Champaign-Urbana Area Farms with Activities for Kids

The Champaign-Urbana area is home to several farms that welcome kids with opportunities to interact with animals or “pick your own” activities

It’s no secret that Champaign-Urbana is a micro-urban oasis among the corn and soybean fields of Central Illinois. Over the years we’ve lived here, we’ve come to embrace the seasonality of agriculture and how it impacts our economy and enriches our lives — not to mention how it impacts our tummies. We’re lucky that we don’t have to rely solely on farm-to-table restaurants to ensure we eat locally; we can go visit farms, as well as farmers markets, in order to put local food directly on our tables.

Many farms in and around Champaign-Urbana have decided to open their doors, barns, and fields to the public. Some are more obvious than others, such as u-pick farms: there’s something special about going into a field to pick the perfect strawberries, blueberries or apples.

We’ve put together a list of Champaign-Urbana area working farms where the public can visit and families can enjoy some fun together. These cover a wide range in terms of how “open” they are, so please read carefully. Some are open seasonally; some have regular hours; others have specific dates for open houses.

This list is in alphabetical order.

Amish Farm Tours, Arthur: If you want to see something completely different, sign up your crew for an Illinois Amish farm tour or dinner. While the farm isn’t the center of the tour, it is a huge character in the production. Check out this article for more info about how to arrange such a visit.

Clearview Farm, Champaign: A handful of stunning sunflower mazes and fields pop up in late summer around town. A now-annual sunflower maze is located at Champaign’s Clearview Farms. Clearview predicts the maze to be in bloom at the end of July and will announce related events on its social media.

Related to sunflowers: there is a gorgeous maze at L&A Family Farms in Paris (Illinois, not France). Typically open in mid-July to early August, the sunflower maze has a short window (read our review). The farm sells pasture-raised meats, eggs and fresh produce, and offers other seasonal attractions such as flower fields, a corn maze, and a pumpkin patch.

Curtis Orchard, Champaign: Curtis Orchard is well known for donuts and cider. But did you know it has honey that was voted the world’s best? And those honeycrisp apples! If you look past the window dressing (and we love the window dressing!), you’ll see that Curtis Orchard is a working farm at its finest. Find our review here. Open from July 20 to just before Christmas.

Harden Ranch, Fairmount: Harden Ranch in Fairmount is a family-owned and operated ranch raising grass-fed bison. Watch its social media for when it opens to the public, especially in the springtime (to see calves!) and in the fall for hayrides.

Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch, Rantoul: Nothing says fall like walking through a corn maze. And people travel for miles to traverse the Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch corn maze, which covers 10 acres and can take 1-3 hours to get through. Fall is high season for corn mazes, no surprise there. Bonus: there are reindeer!

Curtis Orchard has been growing its corn mazes, too. Usually included with an activity pass, you can check these smaller mazes out at your leisure.

Mariah’s Mums & More , Clinton: Look for u-pick zinnias on summer Saturdays and also by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays until late September. They continue to offer more hours every season! You will also want to check out its one-of-a-kind field of vertically-grown strawberries, as well as the fresh produce, fall mums, and on-farm events. There are some great times to be had!

Prairie Farm, Champaign: This farm is run by the Champaign Park District, and the animals there are “borrowed” for the summer. It is a great way to introduce kids to animals and agriculture. Free admission daily from 1-7 p.m. The petting area requires closed-toe shoes and is open daily from 3-5 p.m., also free. Best kept secret: there are camps where kids can work on the farm!

Prairie Fruits Farm, Champaign: The most popular time to visit Prairie Fruits Farm is during the spring, when the kids — aka baby goats — are born, making for some truly photogenic moments. But Prairie Fruits Farm is open for more than just its popular brunch with the babies. Savor a scoop of that delicious goat milk gelato and greet the goats from spring into the fall, or dine at Caprae for a special date night.

Sundrop Alpacas, Bement: Alpaca farms near Champaign-Urbana include Sundrop Alpacas in Bement, which is outside of Monticello and southwest of Champaign; it has a farm store where alpaca yarn and other homegrown items are for sale by appointment. Sundrop occasionally schedules days when the animals can be visited, so check its Facebook page (particularly in September/October).

TM Horse Haven, Tolono: This farm is open by appointment only (and watch social media for special events). You can sign up to do farm chores, like collecting eggs or feeding animals. You can also book a time to simply come and interact with the horses, chickens and goats on the farm.

Two Sisters Lavender, LeRoy: You can pick your own lavender at Two Sisters Farm in LeRoy. It is not a very long outing — there’s no frills on that farm, other than lavender items for sale — but it is a fun outdoor family bonding activity.

U-pick farms: Taking kids to pick their own food is a really good lesson, especially for little ones, that food doesn’t just come from the grocery store. It’s also fun and tasty — there’s nothing like eating that fresh-picked fruit! We’ve got lists of places where you can pick strawberries, apples, blueberries, and more. Peaches are trickier near C-U but you can try Okaw Valley Orchard in Sullivan. Seasonal.

Champaign-Urbana Area Farms with Activities for Kids

The Champaign-Urbana area is home to several farms that welcome kids with opportunities to interact with animals or “pick your own” activities

Some ideas on trips you can take with your family:

Enjoy summer and fall (also known as farm season) in Champaign-Urbana:

Find everything related to fall in Champaign-Urbana: