Dollinger Family Farm

What Dollinger Family Farm does

Dollinger Family Farm is a privately held, family-owned seasonal agritourism operation located at 7420 E. Hansel Road, Channahon, Illinois. The land has been in the Dollinger family since 1852 and was originally platted as the town of Dresden, IL in 1836; the current pumpkin and agritourism business was launched by John and Noreen Dollinger in 1989. The site operates only from approximately September 14 through October 30 each year, drawing families, school groups, and corporate clients to a fixed set of physical attractions: a pumpkin patch, a four-acre corn maze, the Dollinger Express train ride, hay rides, an observation Bee Barn, a Tipi and Native American exhibit, a corn bin experience, farm animal viewing, multiple play structures, face painting, gem mining, and preserved 19th-century structures including the Mule Barn (1834) and Rutherford's Tavern (1834).

The business runs on a free general admission model with monetized add-on attractions, on-site retail, and group events. Ticketed attractions price between $4.50 and $10 per person (corn maze, train ride, hay ride, face painting; field trip packages at $8, $9, and $10); pumpkins retail from $1 to $25 by size. Adjacent revenue streams include the Engine Shop food concession (homemade fudge, donuts, caramel apples, kettle corn, plus a partnership with local vendor Pizza for U on weekends), a daily gift shop selling jams, jellies, pickles, honey, and seasonal decor, and three dedicated group event lines: birthday parties with reserved coordinator-led slots, weekday school field trip packages with minimum participant thresholds, and customizable corporate event packages with employee gift vouchers. A separate paid photography session offering ($100 professional fee) monetizes the site's visual assets.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through the farm's website (dollingerfarms.com), an organic social presence on Facebook and Instagram, on-site ticketing, and word-of-mouth driven by repeat "fall tradition" visits from regional Illinois families. The company has 11-50 employees, no external funding, no parent or subsidiary structure, and is independently operated by the Dollinger family with no documented AI, software platform, or technology stack beyond standard web and e-commerce infrastructure.

Name

Dollinger Family Farm

Legal name

Dollinger Family Farms

Website

https://dollingerfarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dollinger Family Farm is a privately held, family-owned seasonal agritourism destination in Channahon, Illinois, operating September through October. It serves families, school groups, and corporate clients with a pumpkin patch, corn maze, train and hay rides, food, gift shop, and group event packages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agritourism Services

NAICS

Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Table & Agritourism Dining Experiences (Farm Visits, Harvest Meals) (THAJAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE), Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO), Farmstay B&Bs & Agritourism Inns (THAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Agritourism services
• Pumpkin farm operations
• Fall family attractions
• Farm venue events
• Seasonal farm experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Channahon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. General Admission: Free admission to the farm grounds, with paid attractions for corn maze, train rides, and other activities.
2. Attraction Tickets: Revenue from individual attraction admissions including corn maze ($4.50), train rides ($4.50), hay rides ($6), face painting ($4.50-$9), and gem mining.
3. Pumpkin and Produce Sales: Sales of pumpkins ($1-$25 depending on size), gourds, squash, corn shocks, straw bales, mums, mini pumpkins, and farm-fresh honey.
4. Food and Refreshments: Sales of homemade fudge (15+ flavors), donuts, caramel apples, roasted nuts, honey sticks, coffee, hot chocolate, cider, kettle corn, and partner-provided pizza items.
5. Birthday Party Packages: Two-hour reserved party slots with coordinator assistance for weekend parties during the September-October season.
6. Field Trip Packages: Group packages for school field trips including Play Package ($8), Guided Tour Package ($9), and Guided Tour with Train Ride ($10).
7. Corporate Events and Gift Vouchers: Customized corporate event packages with gift vouchers that employees can redeem for family day at the farm.
8. Gift Shop Sales: Sales of fall/Halloween decorations, gifts, costume accessories, Dollinger jams, jellies, Habanero Chunk Pickles, and farm-fresh honey.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dollinger Family Farm operates a seasonal agritourism destination in Channahon, Illinois (open September 14 – October 30) offering a free-admission farm experience with paid attractions including a four-acre corn maze, Dollinger Express train rides, hay rides, face painting, gem mining, and a pumpkin patch. The farm also hosts ticketed birthday parties, school field trips, and corporate events, and operates on-site food and gift shop venues selling homemade fudge, donuts, pumpkins, and farm-branded goods.

Product overview

Dollinger Family Farm is a seasonal agritourism destination operating from September through late October in Channahon, Illinois. The farm offers a unified visitor experience combining agricultural activities (pumpkin picking, corn maze), recreational play areas, educational experiences (farm animals, bee barn, historical buildings), and special events (birthday parties, field trips, corporate events). On-site food services include the Engine Shop serving homemade fudge, donuts, and pizza. The Gift Shop retails farm products including honey, jams, and pickles. Ticket-based admission covers general farm access, with additional fees for specific attractions like the corn maze, train rides, hay rides, and face painting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Pumpkin Farm Seasonal pumpkin patch offering a variety of pumpkins for carving, decorating, and cooking, plus gourds, squash, corn shocks, straw bales, mums, and mini pumpkins. Prices range from $1 to $25 depending on size. Open to general public visitors.
• The Corn Maze

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pizza for UminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal pizza vendor operating within the Engine Shop on weekends. Offers pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, beef calzone, Italian beef, garlic poor boy, and nachos. Can be purchased as meals with soda and chips. Pasta salad available as substitute for additional charge.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Goebbert's Pumpkin Patch & Farm: Large-scale Illinois pumpkin farm in Hampshire with corn maze, animal barn, fall food, and family attractions; closely comparable in product mix, seasonal window, and Chicago-area draw.
• Sonny Acres Farm: West Chicago, Illinois fall farm destination with pumpkins, corn maze, and family activities; comparable in seasonal agritourism positioning within the Chicago metro market.
• Abbey Farms: Aurora, Illinois farm with a pumpkin festival, corn maze, and family fall activities; comparable regional peer with overlapping product mix and target family segment.
• Heap's Giant Pumpkin Farm: Minooka, Illinois pumpkin farm located within minutes of Dollinger; directly comparable local competitor with similar seasonal agritourism offering in the same immediate geography.
• Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm: Family-owned pumpkin farm and fall agritourism destination in Homer Glen, Illinois, offering a corn maze, hayrides, pig races, and similar paid attractions in the southwest Chicago suburbs — directly comparable in geography, scale, and offering.
• Siegel's Cottonwood Farm: Multi-generation Illinois pumpkin farm in Crest Hill offering a corn maze, haunted attractions, pumpkins, and fall family entertainment, operating in the same Chicago southwest corridor with a similar seasonal direct-to-consumer model.
• Didier Farms: Long-established family farm in Prairie View, Illinois offering a pumpkin patch, corn maze, and farm market; comparable as a multi-generational agritourism operation with on-site retail produce sales.

Regional players

• Linvilla Orchards: Long-running pick-your-own farm and fall agritourism destination in Pennsylvania; comparable seasonal family entertainment model with pumpkins, corn maze, and food offerings, but in a different regional market.
• Cox Farms: Large-scale fall festival and agritourism operation in Centreville, Virginia; comparable business model (admission + attractions + food + retail) but operates in a different regional market.

Broad incumbents

• The MAiZE: Largest corn maze branding and consulting company in North America; comparable because the four-acre corn maze is a core Dollinger attraction, and The MAiZE sets design and operational benchmarks for the category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dollingerfamilyfarm
• Xx.com/dollingerfarm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dollinger Family Farm