My kids have seen more animals during the pandemic than they’ve probably seen in their entire life. All because zoos and farms seem to be the only thing open where you can safely social distance! Spring Haven Farm in Chapel Hill was a bit of a drive from our home near Rolesville, but it was great experience so I definitely recommend it if you haven’t been before!
Admission
Spring Haven Farm is currently doing scheduled visits for $13 per person (3 and under are free). You are scheduled in a one hour time block, but they don’t kick you out or anything. You are free to take your time and meander through the farm.
In addition to admission costs, there are a few extras you can purchase. They had feed bags for the animals available for $1 each. There was a shooting gallery for $2, although I didn’t see anyone do it so I’m not sure if it was available or not. There was also a small concession stand in the back with drinks and snacks available for purchase.
shooting gallery game 
gift and snack shop
During our visit we purchased 3 treat bags and went through them pretty quickly. The bags contained carrots and bread, so you may be able to bring your own to save some money.
Games and Extras
I was really impressed with Spring Haven Farm. It’s small like Breezy Pond Farm, but they have a cute vibe. They were playing music over the loud speakers and had lots of fun little games and activities setup. The kids played giant Connect 4, corn hole, ring toss, and giant Jenga. The activities were setup throughout the space so you could play and see the animals all at once. There were also lots of picnic tables available. It was a fun place to just hang out and relax!
playing corn hole 
giant jenga 
fairy garden
We visited in the morning, but I noticed there was a fire pit that could be used in the evenings. Looking at their calendar, it appears they usually host evening events like movies with goats. Can’t you just imagine hanging out at the fire with a nice drink and playing with goats?! There was also a grill setup so I assume they serve food sometimes as well.
fire pit 
picnic tables and grill 
hang out in the barn
Animals on the Farm
The farm had your typical farm animals: pigs, goats, chickens, and ducks. They also had a donkey and a mini cow, which were SO CUTE!
donkey 
horse
The breed of the mini cow is actually highlander cattle. They were the cutest little animals since they were furry and small in stature. It was almost like having a large dog! They were super friendly and came right up to you for some treats. This intimidated my kids a bit, but I think they enjoyed the experience. Just be aware that most of the animals on the farm are free-roaming so some kids got a little scared when they approached.
highlander cattle 
info about the cows
Pallet Maze and Tractor Train Ride
Another highlight of our visit was riding on the tractor train! This is included in your admission and you can ride as many times as you want. there’s no set schedule, so you just flag down an attendant when you are ready to ride. They drove you in circles in the large field and the kids really enjoyed it!
There was also a pallet maze for you to navigate your way through. I thought it was pretty creative since unlike a corn maze, this maze is available all year long!
I’ll admit I kind of have a bad relationship with going through mazes with my kids. We’ve gotten lost in a few large corn mazes, which put my anxiety at an all time high! Luckily, this maze was pretty small so we could easily get through it and out the other side. The kids actually went back in without me and my 4 year old made her way out just fine!
The maze is a little narrow, so I don’t recommend bringing a stroller through. It’s doable but it makes it pretty tight and the ground is bumpy.
Overall, I’d say this is a much smaller Hill Ridge Farms for the west part of Raleigh. We spent about 1.5 hours here on a weekday morning, and that was with a lot of just hanging out. They have a pretty extensive event calendar not during a pandemic, so check it out for even more fun!