9 Best Apple Orchards Near Indianapolis for U-Pick Fun in 2026

Every September I get some version of the same text from a friend: “Where are you taking the kids for apples this year?” Like there’s a secret list somewhere. So here’s the “secret apple orchard list,” updated for 2026, because half the fun of apple season is knowing exactly where to go before everyone else fills the parking lot on the first pretty Saturday.

A word of warning before you pack the car: orchards change hours and prices more often than you’d think, and a good crowd or a bad frost can strip a row of trees bare by 11 am and change the trajectory of fall fun in Indianapolis. Give the orchard’s website or Facebook a quick check the morning you go. I’ve shared addresses, hours, and cost for every stop below so you’re not doing that research yourself.

From late August through October, you’ve got a whole ring of orchards around Indianapolis where the kids can climb, snack their way down a row of trees, and haul home more apples than your family will realistically eat before they turn into applesauce (that’s fine, that’s what applesauce is for).

Some of the best local farms have frozen apple cider slushies that make a warm day feel cool and a cool day feel just right. If it’s chilly out, warm up with hot apple cider or warm, fresh apple donuts. There’s more to the local apple farms than just picking apples. At most, you’ll find entertainment, food, and even places to play.

Heads up before you go: The Apple Works in Trafalgar, a longtime staple on this list, is sitting out the 2026 season. The family that runs it is taking time for their own family, which I respect. It’s not gone forever, just gone for now, and I’ll update this the second that changes. Don’t drive out there expecting apples this fall.

Where to go Apple Picking in Indianapolis

Pick your own apples at a u-pick orchard in the Indianapolis area or stop in and grab some that are already freshly picked. We’ve selected the best apple orchards in central Indiana, including Johnson County, Morgan County, Shelby County, Marion County, and Hamilton County.

Many local orchards have taken accessibility into consideration for their fall activities. Here are the best wheelchair-friendly apple farms and orchards.

Indy’s Best Places to Pick Apples

Tuttle Orchards and Farm

5717 N 300 W, Greenfield
When: Late August through October 31
Hours: Monday–Saturday, 9 am – 6 pm through September, 9 am – 7 pm in October; closed Sundays
Cost: Apple bags around $8, $16, or $25 depending on size + optional activities

Tuttle’s plants a good chunk of its trees as dwarf varieties, which sounds like a small detail until your toddler is actually tall enough to pick their own apple instead of just pointing at one and yelling for you to grab it. The FarmYard section (separate ticket, about $10) adds a corn maze, wagon rides, and slides, so this is an easy one to turn into a full day. Mid-September brings the Tuttle Orchards Caramel Apple Festival, and it’s exactly as sticky and wonderful as it sounds.

Where to Pick Apples South of Indy

Anderson Orchard

369 East Greencastle Road, Mooresville
When: Late August through October
Hours: 8 am – 6 pm in late summer, 8 am – 8 pm (or dark) once September hits
Cost: Bags priced by size; hayrides about $3 per person, free for kids 3 and under

Anderson Orchard is no frills, and I mean that as a compliment. A straw pile for climbing, a playground, a little fishing lake, and a wooden apple cutout that’s become the required family photo op. October weekends bring hayrides, and their Apple Festival & Craft Fair in late September pulls in more than 50 vendors if you want to make a bigger event of it.

Pleasant View Orchard

10721 N. 850 W, Fairland
When: Open daily through fall
Hours: Daily, 9 am – 6 pm (last bags sold around 5:30 pm)
Cost: Free to get in and park. You only pay for what you pick.

Pleasant View Apple Orchard is the one I send people to when they just want to show up without pulling out a wallet at the gate. About 20 apple varieties, staff who’ll actually tell you which ones are tart versus sweet if you ask, and a playground for when the picking part loses its charm around minute twelve. Their fried biscuits with apple butter are reason enough to go on their own.

Chandler’s Orchard and Country Market

2849 S. County Road 825 E., Fillmore (about 45 minutes southwest of downtown Indy)
When: September through the end of October
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm; Sunday, 1 pm – 5 pm

New to this list, and it should’ve been here sooner. Nearly 75 apple varieties put Chandler’s near the top for selection in the whole region, and it’s close enough for a normal afternoon rather than a planned expedition. Horse-drawn hayrides on weekends, tractor-drawn on weekdays, fresh cider, and a food trailer for the inevitable “I’m starving” the second everyone’s back in the car.

