We’ve visited the Dell’Osso Corn Maze in Lathrop every few years since Rachelle was in pre-school. Now that she’s 18, we thought this might be our last visit. Over the years, I’ve brought Rachelle’s Brownie troop and a number of friends to go with us. This year, we thought Hansol (our Korean exchange student) might enjoy sampling this American tradition.
Here’s the corn maze seen from above. Perhaps to accommodate the NASA theme, we didn’t think the maze design was as difficult as in prior years.
Our first visit was in their first year of operation, back in 1997.
Hansol stands in front of a sign describing the origins of the corn maze.
Me and Rachelle in the 2011 corn maze. When I brought the Brownie troop with us, the parents and girls tried to guess the best way to find their way through the maze. Some noticed markings that previous participants had etched on the corn stalks, others figured the most-trodden path of a given intersection would be the right way to go. Essentially, you have to bumble around until you make it to the exit!
Hansol said he’d never seen so many pumpkins in one place before.
Rachelle wanted to test her courage on this three-level rope challenge. Unfortunately, the line was an hour long, so she decided against it.
This year, the corn maze was NASA-themed, apparently one of 7 corn mazes across the country with a NASA theme for 2011.
Corn on the stalk instead of corn on the cob!
Hansol seemed most impressed with the pumpkin display.
Rachelle, an ardent anti-smoker, liked the “No smoking” sign. It’s certainly prudent, given that there’s so much flammable hay and wood around here.
A vampire’s favorite holiday? Fangs-giving.
About 5-6 years ago, Dell’Osso Farms added Pumpkin Blasters to the choice of activities. The kids are given a basket of a dozen mini-pumpkins and shoot them across the field at various targets using an air compression cannon gun.
Rachelle was up first at the Pumpkin Blasters
Hansol took his turn next. He was primarily concerned with the waste of potentially edible food (something that’s always bothered me, too). Does anybody eat those mini-pumpkins, or are they only decorative?
My best shot this year was hitting a spinning disk in the center of one of the targets. My tip? Aim low; the gun will arc upwards as you shoot.
The Dell’Osso Family Farm’s annual corn maze and pumpkin patch is open annually during the month of October. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 12:00 noon to 7:00pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am to 7:00pm. The maze will have a different theme each year. The fun is located at 501 Manthey Rd in Lathrop.
Admission prices are $24.95 Monday through Thursday, $29.95 on Fridays, and $34.95 on Saturdays and Sundays. Children under 2 years of age are free, but children age 3+ pay the same price as adults, which seems pretty steep for a family outing. You can also buy an “annual” (really, just the month of October) pass for $85.00.
General admission includes thecorn mazes (there’s usually 2-3 each year of varying sizes and complexity), haunted castle, Dell’Osso Express Train, pumpkin treehouse, Slide Hill, Teeny Town, hay rides, Thrill Hill, goat walk, duck races, Tire Pyramid, Dell’Osso Speedway, animal zoo, ball shoot arena, tire play area, lawn games, mini-golf, low obstacle course, kiddie play land, Spinning Pumpkins, pillow jumping, children’s interactive parade, pig races, and general entertainment.
Activities with an extra fee include the Pumpkin Blasters (1 bucket for $10.00), Gem Mining ($10.00), the carousel ($5.00), pumpkin painting ($7.00), and pony rides ($15.00). Of course, buying pumpkins or specialty autumn decor items also have a price.
Originally written October 24, 2011. Updated with 2026 prices, hours, and attractions October 24, 2026