What a fun place! I went with my partner and it was very enjoyable. We greatly enjoyed seeing all of the animals, especially the baby goats. They were so adorable! The Fairfax county parks system does an incredible job making experiences all ages can enjoy. Will return! read more

Frying Pan Farm Park - Baby goats + mama! - Parks Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

What an amazing place to explore!! It was great to see farm animals and a peacock around this farm! It is beautifully maintained and has artifacts of old farming equipment with the history posted. There are pigs, goats, cows, chickens, roosters, and a magnificent peacock!! Definitely a must see for kids and adults alike! Highly recommend this gem!! read more

Attended an event in this beautiful space. So nice to be on the farm and look out into the property. The event room held about 100 guests plus tables for a large buffet and a stage. The weather was great and parking was plentiful. When I arrived I noticed the staff did not have the room prepared for the party people to set up- tables were locked in a closet with the chairs- which caused the event to start late and ALL hands on deck to help get it up- the staff agreed to an extra hour because they failed to have the room prepped- so as an attendee I was happy and said great they are making it better- However once our extra hour was the start a new and extremely rude employee denied the previous grant- she was awful to us yelling about trash. And inserting herself in the party. She stood over one of the servers and was so rude to him. This I felt was unacceptable and such a poor reflection on the event space. The only way I would ever come back is I was assured in writing accommodations and that same older woman was not working. read more

Frying Pan Park is the cutest farm in northern Virginia! We thoroughly enjoyed watching the sheep, goats, pigs, chicken, turkeys, peacocks, cows and horses while they went about their morning. My child particularly enjoyed riding the four tractors (a great photo opp). There's plenty of free parking and bathrooms available. There isn't much shade, so bring a hat, sunscreen and water bottle. read more

Frying Pan Farm Park - Pigs lounging - Parks Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

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This place is a huge gem, no frills, free entrance, and must visit if you love animals. One of the biggest highlights is the 4 pm everyday cow milking: If you go during a weekday, depending on how happy the cow is, you may even give it a try. When we visited over the weekend, the Halloween spirit added to the fun. We even ran into the beagles that serve Customs and Border Protection at Dulles Airport, taking a stroll. From peacocks to turkeys, cutest piglets to goaties and horsies, you won't be disappointed. read more

Frying Pan Farm Park - Resident goatie - Parks Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

Do you love animals? Would you like to explore a real life farm? Well, head on over to Frying Pan Farm Park. It has become a favorite of my granddaughter and I got to see the sites today. We saw a lot of different pigs, from baby pigs, to adult pigs and some in between. They were adorable and you could watch them feed from a trough. There were pink pigs and black and white pigs. There were pigs galore at Frying Pan Park. There were two newborn calves, one brown one named Hashbrown and a cute black and white cow. One of the people working there told me that young calves are very curious and these two were sweet and cute. If you walk around the farm, you can find chickens, turkeys, horses, and goats. There are child size tractors to play on and a carousel to ride. Parking is free and so, is the park. Make sure and wear comfortable shoes, because there is a lot of walking. The people who work there were very nice and helpful. My granddaughter loves it and I can certainly see why. read more

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It's a great place to spend the day. There is an antique carousel, wagon rides, a Country Store, and lots of animals. The staff and volunteers are friendly and helpful. read more

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Wow this is still such a wonderful place. Kidwell Farm at Frying Pan Park, is the last working farm in Fairfax County. Fully recommend the hayride, carousel, and seeing all of the animals. Was pleasantly surprised that my teenager, wanted to go back to one of his favorite places. Actually it's one of mine too. Seeing the baby pigs, goats, and the full grown animals was a terrific experience. This is a county gem, that's the best way to put it. Funny it's close to Dulles International Airport, but it is still the 1930's here. The Belgian working horse is a stunner. The turkey and chicken houses are well done. You can also see old farming equipment. This is a very family friendly place. There are times it's frustrating to live in this suburban jungle, that has traffic and a level of entitlement which is shocking. Yet lower your blood pressure normally, by visiting here and having some fun! read more

