**The owners of the farm decided to close in 2023 while they focus on family**
There’s a new outdoor family entertainment destination in the Triangle! Lazy Hound Farm in Zebulon just had their grand opening in August 2020 and it’s a great spot to take the kids for some outdoor farm fun. The farm includes a corn maze, hay rides, tractor train rides, farm animals, sunflower field, farm slide, and playground.
The owners plan to offer pumpkins in the Fall and have lots of ideas to add more attractions to the space in the next few years! It’s very similar to Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville if you’ve ever been out there, so I’m excited to see something like this offered in East Wake!
Admission Price
As you enter the farm you are greeted by the ticketing booth. Admission is $8 per person and kids 2 and under are free. Your admission covers everything but the hay ride, which is an additional $3 per person. I recommend adding on the hay ride in the fall when they have pumpkins. Otherwise, you can ride the tractor train as much as you want for free!
Tractor Train Ride
The tractor train ride is great for the younger preschool age kids. The older elementary kids didn’t seem as thrilled about it, but they still rode anyway so the verdict is still out on that one!
The ride was a slow loop around the kiddie corn maze. I think the older kids would have liked it more if it went a bit faster, but I appreciated the speed so it didn’t get very bumpy. There is no height or weight limit so I was able to ride with the kids, although there wasn’t much leg room for an adult. You must ride one person per barrel so your child will have to ride alone. My 2.5 year old was able to ride alone without any issues. It helped a lot that the tractor operator also kept a close eye to make sure no one was standing up or doing anything crazy.
Hay Ride
The trailer for the hayride was one of the best I’ve seen! It was completely caged in so I didn’t have to worry about anyone falling out or leaning over the side. It also offered a great back rest unlike some hayrides I’ve been on.
The ride took a long loop throughout the entire 56 acres of the property. We were able to get a good view of the big corn maze and the sunflower field. I assume the ride will also stop somewhere in the Fall and let you pick out a pumpkin, but you’ll have to check their website for more information about their pumpkin plans.
Corn Maze and Kiddie Maze
I didn’t attempt the large corn maze because getting lost in a field with toddlers is literally my worst nightmare. But we did try out the kiddie maze and it was a great size for young kids. My 5 year old ran right through it in a couple minutes and there weren’t a lot of twists and turns so it was easy to find her if needed.
Farm Animals
On the farm you will find a few friendly cows and some chickens. As a part of our admission we were given a cup of food to feed the animals. I just stuck my arm through the fence and let the cow eat it out of my hand, but later I noticed there was a trough where you could safely feed the animals from a distance.
One word of caution, be careful when you are near the fence. There’s a sign stating it is an electric fence, although I’m not sure if it was actually turned on. I didn’t want to take the chance to test it! At least the electric part is inside the fence, so you would have to actually stick your arm through to touch it. Hopefully the kids wouldn’t get that far, but you never know!
Giant Sandbox
The giant sandbox was a huge hit with my 2 year old. There were a few sand toys and a couple diggers for him to play with that entertained him for quite a while. I recommend bringing a few more toys from home to extend the fun though!
The sandbox is in direct sun, as is most everything else at the farm, so definitely bring sunblock! However, there are quite a few picnic shelters spread throughout the space that let you sit in the shade and and cool off.
Farm Slide
The giant farm slide was by far the most popular attraction at Lazy Hound Farm. At the bottom you will find some burlap sacks to sit on as you slide through the tunnel. This slide wasn’t as fast as the one at Hill Ridge Farms, but maybe that’s just because it’s so new.
There is a staff member nearby to make sure the kids are sliding correctly and staying safe. The older elementary kids basically lived on this slide the whole time we were there so I’m sure your kids will love it too!
Playground
Scattered throughout the farm you will find lots of playground equipment for the kids to play on. The owners were creative with their play spaces and used old tires, wood stumps, and homemade swings and seesaws.
Sunflower Fields
Sunflowers have become popular in the summer months. We are happy to add Lazy Hound Farm to our list of Sunflower fields around the Triangle. Their flowers are blooming a little later than some of the other fields, so head out for pictures and to pick some flowers in September!
Overall Impressions
Overall we all really enjoyed our visit at the farm! Their hours are currently only Wednesday through Sunday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, with a Friday and Saturday night flashlight corn maze until 10:00 pm. I’m hoping once they get a little bit more popular they will expand those hours a little earlier and later. It would work better for us since we tend to go out either earlier in the mornings or after 4:00 pm.
I’d also like to see some more shade over the playground and especially the sandbox! When we visited it was HOT! But it should be great in the Fall and we can’t wait to go back and get a pumpkin!
While you’re out in Zebulon check out Zebulon Community Park for Soccer Golf or Little River Park for a small beach to play in the sand and wade in the water.