We’re making our rounds to all the pumpkin patch farms this fall, and Phillips Farm was probably my favorite! The farm is organized like an amusement park, and has the most attractions I’ve seen so far! There’s a new activity to do at every turn and you can spend hours of fun exploring it all! They also turn into a spooky haunted farm at night if you’re up for a fright!
Attractions NOT included with Admission
Phillips Farm is a little different than some of the other farms we’ve visited. Not all of the attractions are included with admission and you must pay a fee to play. The farm only takes cash for these attractions, so be prepared!
Pumpkin Launcher and Slingshot
The pumpkin launcher and slingshot were both $2 per throw, probably to cover the cost of the pumpkin. We did not partake in these activities, but I also did not see staff manning the attractions so they might not have even been operating.
“Test your Strength” Carnival Game
The “Test your strength” carnival game had a sign that it cost $1 for two swings to try to win a bag of kettle corn. However, there were no staff members manning the game on the weekday morning we were there. Lots of people at the farm took a swing, but obviously no prizes were won. So this attraction wasn’t technically included with admission, but we still got to play! But heads up if you do pay, don’t think you’re going to win! I saw lots of strong men take a swing while we were there, but no one got past “Farm Hand”! That game is HARD!
Pumpkin Patch
Unlike at Page Farms, Crossroads Corn Maze, and Vollmer Farms, you do not receive a pumpkin as a part of admission. I was a little confused about this one as this seems to be the only farm that does it this way. You can walk out into the pumpkin patch for free, but if you take a pumpkin you will pay based on weight. I was told that prices can vary from $4 to $10 per pumpkin.
We visited mid October and the small pumpkin patch was pretty much picked over. The pumpkins that were left were starting to rot. The staff told me they did have some pumpkins for purchase back at the main gate, but we didn’t need one anyway.
Included Attractions
Don’t be too disappointed about the extra fees for some attractions. There are still PLENTY of things to do that ARE included with admission.
Barrel Train
Just like at Lazy Hound Farms, you can take unlimited rides on the barrel train all day long. The train only takes about 6 riders at a time, so the line can get long. I recommend getting your train ride out of the way first since the line gets busier as the day goes on. The barrels do not have seatbelts and the ride is pretty twisty and bumpy. My 2 year old rode by himself at Vollmer Farms, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing that here and chose to ride with him instead. It’s a tight squeeze for adults, but we made it!
Wagon Ride
Instead of a hayride at Phillips Farm, they have a historic wagon ride. There is a recording that tells you about the history of the farm and the surrounding area while you travel through part of the corn maze and see the farm. It does not go through the pumpkin patch like at other farms, but it was fun to ride through the corn stalks and past the pond!
Corn Maze
We didn’t attempt the corn maze, but we saw other people while we rode through on the wagon ride. It’s a pretty big maze, split up into two sections. You are given a flag to wave if you need assistance.
Jumping Pillows
Phillips Farm actually has TWO jumping pillows separated by age. Kids aged 7 and up use one pillow, while those 6 and under use the other one. I LOVED this since all of my kids are under the age of 6. They were bounced around a lot by the big kids at Vollmer Farm, so this was much better for them. However, I can see this being an issue if you have kids in both age ranges!
Trike Racing
This was a new attraction for us, but they have a dirt track setup so you can race tricycles! It was a nice loop with a few mud obstacles to ride through, so my kids loved riding in circles. They had a couple trikes that adults can ride and a few for kids. The kid trikes really only work for age 4 and up since my almost 3 year old couldn’t reach the pedals. Luckily I could use it as a scooter and push him around the track that way.
Slide Zone
The slide zone was a popular attraction. There are two big slides that my kids just went up and down a million times. There were staff members at the top facilitating the kids and making sure they went down one at a time to prevent injury.
My boy also enjoyed climbing in the real tractor that is built into the slide. You can go into the driver’s cockpit and close the door.
Nearby there’s also this giant tube swing. The kids loved climbing in here and having me push them. Make sure you push the swing the vertically and not horizontally as staff let me know!
Duck Racing
Unlike at Hill Ridge, duck racing is included in your admission, and it was pretty popular since it also doubled as a splash zone! The water pumps work very easily, and the kids enjoyed racing their ducks down the slide. They also loved playing in the big bucket of water at the end and ended up getting pretty wet! There were lots of ducks to choose from in every color, so it became a challenge to get all of them on one slide together!
Gravel Pit
Instead of a sandbox, Phillips Farms has a gravel pit! There are diggers available to haul and scoop, and my two year old could actually maneuver these with ease! He has had trouble with the diggers at the parks like Baileywick and North Hills Park, but these were more lightweight and a bit smaller so he was able to do it all on his own! I also liked it because it was much less messy than sand, especially after we got wet at the duck races!
Human Foosball
This is a unique find. Grab some friends and play a round of human foosball! My kids didn’t really understand what they were supposed to do, but I enjoyed them caging them in and letting them kick the ball around! 😂
Rope Maze
If the corn maze is a bit too much for you, try your hand at the rope maze! It’s fun to run through and easy to get out once your done. My kids ran through this a few times!
Rolling Tubes
If your kids want to feel like hamsters running in a wheel, throw them in the rolling tubes and let them go wild! It’s on a track so they can’t go too far. Just make sure your kids don’t walk on other’s tracks because they will get run over!
Mud Kitchen
For an extra layer of fun, take your kids over to the mud kitchen for some great sensory play. Luckily, there wasn’t a lot of water available so the mud was more like dirt. I was ok with that though, because what parent wants their kids to get muddy before putting them in the car to take them home? It was a great spot to just stop and let the kids play, and it was right next to the duck racing so we sat here for quite a while.
Feed the goats
What farm visit is complete without some live animals? Phillips Farm has goats with a feed vending machine available for a quarter. You are able to get up close and pet the animals, and they were all very friendly.
Carnival Games
Throughout the farm you will also find various carnival games. You can try some tetherball, giant tic tac toe, and see how well you can throw a lasso. We also enjoyed the baseball, basketball, and football throwing games, similar to what you would find at an arcade. Just make sure you don’t let the kids walk on the ball return ramp!
giant tic tac toe 
tetherball 
lasso station 
baseball, basketball, and football throwing games.
Birthday Parties
Phillips Farm is also a great spot to host a birthday party or event. They offer strawberry season in April and May, Fall season in September through November, and haunted parties in October. There are a few picnic shelters available for parties and your reservation is included. Find more information at the farm website.
Admission
As of 2020, admission to Phillips Farm in the Fall season is $12/person age 2 and up. You can buy tickets online, but it is not required. We just walked up and purchased our ticket at the entrance on a Wednesday morning. You might want to buy in advance on a weekend, just in case they fill up.
They accept Cash, Local Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Credit cards are only taken at the admission booth for tickets. All other purchases at the farm, like the pumpkins, concessions, and extra games are CASH ONLY.
NEW this year they are open on Tuesdays & Wednesdays from 9:30am-3:00pm. This is the best time to go, in my opinion. It wasn’t crowded at all when we went on Wednesday morning! Fridays they are only open 3pm to 6pm, and Sundays are 1pm to 6pm.
Saturdays are split into sessions from 9:30am to 1:30pm, and then again from 2pm to 6pm. They stop selling tickets at 5:00 pm so you have enough time to enjoy the farm.