Day 17 – Bonnybrook Farms

It’s Day 17 (Year 2) of “365 Things to do in Cincinnati” and today we headed north to enjoy the day at Bonnybrook Farms.

We are truly blessed to have so many fun places to go in the fall.  And I have another one for you to add to your list… Bonnybrook Farms.  Located in Clarksville (east of Lebanon) this was about a 30 minute ride for us.  But it was so worth it.  We spent nearly three hours at Bonnybrook Farms.

When you first arrive, stop in the big red barn.  In there you will find a surprising mix of things.  They have fresh pumpkins (how gorgeous are the ones above?!), all kinds of ghords, fudge, homemade caramel apples, kettle corn, etc.  They have a full kitchen with wonderful “made from scratch” menus.

The kitchen had goodies like pulled pork BBQ, mac and cheese, homemade cookies… everything you’d want to eat on a farm.  Grab a meal and eat in…

Or eat outside on their patio…

There are all kinds of activities to partake in. We sampled quite a few such as the giant slingshot…

They have a huge field behind the barn with swings, playhouses, a sand table, and a huge underground slide (start at the top of the hill and come out at the bottom).

Our favorite thing of the day was their hay ride.  Climb aboard their longbed trailer and head out for a 45+ minute ride that takes you all through their land.  Head through the fields and the forest, encountering storytellers along the way.

We had no idea that this would be any more than a simple hayride.  Imagine our surprise when this guy popped out of the scenery…

This man, completely in character, approached us (we were stopped at that point), telling us a story of a ghost who had been sending letters out to townsfolk.  He climbed onto the trailer with us and sat down with the kids that were on the ride.  The kids were completely enthralled with this character and his story.

Jana, the true star of our show

As the tour progressed we met many other characters, all in period costume with dramatic scenery to match.

We came upon a woman who told us all about the runaway slaves that came through on their land.  She explained the dangers they faced, how they found shelter, etc.

The stories were very well done, each portraying life as it might have been in that area of Ohio over the years.

Another of the characters along the way was a pioneer woman.  She cautiously approached us with her gun drawn but quickly put her arms away when she realized we were not going to harm her.  She explained that she was cooking stew for her family, all of whom were out working.  She asked us if we were interested in buying any land as her husband was a surveyer.

I don’t want to give away all of the stops on the trip in case you decide to head to Bonnybrook Farms yourself.  But along the way you’ll meet many period characters, making the hayride both fun and educational.

Bonnybrook Farms also has a corn maze (be sure to wear old shoes if it’s been raining) as well as a pumpkin patch where you can pick your pumpkin right off the vine.

We really enjoyed our day out on the farm.  The hayride is a must do if you have young kids.  And if your kids are a bit older you might want to consider their Lantern Light Wagon Rides which happen every Saturday night in October (2011) starting at dusk and running until 10:30pm.

AND there are many more things to do there.  Be sure to check out their website (link below) for a full list of their offerings.

Bonnybrook Farms is located at 3779 St. Rt. 132, Clarksville, OH 45113
Most of their activities do involve a charge but you can print out a coupon when you click here
Connect with Bonnybrook Farms on Facebook