There is a particular kind of joy that comes from being genuinely lost in a cornfield on a crisp October afternoon, with nothing more pressing to figure out than which rustling row leads to the next clue. That is exactly the feeling waiting for you at Schopf’s Hilltop Dairy Farm & Corn Maze, a working family farm tucked just outside of Green Bay in the rolling countryside of Suamico — close enough to the city that you can make it a spontaneous weekend decision, far enough out that the horizon opens up and the noise of the week genuinely fades.
The Schopf family has been farming this land for generations, and when fall rolls around, they transform their property into one of the most enthusiastically attended seasonal attractions in the greater Green Bay area. The centerpiece is the corn maze itself — a multi-acre labyrinth carved each year into a new design, often tied to a theme that rewards the curious. Families with young kids, couples looking for something different than dinner and a movie, and groups of friends who are absolutely certain they can navigate without help all show up here, and most of them are humbled and delighted in equal measure.
But the maze is only the beginning. The farm keeps its autumn operation packed with things to do. There is a pumpkin patch where you wander the rows and pick your own, which turns out to be far more satisfying than grabbing one off a grocery store pallet. Hayrides bounce you around the property, offering views of the countryside that remind you exactly why this part of Wisconsin earns its pastoral reputation. Younger visitors take to the barnyard animal area with the kind of unbridled enthusiasm that is contagious even for the adults who came along as chaperones.
On weekends, the energy on the property is something close to a neighborhood gathering. You will see families who have clearly been coming for years, teenagers who think they are too old for this but cannot stop grinning, and grandparents taking in the whole scene with the satisfied expression of people who know a good tradition when they see one. Warm cider and fall treats are on hand, and the staff has the easygoing warmth of people who genuinely love what they do.
Plan to arrive with a couple of hours to spare — more if you are the type to linger in a pumpkin patch. Dress in layers, wear shoes you do not mind getting muddy, and leave the rigid schedule at home. Schopf’s Hilltop is the kind of place that reminds you autumn in Wisconsin is not just a season to endure before winter — it is one of the best reasons to live here, or to visit.
Admission is modest and well worth every dollar. Check their seasonal hours before you head out, as the farm operates on a fall schedule that typically runs from late September through October. Once you have been, it has a way of ending up on your annual calendar without you even deciding to put it there.
