by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children

On a hillside along Highway 55 between Paynesville and Eden Valley, Minnesota, sits a big red barn.  As you get closer, you’ll see a state-fair-like gunny-sack slide, an inflatable bounce house, a miniature golf course, and lattice-fence maze.  You’ve just happened upon the Amaze’n Farmyard, one of Minnesota’s best family-fun destinations.

Amaze'n Farmyard, Eden Valley, MN

We live over an hour from the Farmyard, but we’ve gone annually since we first made the trip four years ago.  Our kids beg to go each summer.  We’ve also taken both sets of grandparents, and most of our kids’ aunts and uncles and cousins.  The reason the Amaze’n Farmyard is so much fun is because there is a wide variety of activities to suit all different tastes.

Let’s see . . .

• Animal-lover?  Stop in the barn, where you can feed goats, see pot-bellied pigs, hold kittens and puppies, see the chickens, or check out whatever new animals are there.  Outside, you might even see some camels.  Pony rides are included in the admission price.
• Fun and excitement more your style? Grab a burlap sack and go down the giant slide.  Pedal the six-person pedal car around the grounds. Jump in the bounce house.
• Here for an amaze’n experience? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Find your way through the lattice-wall maze, stopping to punch a card at all five stations.  If you’re really ambitious, mark your time and then go through again to try to do it faster.  For the kids, there’s a tot-sized maze to get them warmed up.  And, don’t worry, there are emergency exits, just in case.
• Nature lover? There’s a greenhouse and butterfly garden for your enjoyment.
• Mini-golfer? Try out the mini-golf course. (This is the only activity that has an additional charge.)
• Have little kids? There’s a nice playground complete with equipment for use in the sandbox.
• Hungry? Get a pizza or snack in the gift shop.
• What else? Additional activities change from year to year; check the website for details.

The Amaze’n Farmyard is open through October and will then open again in the spring.  Their Fall Festival weekends are a great time to visit; the heat of the summer is gone and there are lots of special activities going on.

Do you have a favorite outdoor family destination?

Photo credit: Amaze’n Farmyard by minnemom.