Richardson farm honors 100 years of Scouting
For 10 years, the Richardson family has created the world's largest corn maze at its Spring Grove farm, featuring yearly themes recognizing topics ranging from Louis and Clark's expedition to the 20th anniversary of the Chicago Bears championship.
This fall, the family honors the 100th anniversary of Scouting on their 28-acre maze.
George Richardson, among the fifth and sixth generation family members to run the farm, said the maze begins as a sketch, which is submitted to a company in Idaho called MazePlay.com and is transferred to a computer.
When the corn is 10 inches tall, the trails are cut into the maze using a global positioning unit and three tractors equipped with rototillers. Richardson said it takes two days to create the maze.
"We're happy with our designer, of course," he said. "We've got our system down."
Richardson said the family knew a couple of years ago they would honor Scouting's anniversary as its theme. But the design came after he and wife Wendy watched the Rose Bowl parade.
"We saw a float in the parade celebrating Scouting's 100th anniversary and thought that's how they want to portray themselves. So the maze design is created around elements on the float," he said.
Among those elements are mountain biking, hiking, a zip line, a campfire scene and a young boy showing a Scout salute.
Richardson said the farm also features a five-acre maze about 800 feet away that celebrates the 500th anniversary of the first decorated Christmas tree.
The corn maze, which is open through Halloween, features four smaller sections, and games await visitors within them. It includes a finger fortune maze designed for smaller kids, and a quiz that helps guide participants on where to turn to get through the maze. There is also Farm Scene Investigation where a map helps investigators visit checkpoints to solve the maze.
Other events and activities are also planned through Halloween.
On Oct. 17, the corniest race ever is planned as Richardson Adventure Farm hosts a charity 5K run. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the race will start at 8:30 a.m. A children's 100-meter maze dash for ages 8 and younger will begin at 9:30 a.m.
Participants will start outside the corn maze and will then weave their way through the farm's 33-acre corn maze on a marked course. Money raised will go to Special Olympics Illinois.
Richardson Adventure Farm features other amenities including a 50-foot-tall observation tower, a picnic area and free wagon rides to the remote maze and expanded pumpkin field.
For details, visit richardsonadventurefarm.com or call (815) 679-9729.
If you goWhat: Richardson Adventure FarmWhere: 9407 Richardson Road, Spring GroveHours: 3 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 3 to 11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 31. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Cost: Admission is $12.95 for ages 13 and older, $9.95 for ages 4 to 12, and free for kids younger than 3. Other amenities cost extra.Details: (815) 675-9729 or richardsonadventurefarm.comFalse15002000A tower overlooking the corn maze at Richardson Adventure Farm in Spring Grove will help workers spot patrons who get lost in the maze.Courtesy of Richardson Adventure FarmFalse