Coleman's Christmas Tree Farm
A 330-acre family tree farm east of Odessa — free-admission pumpkin weekends with hayrides and a big playground in fall, then cut-your-own trees and Santa on December weekends.
550 Silver Run Rd, Middletown, DE 19709 · About 35–40 minutes
Hours
Hours not posted
Last checked 2026-09-22
- Cost
- Free
- Best for
- All ages
- Typical visit
- 1–2 hours
The Quick Version
- • A family farm on Route 9, three miles east of Odessa, run by the Coleman family since 1932 — and one of Delaware's biggest Christmas tree farms.
- • Fall: u-pick pumpkins, free hayrides, a large playground and an ice cream shop. For 2026, the pumpkin patch opens weekends 9am–5pm starting Saturday, September 26. Free admission and free parking.
- • Christmas: cut-your-own trees from the Friday after Thanksgiving, free hayrides out to the tree fields, and Santa on most December weekends. Bring your own camera — Santa photos are free.
- • Cash or check only. There's an ATM in the gift shop.
Best Ages
All ages
Plan For
1–2 hours
Admission
Free
What to Expect
Coleman's is a 330-acre farm on Route 9, three miles east of Odessa, that has been in the Coleman family since 1932. It was a dairy farm until 1951. The first Christmas trees went in in 1955, and by the mid-1980s the whole farm grew them. It's enrolled in Delaware's Farmland Preservation program, so it will stay a farm, and it bills itself as having the largest selection of plantation-grown Christmas trees in Delaware.
For families there are two seasons. In fall, the pumpkin patch opens on weekends, 9am to 5pm — for 2026, starting Saturday, September 26. Admission and parking are free, hayrides are free, and there's a large playground plus the Ice Cream Shoppe. You pay for pumpkins and treats, in cash or check (there's an ATM in the gift shop).
The Christmas season starts the Friday after Thanksgiving. Choose and cut your own tree or buy one pre-cut, then pick up wreaths, roping and greens. Free hayrides run out to the tree fields daily, weather permitting. On weekends the Bake Shoppe serves baked goods and hot drinks with seats to warm up, and there's a food truck. Santa visits on most December weekends. Photos are free with your own camera, and you can call ahead to check he'll be there.
The farm also books private evening bonfires for groups in September, October and early November, with a hayride, the fire and cider included.
Who It's Best For
Toddlers and preschoolers get the hayride, the playground and a small pumpkin to carry. School-age kids can help pick the tree and ride out to the fields. Santa visits make December the big one for kids who still believe.
Highlights
Fall pumpkin weekends
All agesU-pick pumpkins, free hayrides, the large playground and the Ice Cream Shoppe. Weekends 9am–5pm from September 26, 2026. Free admission and parking.
Cut-your-own Christmas trees
All agesFrom the Friday after Thanksgiving. Free hayrides to the tree fields daily, weather permitting; pre-cut trees, wreaths and roping too.
Santa on December weekends
Ages 1–8Santa visits on most December weekends. Photos with your own camera are free. Call ahead to confirm a specific day.
The Ice Cream Shoppe
All agesHomemade, hand-dipped ice cream by the ounce, open during both pumpkin and Christmas tree seasons.
Private bonfires
Birthday parties, scout troops and big family groupsEvening bonfires for groups in September, October and early November: hayride, fire and 2 gallons of cider included. Bring food to cook over the fire; no alcohol.
What to Skip with Little Ones
- • Showing up without cash or a checkbook — no cards (the gift-shop ATM is the backup).
- • Coming on a weekday in fall — the pumpkin patch runs on weekends.
- • Promising Santa on a specific day without calling first — he's there most December weekends, not all.
Logistics
Admission
Free admission
Free admission and free parking during both pumpkin and Christmas seasons, and the hayrides are free. You pay for what you take home — pumpkins, trees, wreaths — and for ice cream ($0.95 an ounce, hand-dipped). Cash or check only; there's an ATM in the gift shop. Private bonfires cost $560 for the first 35 people plus $16 per additional person, including a hayride, the fire and 2 gallons of cider — call (302) 378-8949 to book. Tree prices aren't posted online.
Membership tip: Special-order and very large wreaths should be ordered ahead of time.
Getting There
Parking
Free parking on the farm.
Entrance
550 Silver Run Rd (Route 9), on the right side heading east from Odessa. The farm's directions: take DE-299 east through Odessa, turn left on Taylor's Bridge Road, left on Thomas Landing Road, left at the stop sign at Thomas Corner, then bear right onto Route 9 (Silver Run Road).
Parent Logistics
Not confirmed. Pumpkin and tree fields are farm ground, so a wagon or rugged stroller will do better than a city stroller — and you'll want something to haul pumpkins.
Not confirmed — ask on arrival.
Not confirmed — plan to change in the car.
Not confirmed. Fields are open; the gift shop has a front porch with big wooden rockers.
Food & Snacks
The Ice Cream Shoppe is open during pumpkin and Christmas tree seasons — homemade, hand-dipped, $0.95 an ounce, with flavors like cotton candy and peppermint chip plus root beer floats. The gift shop sells drinks, snacks and candy. In the Christmas season, the Bake Shoppe (baked goods and hot drinks, with seating) and a food truck are there on weekends.
Snack strategy: Bring cash for ice cream and snacks. Private bonfire groups can bring their own food to cook over the fire; no alcohol is allowed.
Pro Tips
- ✓ Cash or check only. The ATM is in the gift shop.
- ✓ Hayrides are free in both seasons, so the whole outing can cost just a pumpkin and an ice cream.
- ✓ Bring your own camera for Santa — photos are free.
- ✓ Order special or very large wreaths ahead of time.
- ✓ The homepage can still show last season's message; check their Facebook for this week's hours.
When to Go
Best Time to Visit
Fall weekends (9am–5pm) for pumpkins, hayrides and the playground. December weekends for tree cutting, the Bake Shoppe and Santa. Call ahead if you want to be sure Santa is there on a given day.
Seasonal Notes
Pumpkin season: weekends 9am–5pm starting Saturday, September 26, 2026, through October, with free hayrides and the Ice Cream Shoppe open. Bonfire bookings: evenings in September, October and early November. Christmas season: opens the Friday after Thanksgiving for cut-your-own trees, with free hayrides to the tree fields daily (weather permitting). The Bake Shoppe and the food truck are weekends only during the Christmas season, and Santa visits on most December weekends. The farm's homepage can lag between seasons, so check their Facebook for current hours.
Rainy Day?
Hayrides to the tree fields run weather permitting. The gift shop porch and the weekend Bake Shoppe give you somewhere to warm up, but this is an outdoor farm — save it for a dry day.
While You're in the Area
Historic Odessa is three miles west. Other southern New Castle County farm stops are Filasky's Produce (fall hayrides and a kids' soybean maze) west of Middletown and B&B Farms in Townsend.
Upcoming Events
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