Where to Find the Minnesota Farm Babies & Fun

Baby chicks in an incubator: "Where to Find Minnesota Farm Babies"

As soon as I can smell the wet earth and the sun is still shining at 6pm, I’m ready for a spring farm fix. The FFTC Team’s city kids love the opportunity to visit farms not much further than their urban backyards. They’re excited to meet the fuzzy new arrivals up close — baby lambs, curious chicks, piglets, baby goats and all the rest while playing at farm chores.

Farm life is foreign and exotic to my kids. They, like probably most other children of parents reading this post, have spent their entire (albeit young) lives within the confines of city blocks. And they never tire of opportunities to take a break from the traffic and get a little more rural. Luckily, you don’t have to travel too far to get a taste of the farm in our cities. In some cases, the farm might even be in your own neighborhood. Try visiting one of these spots to play farmer (or pioneer) for the day:

Twin Cities Minnesota Farm Babies

Farm entrance – 1701 Charlton Street, West St. Paul, MN 55118
The barn isn’t open for many public tours this spring, but you and your little animal-lovers can feel free to wander the trails and observe the working farm. The nature center sprawls across three parcels of land; the farm is contained within the “Main Property”. Make sure to keep little fingers out of the enclosures and please don’t feed the animals. 

Price:

FREE to explore, farm babies event and programs have a fees.

What We Love:

Dodge Nature Center’s programs are great and there is plenty of wildlife around the farm, too. Watch for a chance to meet the farm babies on a farm tour as well. Farm Babies eventApril 13, 2024, $8/pp. Sells out fast.

More Family Fun on the Farm:

Dodge Nature Center’s annual Rock the Barn bash offers live music, lawn activities and farm animals each spring.

Kids in grades 1-8 can register to participate in Dodge Nature Center’s farm-themed Summer Camps. June 17-August 9th, 2024.
Take a Family Walk at Dodge Nature Center

2131  US Hwy 8, St. Croix Falls, WI 54024
Okay, so technically these are “Wisconsin
 Farm Babies. Close enough. Thank you to Barbara for this suggestion. She tells us that besides deer, guests can visit with goats, cows, pigssheep, rabbits, fox, mink, wolves, moose, otters, beavers, hedgehogs. 

Price:

$10/ages 2-12 & $11/adults plus tax.

Opening Day:

Saturday, May 4th, 2024.

What We Love:

The peace and quiet! Anne says her kids naturally slow down and lower their voices when interacting with the animals.

More Family Fun (around) the Farm:

Make a visit to Fawn-Doe-Rosa part of a family day trip to Taylors Falls, Minnesota. There are so many fun things to do in this area along the St Croix River. See our: Top 10 Things To Do In Taylors Falls, Minnesota with Kids

7210 County Rd 110 W, Minnetrista, MN 55364
Saturday Morning on the Farm
: This wonderful working farm is a great place for kids to get close and in barns (that’s my delighted daughter pictured). Help out with chores, spend time with the animals and participate in other spring farm activities. Spots will fill quickly. If you can’t make it to the programming, stop over for a self-guided walk around the grounds; Gale Woods is a public park and welcomes visitors. Tours held Saturdays in April-May, 9:30 am-noon.

Price:

$6/pp, must pre-register.

What We Love:

Getting up close to the baby animals during one of the farm’s programs. 

More Family Fun on the Farm:

Spend time in the teaching garden or kitchen. Little kids will love the play room set up with toy tractors, farm animal puppets, and more. 

Farm Themed Summer Camps:

Gale Woods Farm summer camps are filling fast. Register to Three Rivers Park District.
Girl in chicken yard at Gale Woods Farm, Minnetrista, Minnesota

2097 Larpenteur Ave W, St Paul, MN 55113
Step back in time at Gibbs Farm and visit a few barnyard animals while you’re at it. You can explore the farm through one of its scheduled programs or drop in to tour at your own pace.  \

Price:

 $5-$10/pp

Opening Day:

Saturday, May 25, 2024

What We Love:

We adore annual festivals in the summer and fall. 

