Scarecrows, Pumpkins & Harvest Fun at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum: A Perfect Fall Day in 2026

Fall in Minnesota never seems to last quite long enough. One minute we’re waiting for the first leaves to change, and the next we’re watching them blow across the yard while wondering if it’s too early to turn on the heat.

That’s why I love finding fall activities that give us an excuse to get outside and actually enjoy the season while it’s here.

One of the prettiest places to do that is the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, where Scarecrows, Pumpkins & Harvest Fun returns for another season in 2026.

Running from September 18 through November 1, 2026, this annual fall celebration fills the Arboretum with creative scarecrows, decorated straw bales, pumpkins, seasonal displays and family activities. In October, the celebration gets even bigger with Pumpkin Palooza and its incredible collection of more than 500 varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds.

Add the Arboretum’s fall colors, walking trails, gardens and a stop at the AppleHouse, and this can easily become an entire Minnesota fall day rather than a quick seasonal outing.

Here’s what you’ll want to know before you go.

When Is Scarecrows, Pumpkins & Harvest Fun in 2026?

Scarecrows, Pumpkins & Harvest Fun runs daily from September 18 through November 1, 2026 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

The displays are spread throughout several areas of the property, including Scarecrow Hill, Dahlberg Terrace and Farm at the Arb, so don’t expect to see everything clustered around the Visitor Center.

That’s part of what makes this event so much fun. Instead of walking into one designated festival area, you discover fall displays as you explore the Arboretum.

If you’re visiting in September, you’ll catch the beginning of the fall transformation and can potentially combine your trip with the Arboretum’s Glass Pumpkin Patch.

If you’re visiting in October, you’ll have the added bonus of Pumpkin Palooza and, depending on Mother Nature’s cooperation, some spectacular fall color.

Personally, October would be my pick if I could only visit once.

Walk Through Scarecrow Hill

Scarecrow Hill is one of the main attractions during the fall celebration, but don’t picture a row of traditional scarecrows wearing old flannel shirts.

These creations can get elaborate.

Each year, Arboretum staff, artists and members of the community create imaginative scarecrows around a central theme. For 2026, that theme is Connecting People, Plants and the Planet.

That leaves plenty of room for creativity, and part of the fun is walking around to see how differently everyone interpreted the theme.

Some scarecrows are whimsical. Others are incredibly detailed. Some are funny. And I’m sure there will be at least a few that make you stop and wonder how someone managed to turn straw and garden supplies into that.

The community can participate too. Anyone interested in contributing a scarecrow to the 2026 display can register through the Arboretum, with registration due by September 10.

That could be a really fun fall project for a family, classroom, Scout troop or community organization.

Look for the Pumpkin House and Giant Straw Bale Displays

Scarecrows aren’t the only oversized creations you’ll find around the Arboretum.

The Horticulture Team also transforms giant round straw bales into colorful characters and seasonal displays. They’re playful, enormous and perfect for younger kids who may not have the patience to admire every plant in the garden.

You’ll also want to look for the Pumpkin House, which is one of those quintessential fall photo stops.

This is definitely an outing where I’d make sure everyone’s phone is charged before leaving home. Between the scarecrows, pumpkins, gardens and changing leaves, there are photo opportunities everywhere.

And if you’ve been trying to get one decent fall picture of the kids without scheduling an entire family photo session, you might get lucky here.

Vote for Your Favorite Scarecrow

There’s even a little friendly competition involved.

For the 2026 Bachman’s Scarecrow Showdown, all six Bachman’s locations will create their own scarecrows for visitors to see and vote on.

It’s a small part of the overall event, but I love little interactive additions like this because they give kids something specific to look for while you’re walking around.

Instead of asking, “Are we done yet?” every ten minutes, put them in charge of finding the scarecrows and choosing a favorite.

We parents have learned to work with what we’ve got.

Pumpkin Palooza Arrives in October

If pumpkins are the main reason you’re visiting, schedule your trip between October 3 and October 31, 2026, when Pumpkin Palooza joins the fall celebration.

And this isn’t just a display of the standard orange carving pumpkins we see stacked outside every grocery store.

The Arboretum showcases more than 500 varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds grown by John and Jenny Thull.

Five hundred.

I don’t think I could have named 20 varieties before learning about this event.

The collection includes an incredible range of colors, shapes, sizes and textures. You’ll see tiny gourds, enormous pumpkins, smooth varieties, deeply ribbed squash, unusual colors and wonderfully bizarre specimens that barely resemble what most of us picture when we hear the word pumpkin.

Many of the varieties are labeled, so you can actually learn what you’re looking at instead of wandering around saying, “Look at that weird one!”

Although there will probably still be plenty of that.

