Patriot Farms near Traverse City: a veteran family’s new corn maze, hay mazes and Highland cows, open Thursday through Sunday this Halloween weekend

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A northern Michigan military family has opened a new place for families to spend a fall afternoon. Patriot Farms, at 741 Garfield Road S. near Traverse City, opened to the public on Oct. 10 and is open Thursday through Saturday this Halloween weekend, its last weekend of the fall season.

Owners Matthew and Whitney Wheeler planned it for almost 10 years. Matthew Wheeler, who retired from the Army in 2019, served multiple combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, Spectrum News reported. Between deployments, the family looked for local farms near his posts where they could spend time together.

“It kind of provided us a getaway, kind of a safe place to reconnect as a family and settle down a little bit and get away from the chaos of the day,” he told 9&10 News. “This has actually been a dream of ours since Matt was still in the military,” Whitney Wheeler added. “So it’s been something that we dreamed about and prayed about for almost a decade.”

“Honestly, the first few weekends have been amazing! It brings us so much joy to see families having fun, making memories, and watching the kids run around with excitement,” Matthew Wheeler, co-owner of Patriot Farms, said in an email to The Mitten Daily. “Seeing everyone enjoy the farm makes all the hard work worth it, and we’re so grateful for the support we’ve received so far.”

What’s there. The farm has a giant corn maze with hidden checkpoints and what it calls a patriotic mission, three hay mazes, wagon rides, a jumping pillow, slides and an obstacle course, according to the farm and 9&10 News. A petting zoo has Highland cows, donkeys and goats. Weekday daytime hours are set aside for school field trips. The farm describes itself as “veteran-owned, family-built” and “rooted in faith, service, and a shared love for Northern Michigan.”

Hours. Thursday, Oct. 29, 2 to 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Oct. 30, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., according to the farm’s website. Halloween Saturday, Oct. 31, is the final day of the fall season; the farm opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m. that day, Wheeler said in his email. “Wear your costumes on Saturday!” he said. He also said visitors “can’t leave without enjoying our delicious doughnuts and cider.”

Prices. One admission covers every attraction. On Thursdays, everyone 3 and older pays $10. Friday through Sunday, it is $15 for ages 14 and up and $12 for ages 3 to 13. Children 2 and under get in free every day, and seniors 65 and older and veterans pay $10 Friday through Sunday. Food, drinks and pumpkins cost extra. The farm takes cash, cards and Venmo.

The weekend forecast. The National Weather Service expected a mostly sunny Friday with a high near 56 in Traverse City and a mostly sunny Halloween with a high near 61, as of early Wednesday. Mazes can be muddy after Wednesday night’s expected showers and thunderstorms, so boots are a good idea.

What comes next. Construction on the farm began in July, Wheeler told Spectrum News, and the family has a five-year plan. It calls for Christmas activities in about two years, plus U-pick crops and orchards for summer visitors, according to 9&10 News, and Wheeler said the farm will be open in winter and summer as well. “There is a lot of room for expansion, and we plan to continually add new things year after year and expand into different seasons as well,” he said in his email.

Planning a full Halloween in Traverse City? The Downtown Traverse City Halloween Walk is Saturday morning, Oct. 31.

Updated Oct. 28, 2026: Added comments from Patriot Farms co-owner Matthew Wheeler, received by email Oct. 28, including that Saturday, Oct. 31, is the last day of the fall season, with a 5:30 p.m. closing.

Sources:
Matthew Wheeler, co-owner, Patriot Farms, email to The Mitten Daily, Oct. 28, 2026 (quotes, final day and closing time)
Patriot Farms, home page (address, hours, prices, discounts, payment), https://patriotfarmstc.com/; “Fall Events & Hours” (Oct. 10 opening, weekly hours), https://patriotfarmstc.com/events; “Our Story,” https://patriotfarmstc.com/our-story
9&10 News, “Patriot Farms in Traverse City realizes decade-long vision,” Oct. 27, 2026 (owners, attractions, animals, field trips, quotes, five-year plan), https://www.9and10news.com/2026/10/27/patriot-farms-in-traverse-city-realizes-decade-long-vision/
Spectrum News, Jack Caron, “‘Kids can be kids’: Veteran-owned Patriot Farms opens near Traverse City,” Oct. 26, 2026 (Army retirement in 2019, July construction start, year-round plans), https://spectrumlocalnews.com/mi/michigan/news/2026/10/26/traverse-city-patriot-farms-
National Weather Service forecast, Traverse City, issued Oct. 28, 2026, https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=44.7631&lon=-85.6206
Photo: Michael Barera, “2024 The Elegant Farmer Autumn Harvest Fest 03 (Corn Maze).jpg,” 2024, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), cropped and color-adjusted; derivative shared under the same license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2024_The_Elegant_Farmer_Autumn_Harvest_Fest_03_(Corn_Maze).jpg

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Tags: Traverse City · Patriot Farms · Corn Maze · Things to Do · Veterans · Grand Traverse County