Vala’s Pumpkin Patch

Fall at Vala’s is one of the things I miss most about Omaha. It’s the best pumpkin patch ever. I am a little sad they cut down the size of the corn maze… still amazing though.

EXPENSIVE, especially when taking a group of people. Love the bonfire idea, and brining your own food. Fun attractions, cute memories, and parking isn’t all that bad considering! I recommend not going the way everyone else does — go south, then loop back around.

IF you are bringing children, this is a good place to come. HOWEVER, we came as a group of 4 adults today SOLELY to visit the corn maze and to possibly check out the hayrack ride, punkin chunkin, and train ride. For a GOOD corn maze, we were willing to shell out $ 17+/person (yes…over $ 17 EACH …) but after wandering to other items, walking through the old mine (crowded single file line) and riding the train we headed to the corn maze. Our hearts sunk… at least half of it has apparently been trampled by inconsiderate guests (giving Vala’s benefit of the doubt.) The entire beginning was flattened. We attempted to do the half that «wasn’t» flat, but it was so messed up we quit… no maze, just random groups of corn stalks. We gave up and left all together. To their credit, Mrs Vala gave me a partial refund. If you are a local, though, you will probably get a coupon for next year instead of money back.
Hint to Vala’s: For better customer service, post a note on your website AND a note at all the front gates letting the public know that a specific attraction is out of commission. You may lose a sale, but you won’t get a negative review. The way you tried to dicker and negotiate with me as to how much of my hard earned money you were giving back ticked me off. We were there for only ONE hour and the petty comment about «you DID spend quite a bit of time here…»!!! One hour isn’t that much time when we PAID to ride your train and just walked around. Maybe you should have stopped to realize that the purchase my son made in your overpriced gift shop for his girlfriend more than made up for the price you were dickering over. We will find a different maze of maize next fall. :-(

Way too many bonfire pits! Between the smoke and dirt I could hardly breath; it was truly awful. I came home smelling like I had my own bonfire. This place was too crowded, overpriced, and just not worth it.

Great place to take the family. From the Chunkin’ Punkin cannon to the Pigtucky Pig Races, Vala’s never disappoints! Yes it costs money to get in, but it gets bigger and better every year. The train ride is great for the kids too. A smoked turkey leg and freshly cooked spiral potato chips are a must. The kettle corn is freshly made on site and is sweet/​salty delicious. Staff is always friendly and helpful.

The Pumpkin Patch itself, though IMO overpriced, entertained the kids. However, their poor customer service issues goes to show that the complaint among locals that they have sold out is in fact valid.
Ticket booth processed extra tickets noting that we had more tickets then people but did not tell us that in order to use extra tickets we would need to keep our print-​outs. When I inquired via email about how we used the paper tickets we were given at the gate, the Reservations lady immediately responded vaguely simply saying we were not getting a refund (I didn’t even ASK for a refund).
I just want to point out in one day the party we hosted gave them close to 400 $ in revenue but I was immediately dismissed over 12 $ in a way that implied I was looking for a handout (over tickets I paid for that were not used btw) rather than seeking information which was the actual intent.
Pretty rude — I’ll take our Party elsewhere next year!
*Update* they ‘responded’ to my review with contact information to save face publicly but guess what– no one ever even replied! This company has a lot to learn about customer service– I will not recommend or be back!

If you have kids, then this is a must stop place in the Fall. Sure it may be a bit overpriced, and the crowds can feel a bit overwhelming, but there is a lot to do in an afternoon and my kid sure enjoys herself whenever we go. They of course have pumpkins along with the hay rack ride out to the fields to find your perfect one if you want, but in addition there are tons of other activities for kids to enjoy, like pumpkin chunkin, big bounce pillows, pig races, pony rides, a corn maze, etc. It is a big complex, so be prepared to walk! You can also reserve a campfire area for a group as well. Overall, it’s a bit expensive, usually very crowded, and a little corny, but it’s a great way to enjoy a fall day with your kids.
Pro Tip: If you can peel yourself away from a Husker game, it’s a great time to go as the crowds are at a minimum :)

Don’t bother! What a waste of time and money. Lines were long for everything and it seems like the exhibits have not been cleaned in years. Crowdy, dusty, dirty and lame.

