Central Pennsylvania offers the perfect balance between urban and suburban areas. Harrisburg has the restaurants, culture, high rises, and gorgeous architecture you’d expect of a state capital. But just a few miles away, the sidewalks give way to pastures, and the rolling fields support a great many family farms, where cows and chickens roam.
These fully functioning farms often welcome visitors. Many in Central PA have activities designed for children and families, including picking fruit, petting animals, or playing “farmer.” Are you ready for a fun day outside the city exploring the farms around you? Then head to any of the places on this list for a day you’ll treasure for years to come.
Paulus Orchards has a sprawling orchard in Dillsburg that caters to families and has fun activities for people of all ages. The farm features special events throughout the summer and into the fall.
It hosts a Fall Fun on the Farm event during September and October that kids seven and under adore. It includes a corn maze, tube slides, tether ball, horseshoes, a giant game of checkers, and much more. Families can also pick apples in the orchard or find the perfect jack-o-lantern in the pumpkin patch. The summertime offers similar opportunities to enter a playland where kids can zoom around on pedal karts or play dress the scarecrow.
Cost: $5 for kids three and older in the summer; $9 for those ages three to 65, and $5 for seniors in the fall.
If you want a place where you can spend an entire day, then take the family to Cherry Crest. This farm just outside of Lancaster dates back several centuries, and it currently serves as a cattle, chicken, and crop farm on more than 300 acres.
The owners added a corn maze years ago, and things took off from there. Now when you visit Cherry Crest Farm, you can take part in loads of fun family activities, such as:
The farm also hosts seasonal events and sells tasty food – the kettle corn is definitely worth sampling. Or bring your own picnic lunch if you prefer.
Cost: Varies by season, but ranges from $12-$30 depending on the pass you purchase, or you can purchase a season pass for $60.
The Goldfinch Farm in York grows a wide selection of delicious vegetables and fruits, such as:
You can find endless combinations of veggies that would go perfectly with the house-made salad mix. That’s likely why the farm’s Community-supported Agriculture program thrives. You’ll also discover a cute wooden train at the farm that kids will love to play on.
Cost: Call for pricing details.
This working farm in Lancaster has been in operation for six decades and is one of the animal farms your kids will love. You can take a bus tour of the countryside, which includes a visit to a one-room schoolhouse. The farm has a wide variety of animals, such as baby chicks, donkeys, a miniature horse, turkeys, and more.
Kids can also learn by watching sheep shearing events that happen regularly throughout the season. A corn maze also opens in July where families can test their sense of adventure and direction.
Cost: Basic bus tour is $22.95 for adults over 12, $21.95 for seniors over 60, $15.95 for kids 5-11, $4.95 for kids four and under.
Or skip the bus tour and get general admission instead: $9.95 for ages 12-59, $8.95 for seniors over 60, $6.95 for kids five to 11, free for kids four and under.
Nestled in Hellam, near York, Flinchbaugh’s has been providing some of the most delectable fruits and veggies in the region for years. If you want to get an authentic apple-, peach-, or pumpkin-picking experience, then head to the farm, where you can find peaches perfect for canning or eating right off the tree, along with pumpkins and apples that will make all your fall baked goods taste heavenly.
Cost: Peaches – $10 for a half-peck, $12 for a half-bushel; apples – $7 for a 6-pound bag, $12 for a 10-pound bag, $20 for a $20-pound bag; pumpkins – $2 to $10, based on size.
Whether you’re looking for spring and summer activities or you have kids eager to get out of the house, you can find a fun place to visit from our list of farm locations in Central PA. Best of all, your kids will learn as they explore. Farms have so many exciting activities and teach kids a lot about nature and the process of producing and preserving food.
We’re proud to live in a region with such robust agriculture, and we love sharing these places with our members. Compared to other family activities, visiting a farm can be a real bargain that allows for priceless memories to be made. Remember, you can always find more information on money-saving tips on our WalletWorks page.
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