By the time I reached Donnellson, Iowa, I had already passed enough soybean fields to lose count.
Then the road opened onto an orchard where people have been growing apples since 1852, and suddenly my quick September stop felt a lot more interesting.
I came here expecting to grab some apples and take a few photos. Five hours later, I had wandered through a corn maze, eaten more than one donut, and met a goat with very strong opinions about personal space.
That long history does not make the place feel frozen in time. Quite the opposite.
September brings the orchard fully to life, with ripe fruit, bakery treats, farm activities, and plenty of reasons to stay longer than planned.
Here is what I would eat, see, and know before making the trip.
A Farm With Roots Older Than Most Iowa Towns
Some farms measure their history in years. Appleberry Orchard measures it in generations, with apple trees having grown on this ground since 1852.
That date puts it ahead of railroads, tractors, and nearly every roadside attraction in the region. Longtime locals still call it Faeth’s Orchards, the name it carried for decades before the current chapter began.
I love that the place never turned into a museum. The trees still produce, the bakery still runs, and the parking lot still fills up every autumn weekend.
What changed is the scale of fun. Slides, a corn maze, farm animals, and a bakery counter now share space with the fruit that started everything.
The setting helps. Rolling southeast Iowa farmland stretches in every direction, and the highway out front is quiet enough that you hear birds instead of engines.
You will find it at 2469 IA-2 in Donnellson, Iowa, about fifteen minutes west of Fort Madison and an easy drive from Keokuk or Burlington.
Punch that address into your phone, then trust the little green signs. The gravel crunch under your tires means you have arrived.
Why September Hits The Sweet Spot
Timing matters more than most visitors realize. September is when the apples finish sweetening, the mornings turn crisp, and the crowds have not yet reached full October volume.
I showed up on a mid-September afternoon and had entire rows nearly to myself. Bees were busy, the grass smelled like fallen fruit, and the light turned everything gold around four o’clock.
Varieties shift week by week through the season, so early September and late September give you different flavors. Asking at the counter which apples just came off the trees is the fastest way to eat well.
Pumpkins start appearing as the month rolls on, which means you can grab both apples and a squash for the porch in one trip.
Temperatures help too. Walking the grounds in eighty-degree July heat would be rough, but sixty-eight degrees and a light breeze make the whole property comfortable.
October brings bigger energy and longer lines, and there is nothing wrong with that. September simply gives you room to wander.
My honest advice is to go before the first weekend of October and thank yourself later.
Cider Donuts Worth The Drive Alone
Let me be direct about the donuts. They are the reason I set an alarm on a Saturday.
Warm, dusted in cinnamon sugar, and dense in the best possible way, the apple cider donuts disappear faster than anyone plans for. I bought a half dozen intending to share and shared exactly one.
The bakery counter does not stop there. Apple pies, caramel apple pie, and seasonal quick breads rotate through, and the strawberry bread has a small but loyal following.
I tried the caramel apple pie on a second visit and the crust genuinely held its own against the filling, which is rare.
Cookies, bars, breads, and other scratch-made treats fill out the bakery selection too. Buying one extra item feels reasonable.
Buying three does not, yet here we are.
My practical tip is simple. Order your donuts when you arrive, eat them on a picnic table while they are still warm, then buy a box to take home on your way out.
Cold donuts are still good. Warm ones are unforgettable.
The Cider Slush Everyone Talks About
Frozen apple cider in a cup should not be as good as it is. Somehow it is.
The cider slush here has a following, and after one sip I understood why. It tastes like pressed apples that got chilled to the exact right texture, tart and sweet at once.
On a warm September afternoon it beats coffee, soda, and just about anything else you could carry around a farm. I finished mine before I made it back to the pumpkin field.
Regular cider is sold by the jug as well, and taking one home is the closest you will get to bottling the season.
I tend to buy cold cider for the drive and a jug for the fridge. It keeps well for a few days and makes a great base for warm spiced drinks once the weather turns.
Pairing a slush with a donut is the move, though I will admit it is a lot of sugar in one sitting.
Consider it research. Somebody has to test these things, and I volunteered happily.
Picking Your Own Apples Row By Row
Nothing beats twisting an apple off a branch and eating it three seconds later. That small thrill never gets old, no matter your age.
Apple picking availability shifts with the ripening schedule, so calling ahead at 319-372-1307 saves disappointment. Staff will tell you which varieties are ready and whether the rows are open that day.
When picking is on, the method is easy. Cup the apple, lift and twist gently, and let the stem do the work instead of yanking the branch.
I always taste one early to calibrate. If it is tart, I grab more for baking.
If it is sweet, I fill a bag for snacking.
Wear closed shoes because the ground between rows gets soft and dotted with windfall fruit. Kids will find the muddiest patch within ninety seconds, guaranteed.
Bring a bag or basket you can carry comfortably, and do not overestimate how many apples your kitchen actually needs.
Twenty pounds sounds fun in the orchard and looks intimidating on your counter. Ask me how I learned that particular lesson.
Pumpkins Piled High Everywhere You Look
Pumpkins arrive in absurd quantity, and I mean that as the highest compliment.
Big carvers, little sugar pumpkins, warty green ones, and gourds in colors that seem invented all sit out for the choosing. Deciding takes longer than you expect.
My nephew spent twenty minutes comparing two nearly identical pumpkins before picking the one with a crooked stem. Fair enough, that stem had character.
Painted pumpkins show up near the shop area too, which is handy if you want decoration without the mess of carving at home.
A tip worth remembering is to check the bottom of any pumpkin before buying. Soft spots mean it will not last until Halloween.
