Oil Ranch - Northwest Houston
Heading northwest of the city, the hay rides at the sprawling Oil Ranch are a part of its Scarecrow Festival and pumpkin patch. The main attraction this time of year at the ranch is to look and get inspired by the more than 85 decorated scarecrows. If that’s not enough, there are thousands of pumpkins. Admission is $15.95 on weekdays and $19.95 on weekends (kids 2 and under are free).

Old Time Christmas Tree Farm - North Houston
Don’t let the name fool you - there is fall fun here that has nothing to do with Christmas. Admission is $5 (ages 2+). Tickets are needed for a handful of activities including the hay ride, train ride, petting zoo, giant slide, obstacle course, bounce house and bounce pad. Special tip: the farm advises is to bring your own wagon for hauling your pumpkins around.

Enjoy fall fun at 7 Acre Wood. Photo via Facebook.

7-Acre Wood - North Houston
Despite the name's implications, there are more than seven acres of fun at this location. You'll find tractor-pulled hay rides, train rides, a cow train and a lot of other activities geared toward children. There is no general admission price; instead, all activities are a la carte.

Blessington Farms - West Houston
Blessington Farms in Simonton offers hay rides among many other things. There’s a sand mountain, train ride, pedal cars, giant slides, picnic areas, pumpkin patch, hay rides and a hay palace. Admission is $20 per person for all day passes (ages 24 months and under are free) and the farm is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Dewberry Farm - West Houston
The hay rides at this Brookshire farm are just a small part of available attractions this time of year. The rides give you a good view of the 16-acre pumpkin patch and serve as your personalized ride to the patch. There’s also an eight-acre corn maze, giant roller slide, zip line, pedal carts, calf roping and even more hay, a 12-foot high mountain made out of hay bales. General admission is $29.95 for adults and children ages 3 and older.

Froberg's Farm - South Houston
South of Houston in Alvin, hayrides can be found at Froberg's Farm. The ride takes guests to the garden to pick flowers, which is a great spot for photos. The next stop in the hayride is the farm’s country store where you can find lots of goodies are for sale. If that’s not enough fun for your kiddos, there are plastic duck races, bean bag toss, face painting, glitter tattoos, lots of sports with balls and of course the pumpkin patch. For any families that have night owls, there is a family night time maze on Fridays and Saturdays in October, but there's no spooky stuff, just lots of family fun. Admission is $6 (ages 2 and under are free).

P-6 Farms - North Houston
Just west of Conroe in Montgomery is P-6 Farms. The main attraction at the farm is the giant corn maze, with this year's design being a tribute to our World Series Champions, the Houston Astros. The $16.95 ticket price for ages 3 and up includes the hayride, cow train, corn maze, pig races, merry-go-round swing, duck races and other courtyard activities.

Holy Cross Episcopal Church - Southwest Houston
Dubbed the "largest pumpkin patch in Fort Bend County," the Holy Cross Church's pumpkin patch is one for the books. Weekend activities at the patch include a plethora of fall activities, with the main attractions being hayrides, a children's maze, bounce houses, photo booths, and pumpkin picking. And, as another added bonus, admission is free. 

Before you plan a big day with the family, check the location's website for dates because many only offer hayrides on the weekends, and some close in October with others extending into November.

This post originally published in Fall 2017.