A gigantic 60-acre corn maze in California has proven so disorienting that stressed customers have called 911 to be rescued.
Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon, a farm town with 19,000 residents, is run by Matt Cooley, a second-generation farmer who decided to grow pumpkins for Halloween and sell them on the side of the road with his children.
He was given the idea to create the maze, which is located near Interstate 80 outside of Sacramento, and has grown larger and more labyrinthine over the years, according to Los Angeles Times reported.
It has become so popular that it causes traffic jams on the freeway and resulted in the loss of customers who make numerous 911 calls to the Solano County Sheriff’s Department.
Cool Patch Pumpkins is run by Matt Cooley (left), a second-generation farmer who decided to grow pumpkins for Halloween and sell them on the side of the road with his children.
The maze has become so popular that it causes traffic jams on the freeway and causes lost customers to make numerous calls to 911 to be rescued.
Some thrill-seekers like to treat the seasonal activity like a race, while others like to take their time looking at the 10-foot stalks.
Callers are told to wait for help from staff on site or go through the cornfield to avoid the maze altogether.
Even a decade ago, calls were coming in to 911 about visitors trapped in the maze. One customer said he had been stuck for four hours. Another said it was getting close to closing time for the maze and they were worried.
The farm’s website states that those who get lost should only call 911 if there is an emergency. Instead, he advises walking between rows of corn until visitors exit the maze.
Some thrill seekers like to treat the seasonal activity like a race, while others like to take their time staring at the 10-foot stalks.
Even a decade ago, calls were coming in to 911 about visitors trapped in the maze.
The farm’s website states that those who get lost should only call 911 if there is an emergency. Instead, he advises walking between rows of corn until visitors exit the maze.
An Instagram post from Cool Patch Pumpkins asked how long it took visitors to get through the maze.
“One hour and 42 minutes,” said one user. “Not bad for having a 3-year-old with us.”
Another said it took them 45 minutes. ‘Every year is so good!’ the user wrote.
The maze is designed by Cooley’s daughter-in-law, Tayler, who says each year it has a different theme. This year there are two phrases carved into the corn: “A house divided will not stand” and “God bless America.”
A note about the Cool Patch website read: ‘This year we encourage our visitors and society as a whole to unite for the good of our nation.’
The maze is designed by Cooley’s daughter-in-law, Tayler, who says each year it has a different theme.
This year there are two phrases carved into the corn: ‘A house divided will not stand’ and ‘God bless America’
Hay bales decorated to look like giant minions from the Despicable Me franchise are easy to spot from the highway.
The maze isn’t the farm’s only attraction, as hay bales decorated to look like giant minions from the Despicable Me franchise are easy to spot from the highway.
The maze twice held the Guinness World Record for being the largest in the world, until it was usurped by a Quebec farmer in 2023.
Thrill seekers can enter the maze after paying $22 until the end of the season on October 31.