Apple Picking and Fall Orchards Near Omaha

There's a smell that hits you the second you step out of the car at an orchard in late September. Cut grass, warm apples, a little woodsmoke from wherever they're frying the cider donuts. The kids are already gone, halfway down a row before you've got the wagon unfolded. That's the whole reason to do this. So here's the honest rundown of where to pick apples near Omaha, what's actually open, and what it'll cost you.

A few things first, because apple picking rewards a little planning.

Season runs roughly late August through the end of October, but it's not a switch that flips. Different varieties ripen at different times, and a hot dry summer or an early frost can shift everything by a week or two. The move is to check the orchard's site or Facebook the same week you want to go, because a good place will post what's ripe and ready to pick. Honeycrisp goes fast every year. If that's the one you want, go early and go on a weekday.

Start with the closest one, because it's a genuine favorite and it's barely a drive.

Martin's Hillside Orchard sits just outside Ceresco, about 30 to 40 minutes northwest of Omaha up toward Ashland. They grow around 15 varieties, Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonagold, Cameo, Jonathan, and more, ripening on their own schedule from late August into late October. Admission runs about $6 a person with the littlest ones free, and the apples and pumpkins you pick are weighed separately at the exit (as of July 2026 — check current prices at their site). The weekend spread is what sells it: cider donuts, caramel apples, cider slush, and pulled pork sandwiches, plus a kid-sized corn maze and wagon rides. Check the current u-pick schedule before you drive out, since hours shift with the harvest.

Over on the Iowa side, and honestly the shortest trip for a lot of Omaha families, is Ditmars Orchard & Vineyard near Council Bluffs, roughly 25 minutes from downtown. It's a family-owned u-pick with something like 30 apple varieties across a few thousand trees, plus a corn maze, hayrides, and pumpkins in the fall. It leans into the whole autumn-day-out thing, so plan to stay a while rather than grab-and-go. If you're already making a day of the Iowa side, our guide to a day trip to Council Bluffs pairs nicely with a morning at the orchard.

Now for the bigger day trips south, down in Nebraska's apple country around Nebraska City. These are about an hour from Omaha, and they're worth the drive when you want the full harvest festival feel.

Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard has been growing apples since 1925, and it's a proper 98-acre operation with 40 acres of u-pick. Admission is straightforward, around $6 for adults, $3 for kids 4 to 12, free for toddlers, and that price includes the hayrack ride out to the trees (as of July 2026 — prices can change, so verify at their site). The apples you pick are weighed and charged at the exit. There's live music, an apple barn store, and BBQ from the Kimmel Kitchen on busy weekends. Confirm the u-pick days on their U-Pick Barn page, because they only open the trees when the fruit's ready.

Right nearby, Arbor Day Farm is the one to build a whole day around. It's the birthplace of Arbor Day, 260 acres, with more than 14 apple varieties and u-pick available seasonally from August into early October. Here's the part people love: you don't need a Tree Adventure ticket just to pick apples, so you can keep it simple and cheap if you want. The Apple House Market stays open year-round with fresh cider, apple cider donuts, pies, and slushies. If you want the fuller picture of that town, our Nebraska City and Arbor Day Farm day trip lays out how to spend the whole afternoon.

One more down south worth knowing: Union Orchard in Union, about an hour from Omaha, grows 18 varieties from Honeycrisp all the way to the tart, old-fashioned Arkansas Black. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in season (as of July 2026 — confirm current hours at their site), with a country store selling pies, apple turnovers, and apple-smoked sausage. It's a little quieter than the big festival orchards, which some families prefer.

And if you'd rather not leave Sarpy County at all, Vala's Pumpkin Patch in Gretna runs a you-pick apple orchard alongside its famous fall festival. It's the busiest option by far, so it's less about a quiet orchard morning and more about doing the whole Vala's thing with apples on top. We wrote up the full Vala's Pumpkin Patch guide if that's the direction you're leaning.

A couple of things I've learned hauling kids through orchards over the years. Bring a wagon if you have one, because little legs give out and full apple bags get heavy fast. Wear closed shoes, since the ground between rows is uneven and sometimes muddy. Feed everyone before you go, or plan to eat there early, because a hungry kid at hour two is nobody's friend. And don't over-pick. Half a bag of Honeycrisp you'll actually eat beats a full bushel that goes soft in the garage. If the orchard fruit inspires a farm kick, our roundup of farms and petting zoos near Omaha keeps that going, and the broader fall family activities in Omaha guide maps out the rest of the season.

Everything in one place:

Martin's Hillside Orchard (Ceresco)→ Ditmars Orchard & Vineyard (Council Bluffs)→ Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard (Nebraska City)→ Arbor Day Farm u-pick apples (Nebraska City)→ Union Orchard (Union)→ Vala's you-pick apples (Gretna)→

Prices and hours change, so always confirm the latest on each place's official website before you go — the figures in this guide are current as of July 2026.