A working heirloom apple and pear nursery near Kansas City with a corn maze, fishing, and hay wagon rides — but it runs more like a call/text/email-ahead operation than one with posted daily hours, and it's cash-and-check only.
Wagon Wheel Orchard, in Gardner, Johnson County, in the Kansas City area, is a working nursery as much as it is a u-pick orchard — it collects and propagates rare heirloom apple and pear varieties, with multiple directories describing that collection in the thousands. Alongside the picking itself, it draws families with a corn maze, hay wagon rides, fishing, and bonfires. Because the orchard’s own website couldn’t be reached during research (a connection error blocked the fetch), this record leans on third-party sources: the Gardner Chamber of Commerce, TravelKS, and Kids Out and About KC.
The standout detail here is scale of variety, not just count. Multiple directories describe Wagon Wheel’s heirloom apple and pear collection as running into the thousands — a dramatically larger number than the handful of named varieties typical of a farm sign. That figure describes the nursery’s overall propagation collection rather than a guaranteed pick list for any single visit, but it does suggest a farm run by people with a genuine, deep interest in apple and pear diversity, beyond a standard commercial operation.
While the orchard’s own site couldn’t be reached, KCParent’s 2026 U-Pick Farms guide lists Wagon Wheel as a currently-operating u-pick stop. That’s a reasonably current, locally-focused confirmation, even without a direct statement from the orchard itself.
Rather than posted daily hours, Wagon Wheel appears to run more on a contact-ahead basis. Combined with the cash-and-check-only payment policy noted across multiple listings, this points to a smaller, more personally-run operation than a large commercial farm with a staffed retail counter. If you’re planning a visit, reaching out in advance — by phone at 913-893-6050 — is the practical way to confirm availability rather than assuming you can simply show up.
The activities list — corn maze, fishing, hay wagon rides, bonfires — suggests a genuine family day out is possible here, not just a quick apple-picking errand. That combination, paired with the nursery’s rare-variety focus, makes Wagon Wheel a distinctive stop for families who also appreciate the more specialized, collector-minded side of the operation.
No specific u-pick apple varieties, season dates, hours, or prices were found in any source. Given the contact-ahead model this farm seems to follow, that’s consistent with how it appears to operate day to day.
The address is 15380 Edgerton Rd, Gardner, KS 66030. The listed coordinates are Gardner, KS city-center coordinates rather than a geocode of the Edgerton Rd address, so treat the map pin as approximate.
Wagon Wheel Orchard offers something genuinely different from a standard u-pick farm — a real heirloom nursery collection alongside family activities — but it operates on its own schedule. Contact the farm ahead of your visit, bring cash or a check, and don’t expect posted daily hours the way you might at a larger commercial orchard.
Not stated in the record. No hours or specific 2026 dates were found; the orchard is confirmed as a currently-operating u-pick stop per KCParent's 2026 U-Pick Farms guide.
You only carry a card — the farm is cash-and-check only per multiple listings.
Wagon Wheel doubles as a working nursery collecting and propagating rare heirloom apple and pear varieties, which multiple directories put in the thousands. That figure describes the nursery's overall collection, not necessarily what's available to pick on a given visit.
No — multiple listings note the farm is cash and check only.
Yes, per KCParent's 2026 U-Pick Farms guide, which lists it as a currently-operating u-pick stop.
A corn maze, fishing, hay wagon rides, and bonfires, per the record.
Not confirmed — it appears to run more like a call/text/email-ahead operation rather than one with fixed daily hours.
2026 dates had not been published when we last checked. Check with the orchard before driving out.
Pricing was not published when we last checked.
Yes — it's a pick-your-own orchard.
15380 Edgerton Rd, Gardner, KS 66030, in Johnson County. It is one of 3 orchards we track in Kansas City Area.
We track 3 orchards in Kansas City Area, 3 of which let you pick your own apples. The orchard has not published a starting price, so it cannot be compared on cost — call before you budget.
What sets it apart locally: it has a corn maze, which most Kansas City Area orchards on our list do not.
One caveat worth repeating: this orchard had not published its 2026 dates when we last checked, while 0 of the 3 orchards we track in Kansas City Area had. Treat any date you see elsewhere as last year's until the orchard confirms it.
There are 3 other orchards we track in Johnson County. All Kansas City Area orchards →
Map pin is set to the town centre. Navigate to the street address above, not the pin.
wagonwheelorchard.com
Checked September 2026.