Davis Farmland

We finally drove out to Sterling, MA, to visit Davis Farmland, a children’s discovery farm. Sounds like a simple idea, but the Davis family has taken farm fun to a whole new level by mixing the old in with the new. This place is a MUST-SEE. Be prepared with bathing suits and towels as you will want to get wet! During the summer they are open 7 days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and admission is $16.95 per person (children under 2 are free). Discounts and memberships are available, so check the website.

Let’s start with a little history, which makes the farm very intriguing. Seven generations of the Davis family have run the farm from the beginning. Their mission is to ensure that rare breeds of farm animals live and repopulate for years to come. You may not recognize some of the animals on the farm, but they have posted very detailed signs so you can identify them. Their website boasts that “Davis Farmland is the largest private sanctuary of endangered livestock in North America.” They have even teamed up with San Diego Zoo to preserve DNA of endangered farm animals. Yes, the admission is pricey, but think of it as helping to save some of these animals for your future grandchildren to see!

Upon paying this admission your group is given wristbands for security. Your group must leave together and no one can take your child home. Many venues have similar security measures, but a staffed and locked gate to exit made this a bit more secure than some play places we have been to. In addition to your entry fee, you can purchase cups of feed for the animals for $2.00 each. This is highly recommended by our son. A few short steps past the ticket counter and you are smack in the middle of the action. Watch out! The first animals you see are kittens, and they are up for adoption. We were able to walk away easily, but if you are a sucker for fuzzy paws that attack your fingers through the wire, then you have been forewarned. Don’t worry – there are tons of other animals to pet. Rabbits are in the cages across from the kittens. You can touch them if they are close to the edge of the cage, but also listen to the staff’s shout-outs throughout the day. At one point they took out some rabbits with angora hair and put them on a picnic table to be brushed and petted by the children (and adults that want to act like children, like us). Some of the farm animals are in cages, and others are roaming free in an open area that you can stroll through. Our son loved to chase the chickens around, though I don’t think they liked it as much… Beware of the younger goats as we found that they liked to chew on our clothes.

Don’t like animals? The farm has plenty of other activities. The face painting station is equipped with all the paint and mirrors your child needs to create a masterpiece on their body, including sketches for them to use as guides. A sink is nearby for easy cleanup. There were several play areas for kids of different ages and interests. The toddler area (under 3) had some plastic treehouse-type (think Berenstain Bears) buildings to play in, a wooden train, some sandboxes, and swings. The best feature in this section was the speedway. This road course was adjacent to the play area and had lots of coupe-style cars for the kids to drive around or be pushed by adults. This area also has a play market, campground, farm, sand area, maze, and water tables. At the other end of the farm is a play area for the next oldest age group. Along with the usual playground buildings, they have a sand area, Peek-a-boo huts, dinosaur bone dig, pedal track, and scooter bugs. We’ll leave it to you to find out what those are on your visit! Sufficed it to say, Davis Farmland has enough to keep a family busy for a complete day if you plan your visit right.

The Adventure Play & Spray is a definite for those hot New England summer days, so pack the bathing suits and towels. It’s a zero-depth spray ground where your child can run through the sprinkler all they want! Prepare to get wet – you know you won’t be able to resist running through it a little as well!! The toddler area is separate from the main play & spray and has a rubber floor and only a few sprayers. Locker rooms and changing areas are available, and swimmy diapers are a must for the little ones.

Davis Farmland opens their well-known attraction, Davis’ Mega-Maze, on July 30. This year’s theme is ‘The Lost Tomb.’ Keep an eye out for our review later in the summer.

Mom Says: The Davis family really thinks like parents and keeps a stash of safety items on hand everywhere you look: wipes, sunblock, bug spray, and ‘Boo-Boo Stations.’ The food choices they offer are good (they even have baby food!), but they also have an abundance of picnic tables so you can pack food for the family and bring it in with you.

Dad Says: It’s hard to summarize Davis Farmland as there was so much to do, see, touch, feel, and experience. We caught a special exhibit called ‘Birds of Prey.’ Check the website as there are many more special events throughout the year. I was impressed with the staffing levels (OK, sounds like my day job) at Davis as every time you turned around, there was a friendly employee asking if you needed help or telling you about one of the animals.

Davis Farmland & Davis Mega Maze
145 Redstone Hill
Sterling, MA 01564
www.davisfarmland.com

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