Center Grove Orchard sits on 610th Avenue outside Cambridge, Iowa, between Ames and Ankeny and about half an hour northeast of downtown Des Moines. Once you're here you'll find a 20-acre apple orchard, a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, a bakery, and 40-plus attractions spread across the farm. The drive out is part of it: two-lane blacktop, open fields, and an actual horizon.
The Short Version
32835 610th Avenue, Cambridge, IA 50046
From I-35, take Exit 102 (Highway 210, Huxley/Cambridge). Head east about five miles,
then north an eighth of a mile on 610th Avenue. You'll see the barns from the road.
Parking is free. Accessible parking is at the front of the main lot.
Take I-35 north to Exit 102, then east on Highway 210. No complicated turns, and traffic thins fast once you clear Ankeny. Ankeny is the easiest drive in the metro at about 25 minutes. Johnston, Urbandale, and Grimes run 35 to 40. West Des Moines and Waukee are 40 to 45, and you're crossing the metro before you start, so allow extra on a Saturday. Coming from Des Moines for pumpkins? Here's the full guide.
We're just south of Ames, which makes us one of the closest full-scale orchards and pumpkin patches for Story County families. Ames is about 20 minutes, I-35 south to Exit 102. Highway 69 south through Huxley is the same trip at a slower pace. Huxley and Slater are about 10 minutes. Story City, Roland, and Gilbert run 20 to 25.
Boone is about 30 minutes: Highway 30 east to Highway 17 south, then Highway 210 east. Ledges State Park is on the way if you want to make a day of it. Madrid and Woodward are 20 to 25 minutes on Highway 17. Perry and Ogden run about 40 via Highway 30.
Marshalltown is about 50 minutes, Highway 30 west to Nevada then southwest on Highway 210. An easy drive and a genuinely pretty one in October. Nevada and Colo are 15 to 20 minutes. State Center and Melbourne, 35 to 40.
Parking is free and there's plenty of it. Accessible parking is at the front of the main lot for vehicles with a government-issued placard or plate. Follow the signs in. On busy weekends we have attendants directing traffic, so stop at the first one and let them know if you need accessible parking.
Most of the farm is wheelchair accessible, though some areas are grass and gravel and can get soft after rain. Buses and motorcoaches can get in, and we host school and group tours regularly.
Plan Your VisitAbout 35 minutes from downtown. Take I-35 north to Exit 102, then five miles east on Highway 210.
Exit 102, marked Highway 210 toward Huxley and Cambridge. Head east about five miles, then north an eighth of a mile on 610th Avenue.
We're about 20 minutes from Ames, which makes us one of the closest full-scale apple orchards and pumpkin patches to Story County.
Yes. Parking is free, and accessible parking is available at the front of the lot.
Yes. We host school and group tours regularly and have bus access. Contact us ahead of time so we can plan for your group.
Center Grove Orchard, 32835 610th Avenue, Cambridge, IA 50046. Call us at 515-383-4354.
Fall season runs August 29 through early November. Check our calendar for current hours and field conditions before you drive out.
