If you live in the Central Florida area, or are visiting in the Fall, there are a lot of amazing local attractions to take advantage of in our area. This is a great way to support the community, as well as local businesses. Scott’s Maze Adventure is one such place! I was born in Lake County, in the small town of Eustis, FL, and appreciate all things Florida, and particularly Central Florida. We are home to Walt Disney World, but this area also includes so many wonderful attractions and things for families to do, it is a great place to raise children and build a life. Long and Scott Farms in Zellwood, FL helps make Central Florida so welcoming for families.
Long and Scott Farms is a family owned business, that was established in 1963. It is a real, working farm, with crops of corn, cabbage, and cucumbers. We have been going to the farm for several years in the Fall for their annual corn maze. Over the past several years that we have been attending, they have added more and more attractions, with very little, if any, increase in price. The cost is $12/person, with children 3 and under being free. There is an additional cost of $4 for the hay ride, and also an additional cost for fishing. We have never done either of these additional activities, since we always have more than enough to do with what’s included in the base price.
A few words about the price. This is incredibly reasonable, particularly in comparison to other “fall” activities in the area. I find it very admirable that they also do not charge for those 3 and under. This makes a big difference for young families or large families. Also, similarly to Disney World, Long and Scott’s allows outside food to be brought in. They do not allow large coolers, but otherwise, you can bring water, snacks, sandwiches, soda, or whatever your family needs. They also have many wonderful food vendors on sight, but allowing outside food is really a game changer for our family. When big families are considering entertainment for their children, the cost of food and drink is always a consideration. Buying slushies or hot dogs for kids may not seem like a big deal, but when a big family has to buy 7 hot dogs, or 7 bags of chips, or 7 water bottles, this really adds up. We really appreciate Long and Scott’s decision to allow outside food. They are truly a family friendly, and budget friendly attraction.
After you purchase your tickets, you will then wait a few minutes before entering the farm, where you will watch an instructional video. In the waiting area, there are several older mazes and play structures that my kids adore. They have no idea we are waiting, and not just playing. Once you enter the video viewing area, an employee instructs you on the rules, the theme, and the basic idea of the maze. The video is short, sweet, and there are large fans blowing to keep you cool. There are some simple rules like no vulgar language, no smoking in the maze, no picking corn, and no busting through the ribbons that establish the lines of the maze. Pretty easy to abide by and also another way that Long and Scott’s Maze Adventure is creating a kid-friendly and safe environment.
After watching the video, you are free to run around the farm! The first attraction that most people do, since it is right outside the video viewing area, is the large 60 foot super slide. My 4 year old was too scared to go down the big tube today, but I believe she did it last year, when she was just 3. It’s slow, but fun, and my kids did it several times today in our time at Long and Scott’s.
Next, my kids ran to the zip line! My oldest son is now too old to ride, and is pretty sad about that. The weight limit is 100 lbs, and there is also a height restriction on a post in front of the zip line. But there are plenty of other things for him to do, and he ran off happily to spend extra time at the playground. The four younger kids rode the zip line, and then we were off to one of our favorites, the rope maze! At many other places we have been, zip lines are an additional cost, so it is really a treat to get to ride over and over again at Long and Scott’s.
The rope maze is a simple design, but very fun! I’ve seen several people pass by this maze, but in our opinion, it is one of the most fun attractions. Family members race to get to the platform with the bell! We enjoy doing it over and over again and appreciate the many different types of mazes that are available. There is also a “Cornfusion” tree maze, that is permanent and in the shape of an ear of corn! Our family usually skips this one because of the prevalence of spiders and spider webs, but if this doesn’t bother your group, it is also a fun and different maze to try out.
Next, we ventured into the main attraction; the large corn maze! We have heard that this can take up to two hours to complete, if you do every single task on the maze guide. In years past, we have actually completed every question and shading, and it has taken at least an hour, but this year, we chose a day to attend Long and Scott’s where the “feels like” temperature was 100 degrees. Oh Florida Fall… So, we made a family goal to make it out of the maze in a timely fashion, without rushing, and also filled in a few boxes and questions along the way. The maze and design is really amazing, and can be challenging for people of any age. You are given a flag that can be raised for emergency assistance, and there are clues and tips along the way. There is also an elevated platform where you can look out over the maze, and plan your path. There is also water for sale at this location, which is very helpful and great planning on the part of Long and Scott’s.
Several years ago, when we had babies along, we would skip this large maze and only do the smaller maze. Depending on the temperature and age of your group members, you may want to consider the same, but the large maze is very fun and actually quite challenging! Long and Scott’s have the space and have spent the time to make this a real, legitimate corn maze. In my travels around the country, I have never seen another like it! The designs that they create year after year are really incredible. This year’s theme is “First Responders,” which is quite appropriate after the challenging year that the state of Florida has experienced after Hurricane Irma. Throughout the maze, there are several educational questions about emergency services, and as part-time homeschoolers, we appreciated this opportunity to integrate learning into fun, family time. And where else can you get such adorable pictures?
After we made it out of the large maze, we went over to the smaller “fingerprint” maze, as we call it. In this maze, you find 5 color stations, and mark each finger of your right hand with a different color. When you exit the maze, having completed all 5 stations, you will match up your particular colors in order to reveal a “fortune.” This is our children’s favorite part of the whole Long and Scott’s experience. It is a good amount of time for them to spend in the maze, they feel like they can easily accomplish something, and it’s fun to see the silly saying that goes along with your particular color combo!
After this, we went over to the jumping pillow, epic fort playground, mist maze, and sand pit. Remember to bring socks for the jumping pillow! If you forget them, they have socks for sale at a reasonable price. Or, if you have a big family like us, you can just have the kids that did wear socks give them to their siblings who did not, when they are done jumping. While we were doing all of these activities, it started to sprinkle some, but that was no problem for the operation. I’m sure in the case of serious inclement weather, safety would have to be their first concern and closing would be necessary, but on our afternoon at Long and Scott’s Maze Adventure, it was a welcome relief from the heat.
We went on the see saw, climbed tires, played corn hole, took lots of pictures, and had a wonderful time! Several kids did the super slide and zip line again, and ran around like free, happy children. In my opinion, only one or two of the attractions provided by Long and Scott’s would be enough to justify the admission price. You could spend hours and hours at this wonderful location in Zellwood. The employees are friendly and helpful, you do not feel like you are being nickeled and dimed for each and every little thing, and you experience Florida fall with your family. Sometimes, here in Florida, when the heat index doesn’t make you feel like it’s actually Autumn, we have to create our own type of fall by decorating, lighting candles, and having pumpkin spice everything. Long and Scott’s Maze Adventure helps to give Floridians an authentic Fall experience, no matter the weather. It is truly part of what makes living in Central Florida magical.
Long and Scott’s Maze Adventure is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10-5 from September 30-December 10. There are a few additional weekdays around Thanksgiving when they are also open, and have several special discount weekends for Scouts, Veterans, and others. They also have an adorable Country Market and Cafe, with some delicious offerings and home decor items. Their corn took a hit this year from Hurricane Irma, but they were even very fair to their customers in this difficult situation.
Be sure to check their website at www.longandscottfarms.com and also their Facebook page for details. We were provided with admission in exchange for this fair and unbiased review. But we will be back, year after year, for as long as they are open, to make more memories with our family. We were recommending this place long before I had a place to write about it!
Go visit and tell them Amber sent you! You won’t find a better deal in town for some Fall fun. Go get lost!