Don’t Miss the Pumpkin Tree

One of the signature displays during Pumpkin Palooza is the Pumpkin Tree on Dahlberg Terrace.

Selections from the massive pumpkin, squash and gourd collection are arranged into a towering seasonal display that has become one of the best fall photo opportunities at the Arboretum.

Additional varieties are displayed around the Oswald Visitor Center, so take some time to explore those before moving on.

This is one of the things that separates Pumpkin Palooza from a traditional pumpkin patch. You’re not coming here primarily to wander through a field and choose a carving pumpkin. You’re seeing the incredible diversity of plants within the pumpkin and squash family.

It’s beautiful, but it’s also genuinely interesting.

You Can Take Some of the Fall Harvest Home

After seeing hundreds of varieties, there’s a good chance you’ll find at least one pumpkin or squash you suddenly decide you need.

Fortunately, selected pumpkins, squash and gourds are available for purchase at the Arboretum’s AppleHouse, located about 1.5 miles west of the main entrance.

The AppleHouse is worth adding to your fall itinerary even if you don’t need a pumpkin.

During harvest season, you’ll find Minnesota-grown apples and other seasonal products, and fresh donuts, coffee and cider are available Tuesday through Sunday through October 31.

I’m not saying you have to end your Arboretum day with cider and a fresh donut.

I’m just saying it would be unfortunate to miss the opportunity.

Make Time for Farm at the Arb

One mistake I’d avoid is spending the entire visit around the Oswald Visitor Center and then heading home.

Some of the fall fun takes place at Farm at the Arb, so make sure you include it in your plans.

The Farm celebrates Minnesota agriculture and the harvest season with additional displays and activities. During Scarecrows, Pumpkins & Harvest Fun, visitors can explore a corn maze featuring the University of Minnesota logo, try a mini straw-bale maze, play yard games and see giant pumpkins.

The corn maze isn’t meant to be one of those enormous haunted mazes where you start questioning whether you’ll ever see your family again. It’s a much more manageable activity that works well for families and younger children.

And then there are the giant pumpkins.

I will never understand how people grow pumpkins that large, but I’m happy to stand next to them and take pictures while someone else figures it out.

Visit for Apple & Pumpkin Harvest Day

If you’re looking for an especially good date to visit, consider Saturday, October 3, 2026.

That’s when the Arboretum is scheduled to hold its Apple & Pumpkin Harvest Day at Farm at the Arb from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event includes additional harvest-themed activities and opportunities to learn more about the Arboretum’s apple orchard and agricultural work.

October 3 also happens to be the opening day of Pumpkin Palooza, so you’ll be able to experience both.

It should be an especially fun day for families, although I’d also expect it to be busier than an ordinary weekday visit.

Come for the Pumpkins, Stay for the Fall Colors

As fun as the seasonal displays are, they’re only part of the reason I’d visit the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in autumn.

The Arboretum itself is gorgeous this time of year.

As September turns into October, the gardens and natural areas begin shifting into their fall colors. Maples turn brilliant shades of red and orange, grasses become golden, berries appear throughout the gardens and the wooded areas begin looking completely different from summer.

The Arboretum has more than 12 miles of trails, so you can make your visit as active—or as relaxed—as you want.

You absolutely do not need to hike 12 miles to enjoy the day.

A short walk through one of the gardens or wooded areas can be plenty, especially if you’re also visiting Scarecrow Hill, Farm at the Arb and Pumpkin Palooza.

If fall color is your priority, check the Arboretum’s current garden highlights before visiting so you can see what’s looking particularly beautiful that week.

It’s One of the Prettiest Fall Photo Spots Near the Twin Cities

If you’re looking for somewhere to take fall pictures, put this one on your list.

You’re combining professionally maintained gardens with natural fall color and seasonal displays, which means you don’t have to search very hard for a pretty background.

You can take pictures beside the scarecrows, Pumpkin House or Pumpkin Tree and then find quieter areas surrounded by colorful foliage.

For the best experience, the Arboretum recommends visiting earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon during busy fall weekends.

That can also give you softer light for pictures and fewer people wandering into the background.

Plus, you’ll have an easier time parking.

That’s enough reason for me.

How Much Does It Cost?

Scarecrows, Pumpkins & Harvest Fun is included with regular Arboretum admission, so you don’t need a separate event ticket to see the seasonal displays.

For 2026, children 15 and younger are admitted free, as are Arboretum members. General admission for nonmembers ages 16 and older is currently in the $20–$25 range, depending on how and when admission is purchased.

Advance reservations are strongly recommended, particularly during busy fall weekends.

The free admission for kids makes this a particularly appealing family outing. If you’re bringing two adults and several children, you’re not suddenly looking at a $100 admission bill before you’ve even parked the car.

