Hill Ridge Farms can be crazy during the busy fall months, but they have something to offer all year long. They have a splash pad in the spring and summer and they offer a Christmas lights hayride in the winter, but the real fun is in the Fall during their pumpkin season! It can get busy, so check their website for a list of days that are high traffic due to school trips.
When we visited we bought the superpass, which is a high cost up front but you do get tickets to Festival of lights as well. The unlimited train rides would be really nice on a day that wasn’t so crowded and you could actually go more than once.
Here’s what you can do:
Hayride.
This hayride is nice in that it is covered, has nice steps to enter (helpful we you have your hands full of toddlers and pumpkins) and it has safety railings around it. It will take you through a wooded path to a “pumpkin patch”. It is NOT an actual pumpkin patch, just a field with a bunch of pumpkins in it. I am OK with this because my 2 and 4 year old don’t really know the difference. They just love wandering around the sea of pumpkins looking for their favorite. Hayrides run on the hour and half hour.
During the months of November and December the hayride is transformed from a pumpkin patch to a Christmas lights hayride. You can ride through the fields and see the beautiful lights setup all around you.
Train ride.
This is a real train on a track, and you get two laps around the farm. You will get a great view and see seasonal paintings on hay bails and also some farm equipment. Similar to the train ride at Pullen Park.
duck races.
With the super pass each person gets a duck they can race by pumping a water pump. It was my 2 year old son’s favorite part I think.
Jumping fun.
There is a permanent jumping pillow that is now covered, which will be nice in the warmer months. For the fall, they also have a very large jack o lantern jumping pillow as well as 2-3 bounce houses. Each one is manned by a staff member that limits the number of jumpers at a time.
A variety of different swings.
They have tire swings, regular swings, and those cool horse swings.
Large Playground
Built only a couple years ago, there’s a large playground with climbing structures and swings
A hay jump
My kids didn’t really love this because the hay is itchy, but I’ve seen other kids living their best life in there!
Corn crib
We usually spend a good amount of time here. It’s basically like a giant sand box but with corn. They are limited to how many people can be in the corn crib at a time, so you may have to wait in line.
large tube style slide
My kids could go down this slide all day! There are mats provided and you walk up to the top of the hill and slide down.
Duck races.
I loved these, they were my favorite part. 🙂 Pay for a small toy duck that you can place in a water trough and race your ducks to see which one goes the fastest!
See bunnies and goats
There are tubes so you can feed the animals from a distance.
Country store and grill
if you need food. You can also bring your own food. Picnic tables and benches are scattered throughout when you need a break.
A small, tot sized maze
This is a fun little thing to run through. You probably won’t spend much time here.
Gem mining
This is an extra cost and we haven’t actually done it before.
Splash Pad
In the spring there is also a splash pad, which is great to cool off in the summer! It is closed during the fall and winter seasons.
I’m probably forgetting something. We were there about 3 hours. We brought our wagon, which was helpful but if you have an older child you may can get by without one.
Have you been there? Let me know what you think!!