Pumpkintown USA CT
For some family fun in the fall, stop in at Pumpkintown USA! It’s located in the small town of East Hampton, Connecticut and is great place to spend a few hours during the fall season. There’s plenty to see and do for both kids and adults.
Paul’s & Sandy’s is a family owned and operated Garden Center and Hardware Store located in East Hampton, CT. In 1990, the company introduced their first pumpkinheads known as Leroy Butternut and Penelope Parton.
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Each year, the population of pumpkinheads grew. In 1993, the population grew to almost 40 so a pumpkin town was built at the business for the pumpkinheads. This small village was named Pumpkintown U.S.A.
As word spread quickly about Pumpkintown, the place started to get visitors from all over during the fall season. It’s become a popular destination with about 25,000 people or more visiting during the six weeks that it is open.
One of the co-founders of Pumpkintown U.S.A. was Sandy Peszynski who passed away in 2007 after a long battle with breast cancer. A portion of the proceeds raised from the admission fee to Pumpkintown are donated to The Sandy Peszynski Breast Cancer Foundation in her memory.
Main attractions
There are two areas to view the pumpkinheads. The Village is located right next to the Garden Center & Hardware store.
Across the street from the The Village is a wooded area with more pumpkinheads. This area is known as “The Ride” and is a scenic drive about a mile long.
The Village at Pumpkintown
You don’t need a reservation to walk through the pumpkin town, but you’ll need to pay a small fee to get in. The Village is a cute pumpkin town complete with church, bank, post office, and more. It’s home to more than 70 Pumpkinhead people and animals.
You may even see some celebrity pumpkinheads like Donald and Melonia Trumpetvine. The original Leroy Butternut and Penelope Parden are usually hanging out in the village too.
The non-scary town is perfect for small children. There is even a Mac Pumpkins fast food joint for the pumpkinheads but the food is only for the townspeople.
Some of the things you may see in town are a farm, a wedding at the church, and kids playing. You may even run into some robbers near the bank.
There’s always fun activities for the kids too. The village firehouse has a pole the kids can slide down. My daughter also enjoyed the hula hoops, jumping on inner tubes, and finding her way through the hay bale maze.
The woodland Ride
Reservations are required for The Ride at Pumpkintown. You can reserve a spot online starting a week or two before it opens. There’s also fresh apple cider donuts and local apple cider served in pumpkin cups that you can include with the reservation!
After checking in with your reservation, you’ll start driving in your vehicle towards the woodland road. When you get to the woods, you will be greeted by a local pumpkinhead.
During your drive, you’ll see over 30 pumpkinheads in various woodland settings. Some of the things we saw were a country store, a school, a fishing pond, a hunter, a trading post, and a snowy hill for sledding and skiing.
The great thing about the ride is that you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own vehicle! This makes it perfect for families and friends looking for something leisurely to do on a cool fall day. Adding in the drinks and donuts makes it even better!
The drive is fairly quick. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to drive through it all at a slow pace. You may want to stop for photos, but you will need to keep moving. There will likely be vehicles behind you.
The Business
Pumpkintown U.S.A. is owned and operated by Pauls’ & Sandy’s Too, Inc. Hardware and Garden Center. In addition to the fall pumpkin attractions, you’ll find a garden center and hardware store.
Garden Center
After your visit with the pumpkinheads, check out the garden center! You’ll find a large variety of plants and gardening supplies. They also sell seasonal decorative items.
During the fall when Pumpkintown is open, you’ll find all kinds of pumpkins and fall decorations. There’s also delicious donuts and cider to take home. You can buy fresh produce and gifts too!
Hardware
There’s a full-service hardware store next to the garden center. So if you’re in need of anything, be sure to check it out.
FAQs about Pumpkintown USA
You’ll find answers to common question below. If you need more information, leave us a comment below the post.
You’ll find Pumpkintown U.S.A. at Paul’s & Sandy’s Too which is located at 93 East High Street, East Hampton, CT 06424. It’s right on Route 66.
PumpkinTown USA is open daily from 10am to 5pm, weather permitting, from mid-September through Halloween. It officially opens in 2022 on Saturday, September 17th and online registration for the woodland drive starts on September 5th.
The two main attractions are The Ride and The Pumpkintown Village. At the village, you can walk through a small pumpkin town filled with pumpkinhead people and animals. There’s also fun activities for kids like games and a hay maze.
Related
Looking for more family friendly things to see in Connecticut? Check out these nearby spots.
- Two Wrasslin’ Cats Coffee House is a whimsical cafe for anyone who loves cats!
- Fort Shantok Park is located right by Mohegan Sun and has a great playground for kids.
- Rocky Neck State Park in Niantic has a beautiful beach and walking trails along Long Island Sound.
