Vaughn Orchard

Been to better by far bit expensive too but our 7 year old liked the haunted house that he did on his own. Has gone down home over the past few years. the other pumpkin patch down the road is better.

I have declared my love for many things during my time here on Unilocal,and low, tis time to declare yet another: Apples!
Now my favorite part of Vaughn’s went the way of the dodo when they suffered a huge set back years ago and lost a huge portion of their trees. You see, once upon a time there were so many apples that you could go, select an apple picker, and then pick your own apples! My friends and I would go and spend entire afternoons roaming the orchards, tasting for our favorites and then bagging our perfect selections. As I understand it now, this is much more limited depending on what is left after the business does their harvest. So darken a star for an other wise favorite nostalgia location.
Now, don’t think you should just skip Vaughn’s though! They still sell their delicious and tree ripened apples at their general store, which is also home to some other great items like local honeys, candies, and chocolates. Perhaps one of the coolest sights though would be the antique apple sorter in their back room that is usually open for guest to observe in action. When I was kid, this retro apparatus lost only to the indoor plexi bee hive. Bees are so important to the orchard and they showcase them here. Giving one a glance into the tiny, but super interesting world of the honey bee! During the spooky month of October they set up a haunted house for the kids, but I have not participated in that particular activity.
Finally, MMMMMM, mouth water just thinking about it, Apple edibles! They have an entire kitchen dedicated to the indulgence of the apple! Apple frits being my personal favorite, but their are many other menu options for your choosing. Be sure to try a glass of their cider too, after which you will probably want to just buy a gallon to take home with you.

Vaughn Orchard is my favorite fall destination around KC. Every October we had out to hit up Vaughn’s for some apple products and to pick pumpkins from the Red Barn Farm across the way.
The orchard has a pick your own option, but I’ve never done it. They also have a haunted barn as Halloween approaches, but I’ve never done it. Maybe when my kid gets older.
I just go and load up on apple this and that. The fresh cider is a must, which you can try for free and the production line is in the room right next to it if you want to peek in. Then you have to get a bag or two of fresh apples. We also get some apple dumplings to cook for breakfast the following morning. But the real star of the show is the shack right outside.
Apple fritter donuts. I would fight someone for a bag of these. They are hot, greasy, mini-​donuts with a little powdered sugar on them. I could eat these until the point of vomiting and still feel good about it. I generally get a nice apple cider slush to wash them down with. We got a dozen on the last trip and only ate half the bag. Our cat ate two before we could get back to them. Fritter donuts, yo.