More Family Fun on the Farm:

Check out a replica Dakotah tipi and bark lodge, the Gibbs family original home and a one-room schoolhouse.

Farm Themed Summer Camps:

Among their History & Culture-themed summer camps, Gibbs Farm offers farm life camps. Act quick, they are selling out fast.
Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life

4345 101st Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443

SPRING ON THE FARM: Besides greeting the farm babies, visitors can submit name suggestions for the baby animals, help in the gardens, walk the trails and go on self-guided tours, visit the first floor of the house, and plant a bean to take home. Saturday, May 18, 2024; 11am-2pm. FREE.

STORIES FROM THE PORCH: Gather around the farmhouse for children’s storytime (bring your own seating) then play in the farmyard. Tuesdays, July 11-August 29, 2024 @ 11am. Free.

What We Love:

Kids can get hands on helping to feed the animals. 

More Family Fun on the Farm:

Stop and play the piano inside the house or try out toys from the turn of the last century.  Bring a picnic to enjoy in the yard.  Plan a visit during a story time or movie on the barn.

2024 Open Gate Hours:

May 20 to October 3, 2024. Hours vary Monday-Thursday & Saturday.

Price:

FREE.

Eidem Homestead

4665 Manor Dr, Eagan, MN 55123
HOLZ FARM SPRING FESTIVAL: There’s a whole lot of down-on-the-farm fun each year at the spring festival. Try out farm chores and take a hayride. Make sure to register for your ticket in advance. May 19, 2024.  

Price:

$3/pp. Tickets Required and Available Here.

Explore for FREE when no events are happening.

What We Love:

My kids absolutely loved visiting the chicken coop. We can’t promise you can climb right in this spring, but we hope the chickens will be out for viewing.

More Family Fun on the Farm:

If you don’t make it to the festival, bring your family to explore the park and take along our list of  7 fun things for families at Holz Farm Park.

Farm Themed Summer Camps:

Register for Holz Farm summer camp through the City of Eagan and learn about 1940’s farming.
Girl milking a cow display at Holz Farm Park in Eagan, Minnesota

8174 Lake Dr, Lino Lakes, MN 55014
Come out to pick some fresh produce and spend some time in the educational barnyard. Farm animals including sheep, chickens, donkeys, alpaca, horses, peacocks, pygmy goats, pigs and other poultry call this barnyard home. Bring a handful of quarters and you can feed them! 

Visit the farm babies FREE during Waldoch’s annual spring Garden Center Open House.  April 27-28, 2024.

What We Love:

It’s fun to feed the farm animals. (Bring some quarters.)

More Family Fun on the Farm:

Waldoch Farm has a garden center, so pick up your family gardening needs while visiting the animals. 

Price:

Admission to the barnyard and Joyer Adventure Farm. $10.99/ticket, must purchase online.

Opening Weekend:

June 15-18, 2024

 

Wells Fargo Family Farm, Minnesota Zoo, 13000 Zoo Blvd, Apple Valley, MN 55124

FARM BABIES: Farm Babies exhibit is found on the Zoo’s Wells Fargo Family Farm and is now open for you to meet all the fuzzy, cuddly newborns. The zoo expects goat kids, lambs, piglets, and calves to be born in April and May.

Tickets are included with Zoo admission.  Reservations are still required. If you don’t make it out, enjoy the farm babies virtually through trivia, photos, videos and more farm baby fun. Farm Babies 2024 – April 26 to May 19.

Price:

$15.95-$21.95/pp plus parking.

Digging for a discount? Jump over to 7 Ways to Get Minnesota Zoo Discounts.

Farm Themed Summer Camps:

Among their many animal-themed summer camps, the Minnesota Zoo offers farm-themed camps for several age groups.
Educational Enrichment at MN Zoo

What We Love:

The Free to Explore admission program allows families enrolled in qualifying programs FREE admission.

More Family Fun:

The Minnesota Zoo’s Kid Pages for Family Fun offer fun activities, printouts and fun farm facts, quizzes and coloring pages to learn more about ALL the animals at the zoo. 