Carry it with two hands under the base rather than by the stem, because stems snap and pumpkins are unforgiving when they hit gravel.
Early to mid September gives you first pick of shapes, though the piles keep growing all month long.
I left with three, only needed one, and regret nothing about that particular mathematical error.
Where Kids Burn Off Serious Energy
Families do not come here for a quick stop. The play area gives kids plenty of reasons to stay.
A giant Jumpin Pad sits at the center of the action, and children launch themselves across it until their legs give out. There is also a Super Mega Slide for another round of energy burning.
Games are scattered around, including Gaga Ball and Gravity Ball, which my competitive streak did not handle gracefully. I lost.
Twice.
A Play House and plenty of open space fill out the regular play area. Later in the fall season, weekend admission also includes the corn maze, tractor train, wagon rides, pig races, and unlimited slide rides.
The attractions give families enough variety to keep moving without doing the same thing over and over.
Younger kids can find plenty at their own speed, while bigger kids have the larger attractions to tackle.
Pack a change of clothes. Farm visits can send dirt home in shoes, pockets, and hair.
Plan for longer than you think and you will avoid the meltdown that comes with leaving early.
Farm Animals And A Few Loud Opinions
Goats have personalities, and the ones here are not shy about sharing them.
The petting area includes goats, a donkey, and horses, and feeding them is part of the appeal. Small hands and big animal noses make for excellent photos.
I stood at the fence longer than planned because one goat decided I was the most interesting person on the property. Flattering, briefly.
Washing stations are available, and using them is smart after any animal contact. Hand sanitizer in your bag helps too.
Teaching kids to keep palms flat while feeding prevents accidental nibbles, and reminding them not to bang on any enclosure keeps the animals calm.
Quieter visitors usually get better animal interactions. Loud groups tend to send everyone to the back of the pen.
Weekday mornings are the calmest time for this part of the farm, with fewer people crowding the fences.
Bring a little patience and you will walk away with a story about a goat who thought you were family.
Weekends Versus Weekdays, Explained
Here is the detail that trips up first-timers. Weekends and weekdays are two different experiences.
Wagon rides, the tractor train, corn maze, pig races, and unlimited Mega Slide rides are included with weekend admission later in the fall season. Weekdays are quieter and less expensive, but several of those attractions are not included.
Admission changes depending on when and which day you visit, so knowing what is running before you pay matters quite a bit.
I went on a Tuesday once and loved the peace. Empty rows, no lines at the bakery, and staff with time to chat.
My weekend visit felt entirely different, with the Pumpkin Chucker, tractor wagons, and the fuller lineup of fall activities in motion.
My honest recommendation is to call ahead and ask directly which attractions will be open on the day you plan to come.
Families with young kids who mainly want animals, apples, and donuts do great midweek. Groups chasing rides should aim for Saturday or Sunday.
Five minutes on the phone prevents the kind of disappointment that no donut can fully fix.
Hours, Prices, And Practical Planning
Planning the visit takes almost no effort, which is part of the charm.
Doors open at 9 am Monday through Friday with closing at 5 pm. Saturdays run 9 am to 6 pm, and Sundays open later at 11 am and close at 6 pm.
Entry to the farm grounds and farm market is free, while the activity areas require admission. From September 13 through October 31, 2026, weekday admission is $10 for ages three and older, while weekend admission is $15.
Children two and under are free.
Arriving around 10 am on a weekday gave me the best combination of cool air, warm bakery items, and open space.
Highway 2 traffic picks up on autumn weekends, so slow down as you approach the turn. Cars pull in and out constantly.
Cash is handy for smaller purchases, though the shop handles cards.
Bring sunscreen, a water bottle, and a wagon if you have one. Hauling pumpkins, apples, and a tired four-year-old at the same time is ambitious.
Block out three hours minimum. Most families I saw stayed far longer and still ran out of daylight.
Photo Spots That Actually Look Good
Cameras come out constantly here, and for good reason.
Orchard rows create natural lines that make even casual phone photos look composed. Standing at the end of a row and shooting down it works every time.
Hay bales, pumpkin displays, and rustic wooden signs give you ready-made backdrops without any effort on your part.
The best light arrives in the last two hours before closing, when everything turns warm and the harsh midday glare fades.
I got my favorite shot of the whole trip by accident, aiming at apples on a low branch with the barn slightly blurred behind them.
Family photos work better near the pumpkin piles than in the play area, where motion and crowds complicate things.
Bringing a simple outfit plan helps if you want holiday card material. Solid colors read better against orange and green than busy patterns.
Asking permission before photographing other visitors’ children is basic courtesy that too many people forget.
Leave your phone in your pocket for a while too. Some moments belong to your memory instead of your camera roll.
Making A Day Of It In Southeast Iowa
A single stop feels incomplete when the surrounding countryside looks this good in September.
Donnellson sits in Lee County, close enough to Fort Madison that combining the orchard with a riverfront afternoon takes barely any extra driving.
Keokuk lies south, Burlington sits north, and both make sensible bookends for an orchard trip. The Mississippi River is never far away in this corner of the state.
I usually go orchard first thing in the morning, then head toward the river once the sun climbs and the crowds thicken.
Country roads between towns pass through farmland that turns gold by late September, so the drive itself earns its keep.
Packing a cooler helps, since cider and baked goods do better out of a hot car.
My full-day formula looks like donuts at nine, apples and animals until noon, lunch in town, and the long way home through the fields.
More than 170 years of apple growing continue on that farm, and September remains the month it shows off best. Go hungry, stay late, and bring an extra bag.