2025 Whale of a Tale, designed by Kat Jenkins. Voted #1 in USA Today's 10 Best. (Photo courtesy Treworgy Family Orchards)
Aside from pumpkin patches, apple picking, and hay rides, nothing encapsulates fall better than a corn maze. Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant, Maine, knows a thing or two about constructing corn mazes, many of which have been recognized by USA Today in its annual 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards. Now, for the fourth consecutive year, the magazine has once again ranked Treworgy’s corn maze as the best in the nation.
For their 25th maze anniversary, the farm decided upon a unique and perhaps unexpected theme: “Whale of a Tale.” As its name suggests, the corn maze was designed to resemble a massive whale, in dedication to Maine children’s author Robert McCloskey and his beloved 1989 classic Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man. Notably, this maze stands as the second to be inspired by the author; in 2019, the orchard created a Blueberries for Sal-themed maze that took second place in the USA Today competition.
“McCloskey’s stories capture the heart of Maine life, and Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man celebrates the courage and determination of our commercial fishing industry,” Jonathan Kenerson, co-owner of Treworgy Family Orchards, said in a recent statement.
The farm’s award-winning maze isn’t simply inspired by McCloskey, but also by Maine’s distinct identity. The state boasts a robust fishing industry, thanks in no small part to its abundant coastline full of lobsters, oysters, mussels, and other aquatic creatures. Even its state flag is a celebration of its marine and agricultural heritage, featuring both a farmer and a sailor leaning against a golden seal.
“We wanted to highlight the twin industries that have defined Maine for generations: farming and fishing,” Kenerson adds.
Since 2018, Treworgy has consistently earned honors in USA Today’s choice awards, coming in either first or second place in the “Best Corn Maze” category. In 2023 and 2024, the family farm also won the “Best Pumpkin Patch” award and, this year, it once again placed second in the nation.
“When visiting Treworgy, you may want to hop aboard the hayride or take a horse-drawn farm tour so you can get a good look at the expansive pumpkin patch,” USA Today writes. “After all, it covers eight miles of rows!”
As for its corn mazes: “Home to the longest continually running corn maze in the state, Treworgy’s maze covers over four acres and consists of 60,000 plants grown to a height of 10 feet.”
Treworgy’s corn maze is open Tuesdays through Sundays through early November. Special night maze events are scheduled for select evenings in October, where visitors can explore the maze with flashlights “for an extra challenge,” per the farm.
To plan your own visit, check out the Treworgy Family Orchards website.
For the fourth consecutive year, Treworgy Family Orchards has won USA Today’s “Best Corn Maze” award.
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This year’s maze resembles a giant whale from above, and was inspired by Maine children’s author Robert McCloskey and his beloved 1989 classic Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man.
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Treworgy has been recognized by USA Today for its corn mazes since 2018, placing either first or second in the nation.
2024 Peter Rabbit, designed by Kat Jenkins. Voted #1 in USA Today's 10 Best. (Photo courtesy Treworgy Family Orchards)
2023 Farming for Forty, designed by Kat Jenkins. Voted #1 in USA Today's 10 Best. (Photo courtesy Treworgy Family Orchards)
2022 Winnie-the-Pooh, designed by Kat Jenkins. Voted #1 in USA Today's 10 Best. (Photo courtesy Treworgy Family Orchards)
2021 Charlotte's Web. Voted #2 in USA Today's 10 Best. (Photo courtesy Treworgy Family Orchards)
2018 Corn Ships Ahoy, designed by Jonathan Kenerson. Voted #1 in USA Today's 10 Best. (Photo courtesy Treworgy Family Orchards)
Treworgy Family Orchards: Website | Instagram
All images via Treworgy Family Orchards’ press office.
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