Don’t waste your money on Vala’s own root beer or orange drinks. That taste awful, especially at $ 2.89 a bottle by Pepsi products. Besides that super fun as always. Great food and lots of fun.

What a great day! They have a little bit of everything to do here. They have a show about dog tricks, l pig races and they have a pumpkin shooting out of a cannon show. There are also tracks where you can pedal cars and there are mazes (including a nifty corn maze) and a hunted house that is not very spooky. My favorite was the hayrack ride and pumpkin patches, beautiful scenery! They have campfires for bonfires at night which must be amazing! We came and stayed for about five hours and a great time. I highly recommend it. Great for families!

im going to vala’s tomorrow :)

Had a great time at Vala’s tonight! It looks like they have updated some of the attractions & everything looked great.
My husband & I ate dinner at The Pie Barn & I would highly recommend. All of the food at Vala’s is great, but the Pie Barn is a step above & the barn itself is beautiful. I had Mac & Cheese & it was probably the best I’ve ever had. And the pie is amazing, I had the salted caramel apple & my husband had the triple berry. Both were excellent.
Vala’s is always a fun fall treat, looking forward to going back next year!!!

We go here every year! I really do not think it is overpriced considering all there is to do to. If you spend the day there, as most people do, you definitely get your money’s worth. And even the food to me is really not that expensive. Even a chicken nugget meal from mcdonalds is 6.50 these days. You can get a cheeseburger with fries and a drink here for about 8.00. If price is an issue, they have no restrictions on bringing in outside food, so you could always bring a picnic lunch. You can also bring in your own water. That’s really pretty amazing, because so many places these days will not allow you to do that and then charge so much for beverages. I think valas does a great job keeping costs down when you look at the big picture. We love coming here. And will be back for many years to come.

My wife wanted to take my daughter to Vala’s yesterday, (Sunday) to pick out her first pumpkin. It opened at 9am and we showed up at around 10am. It was extremely busy, but luckily the workers showed you where to park.
There is so much to do at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. You can take a hay rack ride out to the pumpkins to pick one out, or to simply go on a hay rack ride. You can listen to the animatronic bands play. they have farm animals that you can feed, Vala’s has a ton of stuff for the whole family.
The price was good for us since we were PinPoint Members and we got buy one, get one free deal from PinPoint. Other wise its $ 14.25 a person, which isn’t bad considering the hours you could spend there.
Overall, the morning was a success. My wife and daughter had a great time and so did I. I think that my family will have to make a trip out to Vala’s a yearly tradition.

Not sure if my family will be back this year or not. I have been coming to Vala’s since I was a little kid. Literally all my life this has been a tradition in my family. It had been a few years since I had been here but we decided to take our son last October.
It seemed like there was a lot less to do, and the same old attractions really need some love and upkeep! They were completely disgusting please just clean them up a bit, dust em off. Another huge disappointment was the corn maze. There was no maze! All of the corn was flattened and you could see through the entire «maze». I was sad.
The restrooms were horrid. Spiders through out them, dark and creepy. Smelly. Toilet paper and trash all over the place. I believe there was only one diaper changing station, that there was a line for. And some of those papers you put on the seat would be much appreciated! Lots of traffic to these restrooms and no cleaning, leaves you feeling a bit grossed out.
Lines move slooooow for EVERYTHING. Literally we sat in our car in line for over an hour just to park! No joke. Food is over priced. Nothing really great in the gift shops, I really tried to find some interesting things to spend some money on but just couldn’t. I only ended up buying a skull candle holder that is a lovely décor piece in my bedroom, and my husband bought one of the old medieval doctors masks. You know, the ones with the weird long noses?
Speaking of the gift shop, there was a really creepy guy dressed like a clown (I hate clowns!) sitting in a chair by the entrance. I avoided eye contact and prayed to heaven he wouldn’t move lmao.
My hubby wants to give them a second chance this year but I’m a bit hestitant. Who knows perhaps we will go but not so sure yet. The only thing that may be going back for is the home made fudge, and the saltwater taffy.

Fun place…
HUGE. Lots to do, see and eat!
The crowds this year was UNREAL. It was like Disney World… actually worse because there weren’t any express lanes.
This is a fall tradition.
I probably won’t go next year because of the crowd. Unless, I went on a weekday.

