If your kids have already done the pumpkin fields, a maisdoolhof is the next stop on the autumn calendar. It’s Dutch for corn maze, a labyrinth cut straight into a working cornfield, and farmers across the country plant thousands of square metres of maize each spring for exactly this purpose. By September the corn is well over head height, the paths are muddy in the right places, and most fields are running scavenger hunts, lookout towers, or evening torch-lit rounds before the harvest closes them for good.
We went looking for corn mazes for kids in the Netherlands that are still open this season and actually worth the drive, not just listed somewhere and quietly closed since August. A lot of the lists you’ll find online mix in farms that shut their maze in mid-August and never update the page, so we checked each one against the farm’s own site before including it here. Here’s what we found, region by region, plus what to expect once you’re through the gate.
Corn Mazes for Kids Near Amsterdam and Utrecht
Boerderij Nieuw Slagmaat in Bunnik is the closest proper corn maze to Amsterdam, about 45 minutes by car. It’s a working farm with a tea house and terrace, a playground, and a herd of Blaarkop cattle to look at, so the maze is really just one part of a longer visit. Entry is €5 per person for the whole day, and parking is free on-site. It only runs Friday and Saturday though, Friday 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturday 9:00 to 17:00, so plan the trip around that rather than a spontaneous weekday stop. There’s a lookout tower in the middle of the maze if you want to spot your kids from above before they find the way out themselves.
Overijssel
Groot Sallands Maïsdoolhof in Lemelerveld runs one of the more elaborate setups we came across, a full hectare of maize with built-in challenges and a safe-cracking finale at the end. It’s open daily 10:00 to 18:00 through August 23, then drops to Wednesday afternoons and full weekend days, 10:00 to 18:00, until September 27. Entry is €6 per person, under-2s free. Worth knowing: they also run “spooky” evening tours later in September, torches instead of daylight, with a marshmallow at the end for €7.50. Good one for kids who’ve already done a daytime maze and want something with a bit more edge.
Gelderland
Landwinkel & Groentekwekerij Smits in De Heurne, out in the Achterhoek, keeps its maze open right through September and October, daily including Sundays once the summer holidays end. Adults are €5, kids aged 3 to 5 are €2.50, and under-3s go free. This one’s less about the maze alone and more about the whole afternoon, there’s a farm café serving hot chocolate and soft-serve ice cream, and pumpkins to browse once you’re out. If you’re around on Halloween itself, they turn the field into a “doolhof in de duisternis”, a maze in the dark, for older kids who can handle being properly spooked.
Maisdoolhof Malden, a bit further south near Nijmegen, is built more like a full play farm than a maze with extras bolted on. Alongside the corn maze itself there’s a petting area with turkeys, piglets, a calf, chickens and goats, plus jumping cushions, pedal tractors, a giant sandbox, and a snack bar for when everyone’s had enough of walking. It’s been named one of the nicer family outings in Gelderland by the ANWB, and it’s the kind of place where you can genuinely lose an entire afternoon without meaning to. Check their site for current opening hours and prices before you go, they publish a full month-by-month calendar rather than one fixed season.
North Brabant
Maïsdoolhof Brandevoortse Hoeve in Helmond is aimed squarely at the 4 to 10 age range, less overwhelming than some of the bigger farm setups, just a maze with puzzles hidden along the way and a small treat waiting at the end. It’s open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00, through September 29. If your family’s based further south, this is the one within reach without a full day trip attached to it, and it’s small enough that a shorter attention span won’t turn into a meltdown halfway through.
Tips for visiting a maisdoolhof
- Corn mazes run on a shorter, more unpredictable season than pumpkin farms, they close as soon as the harvest starts. Always check the farm’s own website or social media the week you’re planning to go, not just this list.
- Wear proper shoes. The soil under maize gets soft and uneven fast, especially after rain, and it’s not stroller-friendly once you’re actually inside the rows.
- Bring cash. Several of these farms, especially the smaller family-run ones, don’t take cards for maze entry even if the café does.
- Most mazes have a lookout tower or high point somewhere in the middle. It’s the easiest way to keep track of older kids who want to run ahead without actually losing them.
- If you’re combining a maze with a full day out, check opening days carefully first, several of these only run Wednesday to Sunday or just Friday and Saturday, not every day of the week.
A corn maze pairs naturally with the rest of an autumn weekend. If you’re stacking the whole day, our pumpkin picking guide covers farms in most of the same regions, and a few of them run their own maize mazes alongside the pumpkin fields. For a different kind of orchard outing, see our guide to apple and fruit-picking farms, or trade the cornfield for the woods with our roundup of autumn forest days. If you’re filling out a whole week rather than one afternoon, our school holidays activity guide is worth bookmarking, and our directory of places has more farms and outdoor spots you can filter by region.
FAQ
When is corn maze season in the Netherlands?
Most maisdoolhoven open once the maize is tall enough, usually by mid-July, and close as soon as farmers need to harvest the field, typically sometime in October. September tends to be the best window, the corn is at full height and the summer crowds have thinned out.
Are corn mazes suitable for toddlers?
It depends on the farm. Some, like Maisdoolhof Malden, build in separate play areas and gentler activities alongside the maze itself, which works better for younger kids who might not manage the full maze. Others are aimed more squarely at primary-school-aged children who can handle the puzzles and the walking. Check what else is on-site before you go if you’ve got a toddler in tow.
Do I need to book ahead?
Generally no, these are walk-in outings, but opening days vary a lot from farm to farm, some only run a few days a week. It’s worth checking the specific schedule before driving out, especially later in the season when hours often get cut back.