8001 109th Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
SPRING BABIES: Again this year, there will be no charge to enter the festival. Instead, you’ll pay a fee for the activities you choose to do. A wristband will include access to the fuzzy farm babies, the play area and a hayride. 

2024 Opening:

TBA.

What We Love:

Pictured is my little one loving on the bunnies

More Family Fun on the Farm:

Inflatables, rides & food available for an extra fee. 

Price:

2024 TBA

Oliver Kelley Farm | Elk River

15788 Kelly Farm Rd NW, Elk River, MN 55330
Traditionally, this Minnesota historic site has a baby farm animal weekend in the spring. Plus there are always fun farm chores to assist with.

Admission:

$8-$12/pp. 

The farm is open to the public:

June 12 – August 31, 2024. 

Bonus Babies!

These spring babies aren’t typically found on American farms, but are, nonetheless, cute.

Como Zoo does not have traditional midwestern farm animals. 

However, they do have Dall sheep and reindeer who are most likely to give birth in the spring.  

Price:

FREE, but reservations are still required.

Reindeer at Como Zoo in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Raptors  also tend to give birth in the spring! In 2023, the Raptor Center expect chicks from several types of raptors:

  • Owls: great horned, barred, eastern screech and a few Northern saw-whet
  • Hawks: red-tailed, red-shouldered, broad-winged, and Cooper’s
  • Falcons: American kestrels, merlins and peregrine falcons
  • Osprey;
  • and possibly a turkey vulture.

Price:

Public tours are $5/adult and $3/kids 3-17.  Book a tour here.

Collage of visit to Raptor Center in Saint Paul Minnesota: Left: two bald eagles; Right top: little girl playing with eagle puppet. Right Bottom young by examining wing and nest.

SOAR with the Eagles for Spring Hatch Weekend. March 23-24, 2024

Price:

Adults $12; Kids ages 4-16 $10; Under 4 FREE.

Small girl outside the National Eagle Center in Wabasha Minnesota

Minnesota County Fairs & the Minnesota State Fair

Anoka County Fair

3200 St Francis Blvd NW, Anoka, MN 55303
2024 fair dates: July 23-28, 2024. $5-$10/pp, 6 & under FREE plus free parking.

Dakota County Fair

4008 220th St W, Farmington, MN 55024
2024 fair dates: August 5-11, 2024. FREE admission, $10/parking.

Ramsey County Fair

2020 White Bear Avenue, Maplewood MN 55109
Ramsey County Fair has been cancelled for the last several years and 2024 is still iffy.

Scott County Fair

7151 190th St W #145, Jordan, MN 55352
2024 fair dates: July 24-28, 2024. FREE admission, $10 parking.

Washington County Fair

12300 North 40th Street, Stillwater, MN 55082
2024 fair dates: July 31-August 4, 2024. $4-$7/pp, 5 & under FREE, free parking.

Minnesota State Fair

Wander the historic barns to get up close to the animals. Seek out activity stations such as the Moo Booth and Oink Booth for edutainment opportunities. At Little Farm Hands, kids can participate in “chores” at the mock farm and learn about the farm-to-market process. For more Fair fun ideas, check our list of 50 Things to Do at the Minnesota State Fair.
2024 fair dates: August 22-September 2, 2024. $15-$18/pp.

Little girl learning to milk a caw at the Minnesota State Fair Moo Booth
The Moo Booth

Road Trip! Greater Minnesota Farm Babies

Carlson’s Llovable Llamas

8380 County Rd 10 East, Waconia MN 55387
Book a family farm visit in the spring and you are likely to see baby llamas. $18/pp.

Co-op Farm Tour

Participating Twin Cities-area farms
Take a day trip to one of these farms as they open their doors with educational, family-friendly activities. 2024 TBA. FREE.

Farmamerica 

7367 360th Ave, Waseca, MN 56093
Take a self-guided stroll through historic buildings and learn about evolving agriculture in Minnesota. Baby farm animals are due in May! Farmamerica is open for self-guided tours in the summer months. $6-$8/self-guided tour.

