Mercer County Corn Maze Celebrates Nursery Rhymes

Howell Farm’s 23rd annual Corn Maze in which visitors search for map pieces and clues to complete a number of challenges throughout a 4-acre maze is now open, Mercer County officials announced.

This year’s maze celebrates nursery rhymes, rhyming games and poems that many people know. Maze-goers who find all the puzzle pieces will be able to solve its three-way board game, which forms a map of the maze. Those willing to enter will be eligible for prizes, boasting rights and a listing on the maze’s big scoreboard. Visitors seeking the ultimate challenge can try solving the maze in the dark, when moon, stars and lamplight are needed to find the way out.

General admission is $10 for ages 10 and older, $8 for children ages 5-9 and free for children 4 and under. Parking and admission to the reception area and courtyard are free. The courtyard features music, games, pedal tractors and a hay-bale maze for kids. Food, hayrides, pumpkins and Howell Farm honey and maple syrup will be available for purchase.

In September, the hours of entry are noon until 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. September admission includes a free hayride to the top of Belle Mountain for a bird's-eye view of the maze. In October, entry hours are from 5 until 8 p.m. on Fridays, noon until 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon until 4 p.m. on Sundays. On all dates, the maze closes one hour after the latest entry time. Team-building challenges for schools, community groups and businesses are available on weekdays, by reservation.

The maze is the annual fundraiser of the all-volunteer Friends of Howell Farm, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Proceeds from the maze are used to support the farm's historic preservation projects and its educational programs for schools.

For more information, call the farm office at 609-737-3299 or visit www.howellfarm.org or www.mercercountyparks.org. On weekends, call 609-397-2555.