Best Cider Mills Near Chicago to Visit This Fall (2024)

The best cider mills near Chicago to visit this fall for fresh apple cider and cider donuts, hard cider as well as apple picking and other fun fall activities.

Cider Mills Near Chicago

apples at a cider mill

If you live in or are visiting Chicago this fall and googled “cider mill near me” you are in the right place. There are several cider mills near Chicago for those that want to enjoy fresh apple cider and cider donuts.  Most of these cider mills also offer other fun fall themed attractions and activities like apple picking, pumpkin patches, corn mazes and more.

What is a Cider Mill

A cider mill, also known as a cidery, is the location and equipment used to crush apples into apple juice for use in making apple ciderhard cider and other products derived from apples.

The mills used to make cider are usually located on or near apple orchards which are open to visitors for apple picking and other fall activities. While you can enjoy apple cider during your visit, most places also sell gallons or half-gallons of apple cider to take home with you for later. Cider will keep approximately 10-14 days in the refrigerator and it can also be frozen for up to one year so stock up while you are there!

Cider Mills Near Chicago

Below is a list of the best cider mills near Chicago to visit this fall (listed in order of distance from downtown Chicago). All the cider mills in this post are located in the Chicago area less than 2 hours driving distance from downtown.

Please note that it is too soon to know 2024 dates but you can see dates from 2023 below to get an approximate range of timing.

Kuipers Family Farm

Address: 1N145 Watson Road, Maple Park, IL 60151 (58 miles west of Chicago)

Kuipers Family Farm sells freshly pressed apple cider as well as apple cider doughnuts, home-made caramel apples, home-baked pies and cream and butter fudge. This season they have partnered with Obscurity Brewing and produced Apple Cider Donut Beer, a golden ale infused with their famous Apple Cider Donuts.

They also offer apple picking and a pumpkin farm with pumpkin picking, a corn maze, farm animals and more.

Check their facebook page and website or call (815) 827-5200 Ext. 1 for more information.

All Seasons Orchard

Address: 14510 IL Route 176, Woodstock, Illinois 60098 (60 miles northwest from downtown Chicago)

All Seasons Orchard is one of the largest u-pick apple orchards in Illinois with over 15,000 apple trees and two apple orchards.

The orchard’s Farm Market houses their state-of-the-art cider mill where you can observe the cider being pressed. Their apple cider is pressed fresh weekly and contains 100% apples and no sugar or preservatives are added. They UV treat the apple cider to remove harmful pathogens without altering the taste.

Seasonal favorites including apple cider donuts, freshly pressed apple cider, scratch hand dipped caramel apples, kettle corn and more are all made on-site at the farm. They have a drive thru located near the exit which is stocked with donuts, cider and some of their most popular farm market items.

They also have apple picking and a barnyard with over 30 family-friendly activities including a petting zoo, corn maze and a pumpkin patch).

Check their facebook page and website for more information.

Prairie Sky Orchard

Address: 4914 N. Union Road, Union, IL 60180 (61 miles northwest from downtown Chicago)

Dates and Hours: Opens September 21, 2023

Prairie Sky Orchard has more than a dozen varieties of pre-picked and U-pick apples. Their Store sells fresh cider (in gallons and 1/2 gallons), fresh cider doughnuts on weekends, raw honey, jams, salsas & butters, and several varieties of pies. The orchard also offers apple picking but U-pick quantities are limited – check their facebook page and website or call (815) 923-4834 for updates. Parking and admission are free.

Honey Hill Orchard

Address: 11783 Waterman Rd., Waterman, IL 60556 (66 miles west of downtown Chicago)

Dates and Hours: 9:00-5:30 daily through October 31, 2023

Honey Hill Orchard is a family-owned and operated orchard with 25 varieties of apples.

The bakery sells fresh apple cider (100% pure raw juice from their apples with no sugar or other additives) as well as Apple Cider Donuts, Honey, Caramel Apples and Fresh Baked Pies.

In addition to pick your own apples, the farm has pick your own raspberries. There is also a free Children’s Play Area with farm petting zoo and straw maze and weekend wagon rides.

Check their facebook page and website or call (815) 264-3337 for most current information.