Govin’s Lambing Barn 

N6134 670th St, Menomonie, WI 54751
Cuddle the farm babies, take pony and wagon rides, and, if you’re lucky, witness a live birth! 2024 Lambing Barn & Farm Babies Dates: March 16-17, March 23-24, March 29-30, April 6-7, April 13-14. $13-$15/pp, under 2 admitted free

Sibley Farm 

Minnesota farm animals - COMMUNITY SUGGESTIONS

A Maze’n Farmyard

57645 Hwy 55, Eden Valley, MN 55329
Besides farm animals, you’ll find a giant slide, a year-round maze and a bounce barn.  There is also pony rides, a silo slide, mini golf, corn pit, bird house and duck and fish pond. Bring a picnic or purchase refreshments in the snack shop.

Barnyard Buddies MN

10132 235th St W, Lakeville, MN 55044
Book farm animals to come to your special event or look for special dates to visit the farm.

Evergreen Oasis Farm

34133 Oasis Road, Center City, MN 55012
Offering classes, Alpaca & Goat Yoga and u-pick flowers, this working farm has farm animals and is family-friendly. Follow them on Facebook for more information.

Hemker Park & Zoo

26715 Co Rd 39 Freeport, MN 56331
As with Como Zoo, you’ll see more exotic animals than farm animals. Families can purchase tickets to feed some of the animals.

Hillside Nursery

12348 Spring Rd SE Chatfield, MN 55923
Buy your garden supplies and visit the Little Farm Attraction, featuring baby animals.

Red Barn Learning Farm

27251 State Hwy 30, Hayfield, MN 55940
Visitors can climb in the silo, jump on straw bales, drive a pedal tractor and see farm animals. Look for family-friendly events on the farm — holidays, pizza night, etc. Or book private events like birthday parties and field trips.

Rusty Bucket Acres

15237 Afton Blvd S, Afton, MN 55001
Families can schedule playtime or feeding with goat kids or just a barnyard visit. Those more interested in farm work can book work time. The farm also offers summer camps and private events.

Skyview Ranch

2413 210th St E., Farmington MN 55024
The petting zoo is by appointment only. Groups of up to 10 people can book an exclusive hour of petting time. Additional charges for more people or more time. Bring a picnic.

Twenty-Two Farms

2022 U.S. Highway 12, Baldwin, WI 54002
This animal rescue focuses on farm animals. Families can book volunteer time or tours or attend one of the Farms’ public events.

Reader Favorites

Let us know your favorite place to see Minnesota Farm Babies in the comments. We'll check it out to share with our readers.

Fall Fun with Farm Babies

Don’t forget your favorite Twin Cities apple orchard or corn maze when hunting down the farm animals! This little guy pictured tried to make a snack out of my son’s shirt at Fall Harvest Orchard in Montrose.

More Twin Cities Farm Activities

6 thoughts on “Where to Find the Minnesota Farm Babies & Fun”

    1. Hi Laura. I’m assuming your link to an article opining that masks don’t work to stop the spread of Covid was in response to the earlier comment. Unfortunately, we don’t allow outside links in our comments. They are too hard to maintain.

      I do believe that, armed with information on each farm’s policies regarding social distancing and masks, our readers are savvy enough to make up their own minds as to whether they want to visit a particular farm or not. However, they do deserve to be fully informed before visiting and spending their money.

  1. Emily Kathryn Anderson

    We made the trek out to Govin’s this weekend. Your readers should know that, despite what their website says, they are absolutely NOT adhering to Covid protocols. People were packed into a low-ceilinged barn without masks. We stayed for all of 30 seconds, and were not offered refunds when we expressed our concern about the health risks. When I asked the owner why so few people were wearing masks, she told me that she could not force anyone to wear a mask or ask them why they weren’t wearing one. There are safer places to let your kids see baby animals, and we should support businesses that care about the health and safety of others.

      1. Hi Kelly. Emily simply provided her experience and some information she felt other parents would like to know. Labels and name calling are unnecessary. We would, however, appreciate a farm review with opposing viewpoints.

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