Food, drinks and anything you purchase at the AppleHouse are, of course, additional.

How Long Should You Plan to Spend at the Arboretum?

I’d give yourself at least two to four hours.

You could certainly stop in for a shorter visit and see the main fall displays, but I think you’d be missing what makes the Arboretum special.

If you’re making the drive, take your time.

Explore Scarecrow Hill. Find the Pumpkin House. See Pumpkin Palooza. Walk through a garden. Head over to Farm at the Arb. Take some pictures. Let the kids try the maze. Grab lunch or coffee.

Then stop at the AppleHouse before heading home.

If you’re visiting during peak fall color and enjoy walking, you could easily spend most of the day here.

What Should You Wear?

Comfort wins.

There can be quite a bit of walking involved, so wear shoes you can comfortably spend several hours in.

Fall temperatures can also change dramatically throughout the day, so layers are your friend. A T-shirt or long-sleeve shirt under a sweatshirt or sweater with a light jacket gives you options as the temperature changes.

And remember that some of your time will be spent outdoors.

A sunny 60-degree October afternoon can feel wonderful.

A cloudy, windy 48-degree afternoon feels considerably less wonderful when you dressed for the first scenario.

Is This a Good Fall Activity for Younger Kids?

Yes. In fact, I’d put this fairly high on the list for families who want a seasonal activity without scares.

There’s no haunted house component to the main event.

Kids can look for scarecrows, see enormous pumpkins, explore the straw-bale displays, try the corn maze, play games at Farm at the Arb and run off some energy outside.

It’s festive without being frightening.

And because children 15 and younger receive free general admission, it’s also more budget-friendly than many large fall attractions.

What About Teenagers?

I think teenagers could really enjoy this one too, particularly if they like photography, nature or anything aesthetically fall.

This is where marketing the outing correctly becomes important.

“Want to spend Saturday looking at horticultural displays?” probably isn’t getting you very far.

“Let’s get coffee, see the Pumpkin Tree and take cute fall pictures” has considerably better odds.

Same place.

Same pumpkins.

Different sales pitch.

Parenting teenagers is sometimes just marketing with snacks.

It Makes a Great Fall Date

You definitely don’t need children to enjoy this event.

In fact, I think this could make a really easy fall date near the Twin Cities.

Grab coffee, walk through the gardens, see the scarecrows and pumpkins, take a trail through the fall foliage and stop for lunch.

Then swing by the AppleHouse for cider, donuts and apples before heading home.

It’s relaxed, gives you plenty of time to talk and doesn’t require either person to be chased through the woods by a masked actor.

We have other Minnesota attractions for that.

Pair It With the Glass Pumpkin Patch in September

There’s one weekend in particular when pumpkin lovers may want to visit.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Glass Pumpkin Patch runs September 17–20, 2026, while Scarecrows, Pumpkins & Harvest Fun begins September 18.

That means the events overlap September 18–20.

You could see more than 6,200 handmade glass pumpkins and fall-themed pieces from glass artists and then explore the Arboretum’s scarecrows and harvest displays during the same visit.

The Glass Pumpkin Patch has its own ticketing and timed-entry requirements, so you’ll want to plan ahead if you’re combining them.

But if your fall decorating philosophy is “there’s no such thing as too many pumpkins,” that weekend was basically designed for you.

Make It a Full Minnesota Fall Day

What I like most about Scarecrows, Pumpkins & Harvest Fun is that you don’t have to treat it like an event where you rush through a checklist and leave.

Slow down.

Walk through the gardens.

Let the kids choose their favorite scarecrow.

Find a pumpkin you’ve never seen before.

Take pictures under the changing trees.

Explore Farm at the Arb.

Grab something warm to drink.

Then stop at the AppleHouse on your way home.

We spend months waiting for Minnesota fall, and then it disappears before we know it.

This is exactly the kind of day that gives us an excuse to actually enjoy it.

Add Scarecrows, Pumpkins & Harvest Fun to Your 2026 Minnesota Fall Bucket List

Minnesota has plenty of pumpkin patches, corn mazes and fall festivals, but the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum offers something a little different.

You’re getting all the things we associate with fall—pumpkins, scarecrows, apples, corn, colorful leaves and cider—inside one of the most beautiful outdoor destinations in the Twin Cities area.

Visit in September for scarecrows, harvest displays and the chance to combine your trip with the Glass Pumpkin Patch.

Come in October for Pumpkin Palooza and its incredible collection of more than 500 pumpkin, squash and gourd varieties.

Or wait until the trees begin reaching peak color and simply spend an afternoon wandering through the Arboretum surrounded by autumn.

Then finish the day with cider and donuts.

Because if we’re going to endure what comes after fall in Minnesota, I think we’ve earned the donuts.