At'l Do Farms gives Shallowater its own line in the directions: "From Shallowater: Drive 2 miles east on FM 1294." That's closer than most of Lubbock, which reaches the farm by driving 7 miles north on Frankford Avenue. The 2026 season ends Saturday, November 7. Living that close means you can skip the crowded weekends and go on the weeknights the farm itself prices lowest.
The Peak Is Over, and the Farm's Own Rules Say So
At'l Do Farms tells visitors when it gets crowded. The FAQ says the main parking lot may fill and send cars to overflow parking "during the middle weekends of October." It also warns that on weekends in mid-October, the line to buy tickets at the gate "may be an hour long." A homepage notice calls one of those weekends a peak weekend and asks visitors to buy online and carpool.
Those weekends are now behind us. Starting Thursday, October 29, nine open days remain in the season. Mondays are closed.
| Day | Date | Hours | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Oct 29 | 6 to 9 p.m. | $10 |
| Friday | Oct 30 | 6 to 9 p.m. | $13 online, $15 at gate |
| Saturday | Oct 31 | 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. | $13 online, $15 at gate |
| Sunday | Nov 1 | 2 to 9 p.m. | $13 online, $15 at gate |
| Tuesday | Nov 3 | 6 to 9 p.m. | $10 |
| Wednesday | Nov 4 | 6 to 9 p.m. | $10 |
| Thursday | Nov 5 | 6 to 9 p.m. | $10 |
| Friday | Nov 6 | 6 to 9 p.m. | $13 online, $15 at gate |
| Saturday | Nov 7 | 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. | $13 online, $15 at gate |
Four of those nine days cost $10 per ticket, whether you buy online or at the gate. On Friday through Sunday, the gate price is $15. Buying online brings it to $13 and gets you into a separate entrance line north of the entrance silo. The homepage also lists $13 pricing for seniors, military, college ID holders and groups of 20 or more. Children 4 and under get in free. The farm says it does not sell out.
For a family of four with everyone 5 or older, a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday costs $40 at the gate. The same family pays $60 at the gate on a Friday or Saturday. Friday and Saturday also have a home game to compete with during football season, if your Fridays already belong to Todd Field.
What a Weeknight Visit Actually Looks Like
On weeknights, the farm is open only in the evening. Gates open at 6 p.m., last entry is 9 p.m., and the grounds close at 10. Coming from two miles away, you can head over after dinner without much planning. The farm says most guests stay 2 to 4 hours.
The maze is built for split visits. A full walk-through takes 45 minutes to an hour. The first half runs 15 to 20 minutes and the second half 30 to 40. There's an exit at the halfway point, so younger kids can leave after the first half without the rest of the group losing the second.
An evening visit also gets you Pumpkin Hollow, the illuminated carved pumpkins that are meant to be seen after sunset. The FAQ adds that it can feel several degrees colder inside the maze after dark and recommends layers and closed-toe shoes with good traction.
Your ticket covers more than the maze:
- The 2026 maze
- Fairy Tale Trail, a special trail for families with younger kids
- Animal Barn
- Hayride to the pumpkin patch
- Cow Train, the tractor-pulled barrel ride
- Pumpkin Hollow
- Corn Pit and Play Space
- The sunflower patch
Pumpkins, cut sunflowers, horse rides, food, campfire reservations and birthday parties cost extra. Pumpkins are 50 cents a pound, and sunflowers are $10 a cup or $25 a bucket. Bring cash if anyone wants a horse ride. Rides are $5 cash, and the farm has no ATM. You can get cash back at a register, but only after waiting in the regular line. Food comes from the Windmill Grill & Bakery and Silo Concessions. You're welcome to bring personal snacks and reusable water bottles, but alcohol and glass aren't allowed anywhere on the property, including the parking lot.
Two Things Different From Last Fall
This year's maze is "America 250." KCBD reported in August that the 2026 design is called "America 250" and shows the Statue of Liberty cut into the field. The farm creates a new maze every year and keeps a gallery of past designs going back to 2001.
The dog stays home. A notice on the farm's homepage says dogs are no longer allowed "due to new insurance restrictions." The farm's FAQ cites safety and insurance concerns, "especially around our farm animals," and spells out its own policy on service animals for anyone who needs it. If a pet came along last year, that's no longer an option.
The farm has also launched a new website with an expanded FAQ, according to the same KCBD report. Most of the practical details here come from that FAQ.
The Catch With Waiting Until the End
The farm doesn't necessarily close for light or brief rain, and if it stays open, there are no refunds or rain checks. If heavy rain, lightning, high winds or other unsafe conditions force a closure, guests already on the farm get rain checks. Those rain checks are good "only through the end of the current season." A rain check issued on November 5 can only be used on November 6 or 7.
Mud matters too. The FAQ says the grounds can stay muddy for several days after rain stops. Too much mud makes parking unsafe, keeps the hayride from reaching the pumpkin patch and makes the maze too slippery. One wet day in early November could close the farm for several of the nine days left. If you've been waiting for a quiet weeknight, Thursday, October 29 is the one with the most cushion behind it.
The farm posts closures in a banner on its website and on its Facebook and Instagram pages. If no closure has been announced during regular hours, it's open. The farm also says strollers, wagons and wheelchairs go through the maze regularly, but the dirt paths are uneven, sturdy wheels are strongly recommended, and some spots stay muddy for days after rain.
Halloween Weekend and the Quick Pumpkin Run
Halloween falls on Saturday this year, and the farm is open regular hours, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Weekend pricing applies. The FAQ says the maze is family-friendly, not haunted, with no actors trying to scare anyone.
If you only need a pumpkin for the porch, you don't have to buy a ticket. People coming just for kettle corn or pumpkins from the pumpkin tent can tell the ticket booth, and a staff member will help them. From Shallowater, that's a two-mile errand.
A Working Farm Behind the Maze
At'l Do Farms is a working farm. The FAQ says so directly and points out that the grounds are grass, dirt and gravel with no paved paths. The family behind it, James and Patti Simpson, grew cotton, grain sorghum and wheat on land that had been in Patti's family for generations before adding agritourism. The farm calls 2026 its 26th season. In KCBD's 2025 anniversary story, their son Eric Simpson described how it started:
"literally a field of corn, a little bitty Morgan Building, about three to four employees and a dirt field and that was it."
The same KCBD report said the farm now employs more than 100 local workers and draws about 70,000 visitors a year. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal described it last fall as northwest of Lubbock. For Shallowater, it's two miles east on FM 1294. Prices and hours can change, so check atldofarms.com or the farm's social pages before you go.
Being two miles from the maze is one of the details that makes a Shallowater address what it is, and local details like that show up in what a home is worth. If you're curious about yours, the team at Panhandle Realty Group can help you start with an instant home valuation and talk through what nearby homes in Shallowater are doing.
