Discover the Magic of Pumpkinville 2024: A Whimsical Fall Experience for Families

As my kids get older, I keep thinking they’re going to outgrow their love of visiting our favorite fall pumpkin patches. I’m delighted to report that hasn’t been the case yet! We look forward to Pumpkinville Presented by OG&E! at the Myriad Gardens every year, and this year is no exception.

With an intriguing them of “The Mythical Creatures of Pumpkinville” this year, we were thrilled to get a sneak peek before it officially opened to the public. More than 30,000 pumpkins, gourds, haystacks and mums bring to life a magical world of whimsical beings. We saw giants, fairies, a Yeti, hippogriff, basilisk, unicorns and plenty of dragons.

Plus, we enjoyed games, photo ops with the incredible pumpkin murals, shopping from local vendors, a free crafting station and unlimited rides on Mo’s Carousel (adults, too!) Check out our favorite things about Pumpkinville this year!

Don’t-miss details

• For me, Pumpkinville is all about the creative details, and this year’s theme delivers big time. There are mythical creatures big and small everywhere. Take your time and walk through more than once — I guarantee you’ll see things on a second (and third) pass that you missed the first time!
• The large-scale murals are as captivating as always. We love marveling over how the pumpkins and gourds were placed to create the displays. The pumpkin-fire breathing dragon and mermaid made entirely with tiny pumpkins were our favorites!
• Near the pond in the Children’s Garden, spot the treasure chest full of pumpkins and gold, but watch out for the Loch Ness Monster and the kraken tentacles as you cross the bridge! Nearby, see if you can find Medusa!
• The gnome and fairy themed maze captivated the kids’ sense of adventure. Don’t miss the tiny fairies overhead!
• Large-scale scenes with face cutouts make for darling photos where you can become mythical creatures, like a yeti, mermaid and gnomes.
• Plus, there are plenty of more traditional fall and pumpkin themed photo opps throughout the gardens.
• Play mushroom bowling and unicorn ring toss (grown-ups, too!) I appreciate all the interactive elements that engage even my tweens and teens in being kids.
• I love an educational opportunity (which sometimes my kids appreciate and sometimes they abhor!), so the signage throughout explaining the origins of all the mythical creatures made the whole experience for me. All five of us enjoyed reading, learning and sharing details as we explored. If you’re Harry Potter fans like we are, you’ll recognize several of the creatures from the books and movies.
• Just outside the gated grounds of Pumpkinville is the water stage. It’s worth taking the kids on a walk across the bridge to see the pumpkin being overtaken by kraken tentacles!

Know before you go

• The Children’s Garden still has plenty of space to run, climb and explore, with a little added color and inspiration to freshen up some of the kids’ favorite areas. While the kid’s fort in the center of the garden was a favorite to climb, the recent removal of the structure makes the space feel much more open and gives parents of littles better site-lines across the garden.
• Mo’s Carousel is FREE to ride (for kids and adults!), and you can enjoy unlimited rides with Pumpkinville admission.
• Your Pumpkinville admission also includes the free crafting station, where you can create your own mythical creature.
• Pumpkins are available for painting on-site, or you can purchase pumpkins to take home and create your own colorful displays! The paint-a-pumpkin station is $5 per pumpkin.
• Face painting is also available, with prices running from $5 to $14.
• Sensory Night is Oct. 10 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
• Visit on Saturdays and Sundays to enjoy the vendor market.
• Myriad members get in FREE to Pumpkinville. A family membership (2 adults and up to 4 kids) is $85 and also gets you in free year-round to the Inasmuch Crystal Bridge Conservatory, reciprocal admission to more than 300 public gardens nationwide and a 10 percent discount at the museum store. If you’re a family of 5 like ours planning to visit Pumpkinville twice in a season, the membership is a better deal than paying admission!

Ongoing programs
Pumpkinville isn’t a one-time visit event! I know we’ll be visiting multiple times over the next several weeks. With plenty of activities through Oct. 20, you’ll find many reasons to visit over and over again. Check out daily story times with the Metropolitan Library Monday and Character Connections. Register for classes to make flower fairy crowns and wands; turn a pumpkin into a unicorn planter; and create and aquatic mermaid garden. Don’t forget there are FREE Mo’s Carousel rides every day!

Pumpkinville has *NEW* hours this year
Pumpkinville is open Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. through Oct. 20. Pumpkinville is CLOSED on Mondays. Admission is $9 per person, free for ages 2 and under  and free for Myriad Garden members. Become a member online to save on fees!

Check out the schedule and additional Pumpkinville events, including Sensory Night, story times and educational classes. Some special programming/classes require advance registration.

Erin Page is managing editor of MetroFamily Magazine, an award-winning writer, a lifelong resident of OKC, spouse to Jordan and mom to Addie, Hutch and Weston. She enjoys exploring our city, altering recipes (to equal parts delight and distress of her family) and hiding from her kids to eat chocolate.