse our full catalog of recommended children’s books written by Indigenous authors.
