Wickham Farms

In the fall of 2008, we had been in the Rochester, NY area for a little over a year and we wanted to take our son (then, not quite a year and a half) pumpkin picking. My ROCpoppa's co-worker recommended a place in Penfield called Wickham Farms, so we decided to check it out. Four years later, and we are now taking both of our sons there, year round.

Wickham Farms has become part of our regular rotation of family field trips. We can play a round of miniature golf, visit some farm animals, sit on a tractor, dig in a huge sandbox, bounce on the jumping pillow, climb on the playground, and get some ice cream. There are even batting cages, but I'm holding out a bit longer before they can try those out.

Tuesday is a great day to visit since miniature golf is $2 per player ($2 for TWO-sday; normally $5 per person), plus you get double punches on both the ice cream and the golf/jumping pillow frequent buyer cards. Not bad. There are other specials available too.

There are 18 holes on the mini golf course, and each one has a little obstacle to it. But they are all easy enough that the kids won't get frustrated. Along the way, you'll also pass the chickens and goats, which always provides some entertainment. Then the final hole looks like a chicken coop, which is kind of fun in itself.

After our 18 holes, the kids usually want to bounce on the jumping pillow for a bit ($5 each; if your child is under 5, you pay their age). Shoes must be removed, and I strongly recommend socks. The jumping pillow can get hot in the sun, and burn those little tootsies*. The nice thing about the jumping pillow is that you get a bracelet after paying, so the kids can go on and off as often as they'd like during your visit.

*UPDATE: If your kids are not wearing socks when you visit, and they'd like to try out the jumping pillow, you can purchase socks in a variety of sizes in the barn.

If you wander around a bit, you'll notice a cow that the kids can "milk" (it's just water, but it's still fun), a tractor to sit on, some photo-opp stands, and a bunny garden. There is also a playground with two climbing walls, two slides, a bridge, and more. The playground is available free of charge. Another freebie is the huge sandbox. We usually bring some pails, shovels, and trucks with us, or you can rent a tractor there for $2 each.

Inside is a cute shop where you can buy honey, cheese, pancake mix, syrup, salad dressing, salsa, spices, and random trinkets. Seasonally, they also sell plants and flowers. If you're hungry, their menu includes pizza, sandwiches, sweet potato fries, and ice cream.

During the fall, Wickham Farms also features a kiddie train ride, a corn maze, tractor ride, an "apple orchard" just for kids to pick, and a carved pumpkin display.

Wickham Farms is located at 1821 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road, Penfield, NY (right next to the Eastside YMCA). The entire farm is stroller-friendly, and the restroom inside the barn has a diaper changing table. There are two outhouses by the miniature golf course (with running water!), but they do not have diaper changing tables in either one. While there are lots of options on the menu, you may also bring your own food as long as you enjoy it outside the barn.

Next time you're looking for something to do with the kids, make your way to Penfield and give Wickham Farms a try. Don't forget to Post a Comment and let us know about your experience.

As always, thanks for reading!