How the Richardson Farm in Spring Grove grew to be the ‘world’s largest’ corn maze

Fall unofficially started Saturday as the Richardson Adventure Farm in Spring Grove opened its corn maze. Families bounced around on giant inflatable “pillows,” kids zip-lined above, cheers where heard during the pig races and couples carried sunflower bouquets at the agritourism destination.

The family-owned-and-operated farm brings in about 100,000 visitors for the fall season and started with about 1,000 people on its opening day this year. But the family and the farm had a much quieter beginning before turning into the home of what the Richardson family website calls the “world’s largest” corn maze.

“I’ve never seen another maze with as many miles of trails as we do,” owner George Richardson said.

The family business is operated by brothers George and Robert Richardson;their wives, Wendy and Carol, respectively; George’s son Ryan; and his wife, Kristen. Ryan Richardson represents the sixth generation in the family business.

The farm, more than 500 acres, has been a family operation since 1836 with milk cows, pigs and crops. The family’s main business was raising thousands of pigs. As the business became less profitable, the brothers sough new ways to create revenue. After going to a seminar in Wisconsin that taught farmers how to plant corn mazes, they never looked back.

The Richardsons started in 2000 with a 17-acre labyrinth at a time when corn mazes were relatively new. The first known maze created in U.S. was in 1996, George Richardson said.

In 2000, it was a grassroots approach with a rented tent. The brothers sat with a bowl of candy and waited for neighbors to stop by. But word quickly spread and soon the lines were getting long, and the brothers “couldn’t take the money fast enough,” Robert Richardson said. They brought in 25,000 visitors that first year.

“It was like a tiger by the tail,” Robert Richardson said.

Throughout the years, they have grown and moved the maze to the 28-acre marvel it is today. Each year, they create a picture from the winding trails that can be seen only from a bird’s-eye view. The maze always is well-thought-out with a “left-turn only” option, games hidden within and a “highly sought-after” certificate of completion for those brave enough to tackle the whole thing, Robert Richardson said.

“We design ours with no dead ends after we got lost the first year,” George Richardson said.

This year, they are honoring agriculture icon John Deer and already bouncing around ideas for next year’s corn maze, which will mark their 25th anniversary.

In order to create the intricate designs, the Richardsons work with Idaho-based MazePlay. Before, they would plot the plants by walking or driving a tractor equipped with a GPS that showed where to plant. Now they use more modern technology including drones and a computerized planter that drops the seeds precisely, creating the design that leaves gaps for the trails.

Along with the maze, the Richardson Adventure Farm is filled dozens of family-friendly activities, including a 12-acre sunflower maze, pedal karts, giant slides, a train ride, a carousel, a 50-foot viewing tower, pig races and a gift shop with a wine sampling bar.

Debuting later this season is an enclosed “barrel barn” beer pavilion with craft beers for sale. The pavilion is under construction and is expected to open within the “next few weeks,” George Richardson said.

The Richardson Farm focuses on agritourism year-round with events such as the Tulip Festival in the spring, a sunflower festival in the summer, the corn maze in the fall and the Christmas Tree Farm in the winter, among other events.

As for the next 25 years of the farm, the Richardsons don’t plan to make any significant changes, but are open-minded for what the future can hold.

“It’s up to the next generation,” George Richardson said.

If you go

Dates: Sept. 7 to Oct. 27. Thursdays through Sundays.

Times:

• Thursdays: 3 to 9 p.m.
• Fridays and Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sundays: noon to 9 p.m.

Location: 909 English Prairie Road, Spring Grove.

Tickets:

• Sept. 7 to 29: $24 and $20 for ages 3-12. Ages 2 and under are free.
• Oct. 1 to 27: $24 on Thursdays and Fridays and $30 on Saturdays and Sundays. $20 on Thursdays and Fridays and $24 on Saturdays and Sundays for ages 3 to 12. Ages 2 and younger are admitted free.

Information: Visit the farm’s website at richardsonadventurefarm.com.