You can "lose yourself" for a little bit, though, even amid the throngs of fall foliage groupies--at a corn maze! In fact, you may just find yourself begging strangers to give you clues as to how to find your way back out!
Then again, perhaps you won't be quite as daunted as Bruce and I were when we found ourselves hopelessly tangled in New England's oldest and largest cornfield maze--the 8-acre Mega Maze at Davis' Farmland in Sterling, Massachusetts (click the image for a slide show) .
Each year, Davis' Farmland enlists the aid of English maze designer extraordinaire Adrian Fisher, who creates a new challenge that is fun--if a bit frustrating--for both kids and adults. Never fear--help is available from the Maze Masters who are strategically positioned within the nearly 3 miles of dead ends and detours. They'll at least help you find your way to the snack shack within the maze so you don't become famished while climbing the corn maze's many bridges and swearing to your maze-meandering companions that you are sure you've seen every one of the 4 million corn plants that make up the maze... at least twice!
For Lucky 2007, Fisher has created the Fabulous Lost Vegas Maze; from the air, it looks like the world's largest pair of dice. The tenth anniversary Mega Maze is a life-size puzzle that offers visitors high rolling adventure and all new challenges. "It's the most incredible, 3-dimensional, complex network ever created in a cornfield," according to Fisher, who adds, "Each year since its conception, Davis' Mega Maze has consistently outdone itself and changed the face of mazing." The 2007 maze is dynamic and can be changed daily. Co-owner Larry Davis reveals in a press statement: "There are hundreds of ways to complete this maze. No two visits will ever be the same."
Davis' Farmland, a family farm attraction featuring rare livestock breeds and fun activities for small children, and the Mega Maze are located off Route 62 in Sterling in central Massachusetts, just about 20 miles from Worcester. The Mega Maze opened August 9 for the 2007 season and will be in operation until early November, conditions permitting. For directions and admission prices and to check dates and hours of operation, call the Mega Maze hotline at 978-422-8888.
If you'd rather cut your teeth on one of New England's smaller corn mazes before you venture into the Mega Maze, there are plenty of farms throughout the region that have carved mazes into cornfields for the amusement of visitors.
More Cornfield Mazes in New England
(Note: Call ahead for directions, hours of operation and admission fees. Weather can affect corn maze conditions, so it's always a good idea to call on the day you plan to visit. As a rule, most corn mazes open for the season anywhere from mid-July to early September, and they stay open through late October.)
Connecticut Mazes
Foster Family Farm
90 Foster Street
South Windsor, Connecticut
860-648-9366
Larson's Farm Market
1055 Federal Road (Route 7)
Brookfield, Connecticut
203-740-2790
Lyman Orchards
[Note: Lyman's maze is actually a sunflower maze this year.]
Junction of Routes 147 and 157
Middlefield, Connecticut
860-349-1793
Plasko's Farm
670 Daniels Farm Road
Trumbull, Connecticut
203-268-2716
Maine Mazes
Pumpkin Valley Farm
135 Anderson Road
Dayton, Maine
207-929-4545
Ricker Hill Orchards
Route 117
Turner, Maine
207-225-3455
Massachusetts Mazes
Davis' Mega Maze
145 Redstone Hill
Sterling, Massachusetts
978-422-6666
Mike's Amaizing Maze
25 South Main Street
Sunderland, Massachusetts
413-665-8331
New Hampshire Mazes
Beans and Greens Farm
Route 11B
Gilford, New Hampshire
603-293-2853
Beech Hill Farm
107 Beech Hill Road
Hopkinton, New Hampshire
603-223-0828
Neighboring New York Mazes
Ellms Family Farm
448 Charlton Road
Ballston Spa, New York
518-884-8168
Fairview Farm
Horsemill Lane
Bridgehampton, New York
631-537-6154
Harbes Family Farm
Main Road (Route 25)
Jamesport, New York
631-722-8546
Liberty Ridge Farm
Stillwater Bridge Road (Old Route 67)
Schaghticoke, New York
518-664-1515
Long Acre Farms
1342 Eddy Road
Macedon, New York
315-986-9821
Western New York's Original Corn Field Maze
3901 Niagara Falls Boulevard
Buffalo/Niagara, New York
(716) 542-6854
Wickham Farms
1821 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road
Penfield, New York
585-377-FARM
Zarpentine Farms
163 Burritt Road
Hilton, New York
716-392-3611
Rhode Island Mazes
Escobar's Highland Farm
133 Middle Road
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
401-683-1444
Vermont Mazes
The Great Vermont Corn Maze
1404 Wheelock Road
Danville, Vermont
802-748-1399
More from New England for Visitors
Looking for more New England travel information? Start with the New England for Visitors Home Page, where you'll find current features and links to the best of the Net for all of your travel planning needs.
Don't miss our free email newsletter , which keeps you up to date on what's happening in the region. Subscribe today!
Previous Features from your New England for Visitors Guide
Photographs of Davis' Mega Maze by Kim Knox Beckius, (c) 2001, licensed to About.com, Inc.
