Sponsored post – Cherry Crest Adventure Farm hosted us. All opinions are my own. This post about things to do with kids near Lancaster has affiliate links. Meaning, at no additional cost to you, Been There Done That with Kids may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm is located in Ronks, which is close to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Also, it’s very close to Strasburg Rail Road. Their hours vary, so be sure to check their hours on their website. They usually open for Saturdays around Memorial Day Weekend, and then for more days once their summer season starts. Again, check their hours on their website.
On our first trip to the farm several years ago, I looked at the map of the farm before we arrived, but I was still surprised how big the farm is when we arrived early on a Saturday morning. I quickly realized how much there is to do, as we debated where to start.
After getting our tickets, we headed straight to visit the Farm Animal Center where my daughter was excited to feed the goats and hold the baby chicks. It was a great first stop at the farm, to see the kids interacting with the animals and learning about how to raise animals on a farm. We spent a lot of time there, but the kids could see even more fun activities close by, so we headed to the next area.
The brightly colored jump pillows caught my daughter’s eye, and she hurried over to them and started jumping. The farm has two different jump pillows to separate the children by size, so that the littlest ones aren’t jumping with older children. There’s also a Lil’ Farmers Playland where the youngest of the family can enjoy activities more catered to them. We loved the unique face-to-face swings that an adult could ride with the child.
While my youngest daughter played here, my five-year-old ventured to the slides, which were rather slow at first. We quickly learned that it’s best to wait until later in the day to ride the slides. The slides tend to move more slowly in the morning. As it warmed up they became so fast that I needed to use the soft landing pads at the end of the slide!
As a new addition from the 2021 season, there’s a large red, white, and blue slide called the Freedom slide. It has more lanes than the original slide, and it’s just as fast!
After experiencing all of the activities in the middle section of the farm, we headed to the newer part that is a bit further away. This took us to the Country Road Carts, which was one of my five-year-old’s favorite attractions at the farm. These are pedal carts are powered by the adults in the back, while the kids sit up front and enjoy the view. My kids especially enjoyed the first turn, which was quite fast as we picked up speed down a small hill. We rode the carts several times, and then moved on to the fun new shooting ranges that also occupy the far end of the farm.
With all of the fun things to do at the farm, it’s easy to forget that train tracks run close by, and every now and then a Strasburg Rail Road train appears with loads of people waving to us. The kids will stop in their tracks to gaze at the train and wave at the other kids riding the train. It’s a cool extra feature of the farm that you can even board the train nearby and ride it to Strasburg and back.
We also tried out the new Round Bale Racers, which were a lot of fun, but required coordination! They are a bit more of a challenge than how easy they look. However, it’s fun to race with the kids. After all these fun activities that used up our energy, we were in need of a snack. Thankfully, there is plenty of farm-fresh food and treats. I wasn’t expecting to stay at the farm all day. There was so much to do, the kids didn’t want to leave.
Within the last few years Cherry Crest has added a lot of new activities. Most notable is Sproutsville, an entire village for kids. Here’s a link to more information about Sproutsville.
Things to Remember:
- Cherry Crest is cashless! Make sure you bring a credit card or mobile payment.
- Generally, we noticed that the slides are slower at the beginning of the day. If your child enjoys a slower, gentler ride, slide early. If they enjoy a fast slide, wait until a bit later in the day.
- Bring everyone in the family! There’s something for everyone to do. From relaxing with a picnic on the hill, to seeing how fast you can throw a baseball, to traditional farm activities.
- You may bring in food for picnics, though we enjoyed eating their farm-fresh foods.
- Note that the farm has a unique operating calendar. See their website for details on their hours.
A visit to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm can be paired with trips to kid-friendly destinations nearby. Here are a few ideas: Tiny Town, Hands on House, or Dutch Wonderland.
Places to Stay
Disclosure – This post about things to do with kids near Lancaster has affiliate links. Meaning, at no additional cost to you, Been There Done That with Kids may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
There’s so many kid-friendly places to visit in Lancaster! Need a place to stay overnight? Check out these options:
Fulton Steamboat Inn (affiliate link), Hershey Farm Resort (affiliate link), Eden Resort (affiliate link), and Lancaster Doubletree Resort (affiliate link).
Sponsored post – Cherry Crest Adventure Farm hosted us. All opinions are my own.
