Historic Eidem Farm

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Address: 4345 101st Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55443
Upcoming Events: Jump to Historic Eidem Farm Events

Website Eidem Homestead
Phone 763-493-4604
Admission Free; some programs have a fee

Historic Eidem Farm is a working Victorian-era homestead on ten acres in Brooklyn Park. The farm, property and home have all been restored to the period 1890-1910. Families can visit the farmhouse, as well as the barnyard and its animals for educational and hands-on experiences of life on the farm between 1905-1920. Volunteers keep the farm a lively place, baking in the kitchen, working in the garden, tending to the laundry and caring for the livestock.

Eidem Homestead

Visiting Eidem Farm with kids

Yes, kids can get hands-on in the barn, the farmhouse and in the field, too. One thing we particularly enjoy about Eidem Farm over some of the other historical homesteads in the area, is their motto: At Eidem Homestead, “don’t touch” becomes, “look, listen, taste, smell and touch.” For instance, when we paid a visit, I sat down and played the piano. We climbed up into the children’s bedrooms and played with old-fashioned toys and we helped with various ‘chores’ around the farm. Polling the kids, their favorites included feeding the farm animals, polishing the silver in the house, picking peas in the garden and pumping water for the potato plants. (Excuse me, but how come there’s not nearly as much enthusiasm for tackling chores at home?)

Family-friendly programs at Eidem Farm

Programs at the farm are designed with the hope of attracting families year-round. Nearly all are free of charge (see more about that below). No matter the season you’ll want to dress for outdoors as many of the activities are outside around the farm.

Summer programs

  • Open Gate Hours: Drop into the farm to help with chores, walk on the trails and visit the animals. These days run from mid-May to early October and are admission-free.
  • Stories from the Porch: Free storytime ongoing Tuesdays.
  • Movie on the Barn: Typically one date in August, also free.

Spring & fall programs

  • Spring on the Farm: Held in May, a free celebration of the new season with activities like garden planting, cooking demos, yard games and greeting some sweet Minnesota Farm Babies.
  • Fall Harvest: A full autumn harvest festival in October done the old-fashioned way. A family admission fee is charged.

Winter programs

  • Snow Days on the Farm: Free winter activities like sleds and snowshoes are out for exploring, then warm up at a campfire.
  • Christmas at Eidem Farm: Old-time holiday traditions – we even ran into St Nick!

For more information or to register for one of Eidem Farm’s programs, please visit the city of Brooklyn Park’s Eidem Farm page.

For unstructured, free play outside there is a small nature playground and secret garden hidden behind the house. Sweet little riding tractors, too. There are picnic tables in the yard for visitors who want to bring a lunch. Since Eidem Farm is in Brooklyn Park, grocery stores are easy to find on the way.  Pack a picnic and spend an afternoon exploring the quaint farmstead.

Available activities will likely vary depending on the season you choose to visit. Most special events at Eidem Farm are specifically geared toward families with children.

Eidem Farm historical information

Brooklyn Park has a short article, History of Eidem Farm, 1905-1920. Read it here. They do not have detailed information regarding who built the house and exactly when it was built, but some of it dates to the late 1870s. Read more here.

More information

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Please Note: FamilyFunTwinCities.com is an independent website run by Twin Cities families for Twin Cities families. We attempt to include the information we find most essential as parents. We make every effort to keep up with changes. However, we are not employed by or connected to this venue, and information sometimes changes without our knowledge. We recommend calling or checking the venue’s website for up-to-date information.

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