The story of Center Grove Orchard is about passion—passion for the land, for the community and for offering wholesome, family-friendly fun. Find out how one family's dream has become a destination for countless families from all around.
Center Grove Orchard, owned and operated by the Larry D. and Pat Black Family, has been open to the public since 1994. We planted our first apple trees in 1986 and now we have more than 20 acres with 6,000 apple trees of many delicious varieties.
Though Larry passed away in 1999, his vision is carried on in all that we do. Larry loved his family, farming and Iowa. We like to think he’s smiling upon how we’ve grown since those early days of getting up from Sunday Dinner to go out and sell a few bags of apples. An appleseed starts small but soon grows into a mighty tree with many branches, and so it is with Larry’s dream and Center Grove Orchard.
As a working farm and apple orchard, we want you to experience a lively farm atmosphere and we hope you find that you gather as many happy memories as you do apples. We work hard to provide you with an enjoyable, educational experience in a peaceful country setting.
We are proud to work together to create this experience and we are blessed to share it with you every year. Thank you.
2021
In 2021, Center Grove Orchard launched its first spring season with pick-yourown strawberries. This came as a welcome addition to the Farm Camp experience that many children were actively participating in during the early Summer season. Baby Animal Days was added a few years later in 2024. Then in spring 2026, CGO opened for guests to come walk through fields of tulips.
2015
CGO owner, Steve Black, and team spent the entire spring and summer of 2015 preparing the ground and constructing the train tracks. Steve loved trains as a child. He also loved the history of the land with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul railroad line having gone through what is now part of Center Grove Orchard's hayride route. Steve bought the CGO Express train from a zoo in Arizona and had it painted and restored.
Fun fact: Farmer Steve personally bent every single rail that was initially part of the train track.
2010
The Country Store received a major expansion and facelift in 2010, creating more space for store items, gifts and farm favorites. The additional space allowed for better showcasing and sampling of apples and bakery items. It also created a new and expanded entrance area. The update helped shape the welcoming store experience guests enjoy today.
2008
In 2008, the first jumping pillow was installed, adding a whole new level of fun and play to the farm experience. It quickly became one of the most popular attractions for kids visiting the Orchard. Growing up, the Black family kids spent hours jumping on a trampoline and they now wanted to share that experience with CGO guests through the jumping pillow.
2000
The first Country Celebration marked the beginning of fall festivals at the Orchard. Founder, Pat Black, had just opened up the Welcome Porch area, which was a special project led by her Dad, Dick Breeden, along with other family members and close friends. Pat wanted to establish a celebration to commemorate the opening of that special space. What started as a seasonal gathering would eventually grow into one of Center Grove Orchard’s most beloved traditions.
1994
Center Grove Orchard Opened to the Public
After years of nurturing apple trees, Center Grove Orchard officially opened to the public in 1994. In the beginning, it was a simple country store where families could stop in for fresh apples and homemade goods. Pat Black was passionate about hosting school tours during the week and educating children about how to grow apples. On the weekends, guests were able to take a hayride to the first pumpkin patch and were able to pick their own apples in the orchard
1986
Center Grove Orchard founders, Pat and Larry Black, decided to plant a few apple trees to diversify the farm and, with their four kids, planted the first trees together in the spring of 1986. The idea came partially from Pat's father, Dick Breeden, who was the founder of Wauconda Orchards in the Chicagoland area. Dick and two of his children, Rick and Nancy, operated Wauconda Orchards until 2001.
