Summer is always tons of fun, but all those summer camps, family trips, playdates and having something on your calendar every. single. weekend. can get a bit overwhelming.
The next time your family needs to decompress, stop and smell the sunflowers! A trip to a flower field is a relaxed and affordable way to unplug and destress. Enjoy some time in nature, cut your own flowers and take advantage of cute farm photo opportunities. Plus, many of these sunflower farms offer kid-friendly play areas and activities!
Sunflower season is typically mid-July through Labor Day, which means a trip to a sunflower field is a great way to close out a busy summer. Get started by visiting one of these flower farms near Chicagoland!
Sunflower Fields Near Chicagoland
Tom’s Farm Market
- Address: 10214 Algonquin Road, Huntley
- Sunflower season: Now open
- Cost: $12/person. Children 3 and under are free. Sunflowers are $3 each, or six for $15.
Why wait for corn mazes when you get lost in a field of sunflowers? Tom’s 4-acre sunflower maze offers a fun family activity with photo opportunities along the way. They also have a small children’s play area and an option to cut your own sunflowers.
Von Bergen’s Country Market Sunflower Festival
- Address: 9805 IL-173, Hebron
- Sunflower season: Now open
- Cost: $10-$12/person. Children ages 2 and under are free.
Meander through a sunflower maze with ample photo stops, including oversized chairs and platforms that offer a bird’s eye view of the sunflowers. After exiting the maze, continue the fun with even more farm photo ops.
Kids can burn off some energy at the farm playground. Say hello to farm animals, including an adorable pot-bellied pig! When hunger strikes, grab food at the Barnyard Grill where they serve food that uses homegrown produce and local ingredients.
Before you leave, be sure to cut some flowers from the large u-pick flower field which includes over 50 flower varieties.
Matthiessen State Park
- Address: 2500 IL-178, Oglesby
- Sunflower season: Mid-July through August
- Cost: Free!
Consider Matthiessen State Park’s sunflower field as the park’s hidden gem. Located just past the model airplane field at the end of the Matthiessen Vermillion Area, you’ll find 60 brilliant acres of sunflowers in bloom from mid-July through early-August.
Thompson Farm
- Address: 6621 156th Ave., Bristol
- Sunflower season: Aug. 13-Sept. 1
- Cost: Starts at $10-$15
This famous strawberry farm is also home to a 15-acre sunflower patch. Walk the paths, take in the natural beauty and pick your favorite sunflowers and zinnias to bring home. You’ll stumble upon tons of cute photo opportunities, including a giant butterfly bench. Don’t forget to bring something to cut the flowers with!
Kuipers Family Farm
- Address: 1N318 Watson Road, Maple Park
- Dates: Aug. 23-Sept. 14
- Cost: Starts $11.99 per person (includes one bloom). Children 2 and under are free.
Cut your own sunflowers, snap summertime photos in the flower fields and enjoy all of the fun kids activities at Kuipers Family Farm. If you have a furry family member, leashed dogs are welcomed to the sunflower fields at their Sunflowers & Snouts event on Aug. 24.
This article was recently updated on July 28, 2025, by Chicago Parent Audience Development Manager, Katina Beniaris. The update included her fact-checking this list using the latest information. Questions? Please reach out to katina@chicagoparent.com.
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