Mapleside Farms

I have younger brothers that we began taking to the Santa breakfast every Christmas and the tradition of visiting Mapleside continues with my niece. Last year, I don’t remember having any complaints about the Santa breakfast. However, this year was a very different story. I’m not sure what is going on with the space, but this year, the breakfast was held in the newly built barn on Mapleside’s grounds.
I arrived early than the rest of my family with children, who were running a bit late. As soon as I walked into the barn, I almost gagged on the dusty smell of the newly constructed barn. The barn seemed clean, but I couldn’t get over the foul smell that should never be paired with enjoying a meal out. The food was being shuttled over to the barn from the main building. The plates were paper, and the silverware plastic. The buffet offered eggs, hash brown potatoes, sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy and French toast sticks. All of the food was the same quality you would expect to find at a complimentary hotel breakfast. In fact, the whole meal for the most part, was exactly like a hotel breakfast. The difference at Mapleside though is that you are paying over $ 20 for this breakfast. The greatest highlight was that they served hot cider, and the kiddos all really enjoyed the chocolate fountain.
While other family members were about 15 minutes late, we were clearly being rushed out by the staff. Different staff came by our table one after another to ask if they could clear plates that we were still eating from. It was extremely frustrating given all of the other aspects of this breakfast that made for a poor experience.
I’m not sure what happened to our tradition, but as the years have passed, the price has skyrocketed and the quality decreased greatly. I’m sorry to say that unless something changes, we will not be returning to Mapleside for our annual breakfast with Santa.

We’ve been going to Mapleside Farms for years, and in the past five years (since the Clements bought it) it has gotten continually better each year. The highlights include a giant bounce pillow for jumping (my kids’ favorite part), a giant wall of pumpkins and gourds (great fall family photo opps), huge corn mazes, several hayride options, pumpkin carving station, water duck races, a huge tee-​pee to explore, bonfires scattered throughout, and zombie paintball– against the backdrop of the most beautiful orchard in Ohio. The owners have done an amazing job of cultivating a festive fall family fest, and they deserve 5 stars. Take your family here– you won’t regret it!
PS: the zombie paintball is a separate charge. You buy tickets for a time, but they don’t exactly manage the times. Meaning: go whenever you want to go. The only thing the ticket does is make sure you don’t get locked out when they sell out. My kids have been begging to go for years, and this year was our first time trying it. The whole experience is so well done. Make sure you watch the backstory with your kids on
before going. That gives them more context about how the zombies came to be & why they need to be hunted. it was spooky and fun and very well organized. If you’re not into zombie hunts, there’s all the pumpkins, apples, hayrides & all the other fall festival goodness. My favorite part of zombie paintball: the paintballs were pink :)

We came here during the fall family weekend. Unfortunately, zombie paintball sold out, but we still had a good time. The weather was a little chilly, but that just made the hot chocolate and cider that much better. The pig races were entertaining and cute, the corn maze was fun (even though we ran into some not so friendly guests… and a friend fell in the mud, but that’s laughable now), and the time spent with friends among such beautiful scenery was wonderful. We’ll definitely return next year, better prepared for some paintball and to pick out some pumpkins.

Love this place for everything from apples to family fun to 101 photo opps! Awesome destination for all ages and interests.

An oasis in the overdeveloped world that we live in. It’s family friendly, has an amazing view and great food/​drink options. This is a much see when you’re in the area.

Went here this past weekend when the weather was perfect for a lovely fall afternoon outside. We checked out the store inside first and picked up some green bean chips, an apple fritter, and apple cider that we enjoyed while sitting on a rock wall outside and taking in the beautiful fall scenery. I only give this place three stars because we did not stay too long because they were having a family event and it was getting pretty crowded. I would go back though maybe, and check out a hayride or the corn maze.
Side note, don’t get the pumpkin roll unless you want to be disappointed. They make theirs with an icing inside instead of cream cheese. Just way too sweet for my tastes.

Excellent have a great time with the grandkids coupon when you go great place to tire the kids out bouncy thing built into the ground they love that. The kids love the jacket slide of the tree house corn mazes were fun only would complain that was a $ 5 tn yep we’re looking forward to in the caramel like a rock great place

Can’t wait to come back, so much to do for the kids and the food is great in the bakery. It will wear any kid out and you’ll have fun too

Good county restaurant. Apple dishes good. Changed to Melrose Grill, then now Orchard House.

I’m not the one for outdoor activities but I had a blast it was a nice group of us with small kids that enjoyed the sack ride, jump house, tractor ride, huge pillow to jump on and the home made EXTRA large tub slide. The place has even walking tacos! Great apple cider– Like I said we made it a family event and had two small kids that had fun even when it got out and my daughter kept saying-​is a zombie going to come out like «Walking Dead» Bring a flash light to if you plan on staying to dark… Luv this place but did find the apples pricey along withe carmel apples ($ 10) also!

