If an overnight farm stay is more hands-on and "in the thick of it" than you wish to be, visit a farm for a day! You can appreciate the atmosphere in a lesser dose, and the kids will love the animals.

Shenandoah Valley | Central Virginia | Heart of Appalachia
Southern Virginia | Chesapeake Bay | Hampton Roads
Blue Ridge Highlands | Northern Virginia | Statewide Info 

Shenandoah Valley

Millwood - Historic Long Branch House Museum & Farm is a working horse farm open for tours, but not overnight guests. See an elegantly restored 1811 Greek Revival mansion and the beautiful gardens.

Winchester - Hedgebrook Farm Market, Ltd. is a country gathering place and a working Jersey Dairy Farm and Farm Market. Children can enjoy seeing a variety of farm animals, pony and straw-wagon rides. Enjoy apple picking during harvest season, too.

Central Virginia

Charlottesville - Ash Lawn-Highland, Home of President James Monroe is open for tours only. It is a 535-acre working farm where children can enjoy cows, sheep, chickens and peacocks. Various events take place on the grounds, such as the Virginia Wine Festival, Ash Lawn Opera Festival and Plantation Days.

Kids get an early start at Clinch Haven Farms. 

Heart of Appalachia

Big Stone Gap - Clinch Haven Farms is a traditional dairy farm, where visitors can watch the workings of the farm and visit the animals in the petting area. Visitors can also enjoy the 7-acre corn maze in the autumn and select their own pumpkins and Indian corn for the holidays. Pick peak-of-harvest green beans and sweet corn, too.

Tazewell - Thistle Cove Farm is a working farm that breeds American Bashkir Curly horses and Romney & Shetland sheep. Farm tours and special events are scheduled throughout the year, such as sheep shearing demonstrations, workshops and craft classes, harvest and heritage festivals!

Southern Virginia

Danville - Owen Farm Tours opened for tours in 2008 and they invite you to meet their newborn livestock in the spring, and pick pumpkins and enjoy their corn maze in the fall!

Chesapeake Bay

Oak Grove - The Westmoreland Berry Farm and Orchard features Mikey, the baby miniature mule, and Goat Walkers in the sky! You've got to see them! Farm tours are offered Mondays-Fridays all seasons except winter. Berries — black raspberries, red raspberries, blueberries and blackberries -- can be purchased by the pint. Also, pie cherries, apricots and peaches are available. Check their Website for various events and tasting days!

Blue Bird Gap Farm at Sandy Bottom Nature Park 

Hampton Roads

Hampton - Bluebird Gap Farm at Sandy Bottom Nature Park resembles a 60-acre working farm with barnyard animals, a petting zoo, picnic areas and a playground.

Blue Ridge Highlands

Ferrum - Blue Ridge Institute and Farm Museum at Ferrum College is one of the best places to learn about traditional life and culture of the Blue Ridge. See the 1800 German-American farm, heritage sites and gallery exhibits.

Northern Virginia

Herndon - Frying Pan Park is the site for a working demonstration farm, Kidwell Farm, which is a re-creation of the family dairy farm of the 1920s-1950s. See what the farmhouse and barn as well as all the outbuildings really looked like.

See antique farm equipment for horse-drawn operations and then watch the transition to mechanized equipment, such as the old John Deere and Farmall tractors, still in working order! Hayrides are offered March through November as well as a country store. Also, see the four-room schoolhouse built in 1911, which is now used as an activity center.

Agricultural Tours Information

Virginia Department of Agriculture provides a free copy of Virginia Grown: A Guide to Pick-Your-Own and Fresh-Picked Produce.

Visit Virginia's Wineries for special vineyard and winery events, tours and tastings!

Farmers' Markets for fresh produce, dairy products and homemade jams and jellies.

More Farms & Orchards