Jonamac Orchard

Address: 19412 Shabbona Road, Malta, IL 60150 (70 miles west of downtown Chicago)

Jonamac Orchard is a three generational family farm owned and operated since 1984 with over 20,000 apple trees.

Jonamac Orchard’s Cider House is home to their cider pressing operation and tasting room for their apple wines and hard ciders made from apples grown and freshly pressed on their farm. You can also watch them press their fresh apple cider on select days.

The Country Store and Bakery sells fresh apple cider as well as a wide variety of special made jams, jellies, sauces, and their own apple butter, as well as numerous gifts and crafts. They also sell apple donuts, apple pies, hand made caramel apples, homemade fudge, and other fresh baked goods. They also offer curbside pick-up – you can place your order online and it will be available the next day.

The farm offers apple picking, a U-Pick pumpkin patch, corn maze and other activities for kids including a petting zoo and a Barn Yard play area. Check their facebook page and website for detailed information, including pricing and hours.

Brightonwoods Orchard

Address: 1072 288th Avenue, Burlington, WI 53105 (about 72 miles from Chicago)

Brightonwoods Orchard is a family run orchard featuring over 150 apple varieties, seeded and seedless grapes, quince and pears. They are not a pick your own orchard, but visitors are free to roam through the orchard and woods trail.  There is no admission fee and they allow dogs on a leash. Check their facebook page and website for more information.

They sell apple cider made on the premises and treated with Ultra-Violet light from their Apple Barn. Other products include locally sourced, squash, gourds, pumpkins, popcorn, honey, maple syrup and Wisconsin cheese and also carry jams, jellies and baking mixes.

AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery is a separate business located on-site at Brightonwoods Orchard. They are a producer of small batch cider, perry and spirits and specialize in apple and pear fruit wines, hard ciders and dessert wines. An on-site distillery also allows the winery to produce special brandies and sorghum whiskey. Brightonwoods Orchard carries their wine in their Apple Barn or you can make a trip to the winery for a tasting and additional products.

Royal Oak Farm Orchard

Address: 15908 Hebron Rd. Harvard, IL 60033 (about 77 miles northwest of Chicago)

Royal Oak Farm is a 160-acre orchard with 20,000 apple trees in over 30 varieties, along with pumpkins, gourds and squash. In addition to apple picking, Royal Oak is also home to the country’s only apple tree maze and many family fun activities including a train, carousel, hayrides, petting zoo and playground. Check their facebook page and website or call (815) 648-4141 for most current information.

Their bakery sells fresh fudge, hand dipped caramel apples, homemade pies and its famous apple cider donuts and the country kitchen for home-cooked chicken pot pies and hand breaded chicken tenders.

They have an online shop where you can purchase their products online for curbside pick-up at the farm, pick-up at their farmer’s market locations, or local home delivery. They also offer national home delivery for their apples and their popular Honeycrisp Sparkling Cider.

Edwards Apple Orchard West

Address: 8218 Cemetery Rd, Winnebago, IL 61088 (98 miles northwest of Chicago)

Dates and Hours: Open daily 9am-6pm daily. They generally open in late August and close the weekend after Thanksgiving in November.

Edwards Apple Orchard West features 18 different varieties of crisp apples from over 5,000 trees, freshly made apple cider, and their apple cider donuts. They also offer apple picking, a pumpkin patch with pick-ur-own pumpkins and pick-ur-own raspberries. There is also a children’s play area which includes a wooden bus and train, a school house, corn cribs with troughs of corn for kids to play in and our petting farm complete with a goat walk. Check their facebook page and website for most current information.

Grandpa’s Cider Mill at Jollay Orchards

 

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Address: 1850 Friday Rd, Coloma, MI 49038

Distance from Chicago: 109 miles from Chicago (about 1 hour 45 minutes)

Dates: September 3- October 30, 2023

Hours: Friday, Saturday & Sunday: 10am-5:30pm (EST)

Grandpa’s Cider Mill at Jollay Orchards makes freshed pressed apple cider and delicious cider donuts. They also have a Cider Bar, offering unique and unforgettable flavored cider. Jollay Orchards offers apple picking and other fun fall attractions including a corn maze, a haunted house, an animal farm, hay rides and more. They only accept cash so stop by the ATM before your visit.

Check their facebook page and website for most current information.

Have you visited any cider mills near Chicago?

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