I wish I could do two separate reviews for Mapleside. I guess I could, but I’ll just tell you everything in this one.
On a regular week day, I would give this place a 4 star review. It’s quaint demeanor, naturally grown produce, and home made delicacies really bring the «farm» feel to life. Not to mention the beautiful view over the apple orchards when the sun is setting. The scenery alone is worth heading up there, but be sure to stop and get a buckeye caramel apple. That’s right, an apple covered in caramel, peanut butter, AND chocolate. YUM! They make an array of products from pastries to hot sauce and it’s all delightful. A tad on the expensive side but so is all organic style produce. The bar in the Orchard House restaurant has a dazzling tree chandelier with glass apples and the comfort food menu compliments the farm motif. It’s modern meets country in a style that seems to work for this family business.
Now, all that being said, the festivals are a one or two star rating at best. It is insanely crowded and generally geared towards children. I understand that it’s a business that caters to family fun but I was hoping that the Medieval fair would have an «adult» draw as well. For someone who doesn’t have kids but still enjoys a good fall festival, it’s extremely disappointing. I wouldn’t even mind the outrageous traffic on Pearl Rd if I was able to enjoy a good joust or sword fight.
I’d love to give this place a great rating, but if you add it all up, it just falls short. Go on a weekday and avoid the festivities.

Two words: Zombie Paintball
After dusk you can journey down the Mapleside property to a dark, secluded barn where military personnel train you on how to shoot zombies. In the woods. At night. You’ll get goggles, a gun and 100 paintballs to take down some ‘bies and you’ll do it on a tractor. I’m sorry, but there’s something about the woods at night… and tractors… and corn mazes… it just freaks me out.
As you get pulled slowly through the woods, you’ll spot spooky areas glowing with black light and then… they appear! Stumbling towards you – ready to eat your brains! I think I wasted most of my ammo on the first two zombie encounters, but don’t worry – they’ll let you refill halfway through for a small fee.
And if I could make any suggestions for first timers, it’s this:
— PRE-​ORDER your tickets online! This is a must. They practically sell out every night.
— BRING CASH! Most everything at this place is cash only.
Lastly, don’t let your kiddies miss out on the huge jumping pillow and playground, they’ll love it! This really is a great fall activity and worth the drive out. Just remember, this place gets really packed now!

Mapleside sure has changed since I was a kid. They have amped up the ante and brought in more activities and fun things to do with a family. The apples are more expensive here than other places but they taste great. This is a good place to come for fall activities for all ages. I would go again.

Waited about 15 minutes and they server was fantastic. The food was excellent and could not have had a better experiennce

Went today for a medieval faire… which was not a medieval faire at all. It was solely a SCA demonstration. This was fine and entertaining. The only problems I had were the facility and staff itself (non-​SCA).
First, it took a LONG time to park. Then, you pay $ 12 a ticket for the «pumpkin village», or whatever, which includes a sad park and giant bouncy thing (it’s only saving grace). It was so crowded that this was quite hazardous to play on. We skipped the rest as this part was so disappointing, I honestly wanted to leave.
Staff is UNHAPPY and they don’t care if you know. They’ll scowl at you and your kids, or they have a blank look. The ice-​cream vendors were painfully slow and indifferent, even when the customers were happy and greeted THEM. There were four customers in front of me, ordering one or two cones each, and I waited for almost a half hour for a kiddie cone. The apple/​pumpkin purchasing area was the same way. The staff clearly did not want to be there. No smiles, no «thank-​yous» and no one even said «enjoy your day».
Maybe this place is better in the evenings or something, but we couldn’t wait to GTFO. We practically ran to the car. This place is a joke. I will never come here again.

A great place to come in the fall with the kiddies. So many activities like going on a hay ride, hay maze, play area, a huge slide, restarant, farmers market and various other’s I’m sure. I love coming here and making a day out of it. Don’t forget to plan in advance, this place can get overly packed. Sometimes, it may not even be worth it considering wait times. In the end, if I make the trip out to Brunstucky I’m going to the festival, but don’t say I didn’t warn you about the lines.

Pumpkins, apple cider, corn mazes, pumpkins, ice cream, apples, pumpkins, zombie paintball, and did I mention pumpkins? I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to visit Mapleside Farms.
Pumpkins are my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE part of fall. So one weekend on a suggestion from a friend I went on a visit to Mapleside for an afternoon adventure. My date and I had a great time exploring the Pumpkin Village, including the long slide that takes you down to the bottom where there are hay rides and corn mazes. Yes, slide. You have the option to either walk down to the bottom or ride down a slide on a feed sack. Is there really a question as to which option you should choose?
At the bottom there is not one, but two corn mazes to venture through. Getting lost in stalks of corn is not the only option you have at the bottom of the hill, there are hay rides and apple cider to complete the fun.
Once you’re done with the pumpkin village, definitely head up to the restaurant for a bite to eat before you leave. And no trip to Mapleside would be complete unless you leave with a bag of apples, apple cider, and most importantly a pumpkin.

