Fair Oaks Farms

Once in awhile we trade in our city slicker lifestyle and head out to the country.  One of our favorite places to visit is Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana.  It is located about an hour southwest of Chicago and is a fully functioning dairy farm that you can tour and see in action. Click here to see their site.

 

The farm is great for any age kid or adult.  We actually visited before we had Lizzie and couldn’t wait to take her there.  There are plenty of activities at the farm and tours.  I’ll be breaking out everything to do below, but first I want to share how you can sleep at the farm! 

 

Accommodations At Fair Oaks Farms

On site at Fair Oaks Farms is The Fairfield Inn.  It opened in 2019 and is family-friendly and farm themed.  We stayed in a very spacious room, offering a seating area separate from the “bedroom.”  There are plenty of rooms for large and  small families.  The hotel has an onsite restaurant, The Farmhouse Restaurant, a workout room, and indoor pool.  If you are looking for more dining options, Merrillville is about 30-35 minutes away and has several dining options near the mall.

 

Activities at Fair Oaks Farms

Admission to the farm includes all the activities, tours and adventures.  The daily admission is $20 and kids 2 and under are free.  They also have options to purchase annual passes for individuals and families.  You can purchase tickets onsite and I would encourage that.  Once you purchase your tickets they will schedule your Dairy and Pig Adventure for you.

 

The Dairy Adventure

Bring on the cows!  This is my favorite adventure at the farm.  You will board a bus and visit the cows where they live.  The bus tour from start to end is 45 minutes.  When you load the bus there is an exhibit that you can look around and learn about the farm.  If you don’t have time at the start of your adventure you can come back and look around.  

 

On the dairy adventure you will get to see all the cows, including moms and babies up close.  You will learn about how the farm operates and how the cows supply milk for everyone to drink.  The tour also includes a visit to their new Robotic Milking Station in action and see cows being milked when they want to be milked.

 

The Pig Adventure

There is nothing cuter than a baby pig and this adventure has a ton of them.  You will board a bus for this adventure and door-to-door it’s about an hour.When you reach the pig farm you will have a guided tour with stops along the way to look at all the pigs.  You will learn about the lifecycle of pigs and get to see baby pigs up close.  

 

The Crop Adventure

This adventure is a self-guided one and it’s pretty cute.  In the adventure there are lots of short videos and signs to read.  However our favorite part was the kid slide, interactive corn husking station and the grocery store.  The adventure balances adult and kid features nicely.  It’s not that busy in here, so at times we had individual exhibits to ourselves.

 

Mooville

Mooville is the entire outdoor play area.  Throughout the farm they have various activities set up for kids to stretch their muscles and run around.  For the older kids they have a rock wall and bungee jumping station. For the little kids they have a playground, train and jumping pad.  All the activities are included in your daily admission ticket.

 

Birthing Barn

In here you can see cows give birth.  It’s not for the faint of heart, in fact it’s a lot to take if they are in active labor.  When you enter the barn the staff will tell you how close they are to giving birth.  You can stay as long or as short as you want in the birthing barn.

 

Photo Ops

Get your camera ready because there are tons of photo ops throughout the farm. Each adventure had several vignettes to take pictures with your family.  Whether it’s a pig or a cow, they are all cute.  They also have vignettes throughout the farm like this adorable old truck.  Get ready to say cheese!

 

Dining Options at Fair Oaks Farms

There are plenty of food options onsite at Fair Oaks Farm.  The Farmhouse Restaurant is their sit down option with farm-to-table dining items.  The Cowfe and Gift Shop is a great casual dining option.  The grilled cheese is out of this world!  Grab-and-go options can be found at the Dairycatessen located at the gas station on the property.  No matter what, do not leave until you have their ice cream.  It’s one of the best ice creams I’ve had! 

 

If you live in the Chicago area, or plan to visit, consider the drive out to Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana. It is worth the trip.

 

Want more Chicago travel information? Check out our staycation at the Park Hyatt and our unique stay at the EMC2 Hotel.