Best Apple Orchards West of Indy

Beasley’s Apple Orchard

2304 E Main Street, Danville
When: Mid-to-late August through fall
Hours: Monday–Saturday, 9 am – 6 pm; Sunday, noon – 6 pm
Cost: Apple bags roughly $10–$30 by size; fall attractions admission runs about $12–$16

Beasley’s Apple Orchard is the pick if you want the orchard to be the appetizer, not the whole meal. Over 20 apple varieties, an eight-acre corn maze, apple cannons, and a jumping pillow that will absolutely be the thing your kids talk about on the ride home instead of the apples. Budget more time and a bigger chunk of your Saturday for this one.

U-Pick Apple Farms North of Indy

Stuckey Farm Market & Apple Orchard

19975 Hamilton Boone Road, Sheridan
When: Early varieties from July, full swing through fall
Hours: Thursday–Saturday, 10 am – 7 pm; Sunday, 1 pm – 7 pm
Cost: Typically $10 per person on weekdays, $16 on weekends, plus the cost of apples

Stuckey Farm Market & Apple Orchard has around 35 apple varieties across a seriously big orchard, and Stuckey doesn’t do anything small. Admission covers Adventure Acres (a 25-foot slide, barrel tractor rides, and weekend pig races that somehow steal the show every single time), plus a sunflower field, a corn maze, and a cider mill turning out some of the better apple cider donuts in this state. There’s also a u-pick pumpkin patch so you can double up on your fall fun.

McClure’s Orchard/Winery

5054 North US 31, Peru (about 1 hour 45 minutes from downtown Indy)
When: September & October
Cost: Free admission and parking. Tractor and trolley rides are free too. Apple prices vary

This one’s a real drive, so treat it as a day trip, not a Tuesday errand. Around 125 apple varieties, a petting zoo, a playground, dollar horse rides on weekends, and a café so you’re not surviving on caramel apples alone. There’s McClure’s Orchard /Winery wine and hard cider tasting too, for the grown-ups with a designated driver.

Fair Oaks Farms Apple Picking

856 N 600 E, Fair Oaks(about 1 hour 45 minutes northwest of Indy)
When: August 29 – November 7, 2026
Hours: Monday–Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm; Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm
Cost: $5 per person; ages 2 and under free + fees for activities

Fair Oaks is less an orchard, more a whole fall production with 20 acres of pick-your-own apples as one piece of it. New this year: Apple Cannons ($5–$10), on top of the usual weekend wagon rides and the Mooville play area. The event calendar alone is worth planning around: Apple Bash (Sept 12–13), Oktoberfest (Sept 26–27), Pumpkinfest (Oct 10–11), a Halloween Trail (Oct 31), and a Pumpkin Smash Bash to close it out (Nov 7). If you’re already road-tripping toward Chicago, or just want to disappear for a full day, this is your stop.

Apples Already Picked for You/Pre-picked – No Trees Required

Sometimes “apple picking” means standing near apples while someone else does the labor. No judgment. These are your shortcuts.

The Apple Store at Conner Prairie

13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers
When: September 2 – October 30, 2026
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm (extended to 9 pm during events like Symphony on the Prairie and the Headless Horseman festival)
Cost: Visiting The Apple Store is free; prices vary for apples and apple goods

This is the shop version of fall: caramel apples in every flavor imaginable, cider slushies, apple fritters, pie, the whole lineup, and it’s all a fundraiser for Conner Prairie’s programs. The Apple Store at Conner Prairie is perfect if you’re already headed to the museum, or as the reward stop after a real orchard trip somewhere else in Hamilton County.

Find an Apple Orchard Near Me

Quick Answers for Frequently Asked Questions

When does apple picking season start near Indianapolis?

Most orchards open in late August. September has the widest variety on the trees, and picking usually runs into October depending on weather and how many other families beat you to the good branches.

Which orchard near Indianapolis is best with a toddler?

Anywhere with dwarf trees they can actually reach (Tuttle) or a playground built in for when the novelty wears off fast (Anderson, Pleasant View). Here’s our list of best apple orchards for little kids.

Do you need a reservation for apple picking near Indianapolis?

Not usually. Every orchard on this list is walk-up. Still worth a quick check of their site or Facebook the morning of, since a packed weekend can mean shorter hours or picked-clean rows.

Is apple picking near Indianapolis free?

Some are, like Pleasant View and McClure’s, where you only pay for what you pick. Others, like Beasley’s and Fair Oaks, charge separate admission for the fall attractions on top of the apples.

Want more fall plans? Here’s our guide to pumpkin patches near Indianapolis, fall festivals in Central Indiana, and u-pick flower farms near Indy.

Indy with Kids isn’t affiliated with any of the farms on this list. Hours, prices, and season dates belong to each orchard and can shift without notice, especially after a frost or a big weekend, so confirm with them directly before you load up the car.