This is a review that has been long overdue for me. Mapleside Farms is so much more than just a farm.
They have done a wonderful job of offering a lot of activities people of all ages. During the summer that have outdoor concerts showcasing many local CLE talents like Carlos Jones, and others.
They also offer up a restaurant called Melrose Grille. I have never eaten there, but the inside is surprisingly nice, and the menu offers a wide array of options. In addition to this you can also grab a cannoli from the Corbo’s Bakery on site, and of course stock up on apples, cider, and all of their amazing apple related products.
No autumn in CLE is complete without a trip to Mapleside Farms!

Boy, what a difference October 31^st makes! Prior to Halloween, Mapleside is jam-​packed with people milling about. Now that it’s November, I could almost hear crickets!
This year they expanded the children’s play area so it now includes this amazing bouncing pillow and more things to crawl over. Plus, there is a real corn maze to try!
There are big differences between this year and last year. I heard there was new ownership and it seems like they’re doing an excellent job. The store is a little less packed with trinkets no one needs anyway, but they offer the same pumpkins, apples and pies that you’d normally expect.
I also stopped into the bar for happy hour. We had some great Xmas ale drafts for $ 3.50 (not Great Lakes) and normal drafts are just $ 2. We ordered the pulled pork nachos which were really very impressive for $ 5! I wasn’t especially hungry and they came piled high. Near the end, every chip I ate I kept saying out loud «I’m so full… but I just can’t stop!»
So I left Mapleside with Xmas ale in my belly and a delicious peck of apples. No complaints here!

Here’s my Mapleside Rating Equation…
+5 Stars = I’ve been coming here since I was a little girl. Mostly with my grandma so this place has a lot of nostaglia going on for me. The grounds are gorgeous, there’s something just breathtaking about this piece of land.
–2 Stars = I’m not sure if Mapleside is under new ownership but in my opinion they’ve waaaaaaaaay over commercialized this place! I know, I know they need to make money and having droves of kids and their families come in everyday of the week is the way to get it — but it just made it, well, less magical for me.
–3 Stars = I know Mother Nature is to blame for our recent bouts of rain — but OMG, can we say MUD PIT?! The weekend I visited my shoes were ruined (my bad for not thinking ahead and wearing rain boots), but everywhere you stepped it was squish, squash — so nasty.
–1 Star = The hayride was pulled by a tractor… last year they had beautiful horses pulling the rides. While I’m a fan of those horsies getting some rest, it took away from the legit country-​esque feeling for me.
+1 Star = The corn maze, while I did not partake — was sweet! You could see it from atop the hill and it looked HUGE! Plus, they had an awesome looking Jump Park (kids only, sorry adults!) that was filled with screaming (with joy, of course) kids.
+1 Star = For *effort* in attempting to create a «Super Slide» down the hill as an alternative route to Pumpkin Village. But, it was a major fail. Even with a generous amount of baby oil and what looked like tire shine slopped on — adults and kids alike were having a hard time making it all the way down.
–2 Stars = Where did the seasonal nicknack shop go?! Last year we were able to purchase the cutest Halloween decoations that looked very artsy and now this year all I could find were wood puzzles and blankies?! Very sad.
+2 Stars = Thank God, the cider was still available and so were the delicious and large! caramel apples. Mmmmm…
+1 Star = Huge pumpkin selection and you could hit up the patch with your kids or pick one out in the shop.
+2 Stars = They were selling Campbell’s Sweets Factory Fruity Popcorn — yummie! Definitely picked up some of that.
I am a fan, Mapleside, but you had me wishing we could rewind about ten years.

Mapleside Farms is the closest real life replica to a Thomas Kinkade painting that I can think of. Rolling acres, picturesque trees, breathtaking views of apple orchards, pumpkin patches, fields of corn, streams, ponds, wood burning fireplaces and comfort food galore.
Memories of childhood mean a lot to me. I remember taking family trips to Mapleside to pick out pumpkins and sip hot cider in the fall. But it wasn’t until later in life that I got to appreciate all of those memories to the fullest. A recent return to Mapleside Farms reminded me of those childhood memories. Everything was as beautiful as I once remembered it. The apple dumplings as mouth watering and the cider as warm as it was 20 some years prior. This place hasn’t changed one bit through all those years. And this is a good thing! If there’s a better destination for autumn related activities and scenery in North East Ohio, I’m not familiar with it. To me, Mapleside Farms is it.