Valas is one of my most favorite activities every year, I always look forward to it! Word to the wise, if you can take a day of pto during the week and go… DO IT. I attempted this place on a weekend a couple of years back, not even worth it, and if you read the paper last weekend, valas funnels through 17,000 visitors on a typical Saturday. Weekdays are awesome! Some of their food stands are closed during the week.
There are endless activities and I have to say the addition of the pie barn this year is awesome!!! They have some really healthy food options (which you can’t really find anywhere else on site) and some awesome pie selections! I can’t wait to try the salted caramel apple we picked up! Also, great doughnuts at the stand near the entryway! They were fresh and had a sugary crunchy crust!
Can’t say enough great things about valas!

I’ve been coming here for almost 20 years.
They keep it fresh every year, and very family orientated and fun for adults.
Incredible brand new pie barn! Best to go very early in the week if you can. Big highway compared to many years ago, gets you there fast.

Oh, Vala’s. If you go on the busiest days, it’s kind of like White Trash Disneyland. But it holds a special place in my heart because I went to high school in Gretna with some of the Vala girls and it was THE place to work during the fall.
Firstly, I haven’t bothered with a season pass for the last 3 – 4 years since my oldest started school. We lived pretty far away, our younger ones are free either way, and it is expeeeeensive. Depending on the size of your family, it can cost as much as or more than a zoo pass ($ 31.50 per person over the age of 2, plus tax), but a zoo pass is good for a whole year. Vala’s is only open for a month and a half. That being said, I realize they add more attractions and more employees each year and need to be able to pay them. I’m glad to support a local business but I do wish that sooooo many things didn’t cost extra on top of the cost of admission. We usually plan one big trip per season and it IS possible to do everything worth doing in one visit. Plus we always manage to score tickets from somebody in the parking lot for cheaper than they sell them at the gate. Tons of businesses sell discounted tickets as well, and admission is lower on weekdays than weekends.
Some people have complained about the rudeness of employees. They do have some crustier ones, especially at the admissions barn, and I’ve always heard poor things about the apple education experience (which is mainly a school field trip thing). I feel like it’s gotten better, though, or maybe they just weren’t as harried because I went on a less-​busy day.
You can bring in your own food but I think their food is worth splurging on. Turkey legs, homemade custard, funnel cakes, chili in bread bowls, barbecue at Pork Chop Annie’s, fudge. I personally don’t like kettle corn but you can get a gallon bucket of it. If you drink soda, skip the $ 3+ 20 oz bottles and get a souvenir cup. They’re discounted if you buy 2 or more and you get 99 cent refills.
If you can, go to the pig races earlier in the day on a weekday so your kid has a better chance of being picked as a «pig leader.»
If you plan on getting your pumpkins from the fields during the hayrack ride, bring a reusable grocery bag or two! I’ve learned this from years of juggling 3 – 5 heavy pumpkins and 2 – 3 small children who can’t make it off and on the tractor without help. There are wheelbarrows (or your stroller basket) to haul them once you’re off the tractor but it’s easy to forget that you have to lug them across a field and get them on and off aforementioned tractor.
Skip the Storybook Barn. It’s free, but also creepy. The train is worth the money, the friendliest employees work at the train depot. The apple slingshots are fun (not free) and kids like the pumpkin-​eating dragon (free). We do the pony rides every year for the sake of tradition and photo ops. Near the duck races there are family pedal cars which are free and slightly terrifying. Watch out for dumb teenagers acting a fool. Also free are the jumping pillows. Watch out for annoying adults who only look out for their own kids on the toddler jumping pillow. My kids love the corn pit (? I don’t know what it’s actually called, it’s a giant box filled with corn…), but just today we watched a kid wipe his snotty nose on the corn, so you know, maybe hand sanitizer after? If you have multiple kids who need help with their shoes, I’d recommend easy slip-​on shoes!
Don’t be a dummy and try to exit through the one-​way entrance (when leaving the pumpkin patch in your car), it happens every year.
If you live west of Vala’s, I suggest taking Schram road to 192^nd to avoid the traffic on 180^th. It might be better with the traffic light now, or it could be worse, I don’t know, I’m set in my ways.

I have not been to the Pumpkin Patch this year but overall this is a very fun place!
There are always fun things to do. The only thing I would like improved is more fun things to do for adults. The prices are also very high.