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While the park is great with animals and it's pretty the people who work there are terrible. The ladies in the general store and who ran the carousel were actually nice but the man driving the tractor and the volunteer lady who rode on there with them (she said it was her first day volunteering) were awful to my kid. If you don't like working with families and children then don't work at a place that's clearly geared towards families and children. To explain I have a two year old little boy. He is a happy go lucky kid and he better me to ride the tractor. When we got on he was jumping around and climbing on things and the guy not so nicely said when the tractor is moving he can't move around and if he hurts himself then we have to write an incident report. Got it sir. My kid is strong and is in gymnastics and Kid Strong and the pediatrician says he is advanced physically for his age including excellent balance. When the tractor started moving he sat quietly in my lap enjoying the ride, thereby following the directions of the non kid liking tractor driver. All of a sudden the tractor stops on the main road and the man discusses the farm for about 15-20 minutes. The minute he stops and parks my son gets up and walks around the trailer and stands on the bench. Everyone is freaking out but most of all the volunteer lady. I tell him he can't stand so he then proceeds to move around on his hands and knees. She didn't like that either. She even put up a leg to block him and glared at him most of the time even though he smiled at her. She made him feel so bad he cried. I had mom guilt for not saying something to her and then asking to get off the tractor ride. When we walked back to the car my two year, yes two, says,"That pink lady upset me. She upset you too." Can you imagine being so mean to a small child and not smiling back so much that it hurts his feeling and he cries and then he verbally expresses it? A lot of things went through my head as to why she would act like this and I don't want to assume in this day and age and in this area of the country that this could be true but sometimes biracial kids are frowned upon. Either way it wasn't necessary to mom shame me or to discipline my child by a volunteer of all people. And a little friendliness and cheer can go a long way too. We will never come here again and a family coming in asked us about the ride and I dissuaded them from riding it because of the attitudes of the two people who are supposed to be representatives of this park. read more

Frying Pan Farm Park - At least the carousel ladies were nice - Parks Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

Awesome weekend activity to do. As others have mentioned it's really nice that it's free. Although it seems like during special events they might charge for parking. There's a smaller parking lot by the visitor center and then a bigger lot closer to the carousel. My favorite part was seeing the chickens but there are also plenty of other farm animals. Will look into their other programs (preschool, summer camp, birthday reservations) especially since we're expecting a little one by the end of the summer. Seems like this will be a very kid friendly spot that we will frequent in the future. read more

Frying Pan Farm Park - Parks Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

Fun place to get outdoors, have a picnic, see the animals. Loved to take my kids there weekly when they were growing up.

We love this place. Nice during good weather to come and get some animal therapy--the babies are too cute! Friendly staff too.

Great place for the kids. Bring a picnic basket and have them run around. It's a wonderful place for the parents to relax while the kids run around and get tired. read more

Nice, educational afternoon for kids. I took my niece and nephew and they really enjoyed visiting the various animals (there were tiny piglets when we went and they were oh, so cute!), riding the carousel and just running around and acting goofy in the outdoors. I am not sure if my antsy, max-energy niece and nephew enjoyed the tractor ride or not, but I enjoyed the brief respite of chasing them and you do learn about the various areas of the farm, how it was started and some of the farming practices they employ (like growing all feed on the farm) so I recommend it. The park is free but tractor and carousel rides are additional, though it is not significant. There are also walking trails if you can tear your kids away from the animals and playground to take a little nature walk - I couldn't, but another visitor had told me they are shaded and there is a little creek - so definitely worth checking out. My advice: book your times for the carousel and tractor ride first thing and then plan your visit around that. There were several families that missed out because they didn't know you needed to get your tickets in advance and there are set times for both. Sorry... no photos... I was wrangling two very energetic kids all day :) read more

Frying Pan Farm Park is an awesome day trip for a family or couple. It's dog friendly as long as you keep your dog on a leash. Lots of space to walk and the animals are in great shape. The farm hand we spoke to was super knowledgeable and took care to answer all of our questions and explain farm processes to us. There was a birthday party going on while we were there that was very cute. I've attached a flyer from their website where they let you rent their enormous show arena to give your dogs space to run around! I highly recommend this place. read more

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Great place for kids and toddlers looking for space to run around while experiencing farm animals and a small playground. The experience is free (aside from a small fee for the merry go round) and there's plenty of parking all over the property. The farm area has plenty of animals such as horses, cows, goats, pigs etc as well as some other small critters as well. This is a good place for school trips as well as families who are just looking for open air spaces during the pandemic era for their kids to run around. The playground was decent sized and right next to the merry go ground which operates during set times as determined by the schedule. There is also a well-kept restroom in the same area. There are also spots to eat/picnic as well here. Overall it's a great place to spend an hour or two with young children who will surely be entertained by the gentle/friendly animals here as well as the playgrounds on site. read more

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What a cute find! Here on an overnight for work and wanted to find some trails to walk on. I'm very glad I found this place!! I saw two red foxes!! read more

Our friends are having a baby shower and rent it out one of the pavilions. It was absolutely amazing very clean. Everybody was very courteous and it made me so happy.. read more

Kidwell Farm, within Frying Pan Park, is the last operating farm in Fairfax county and definitely worth a visit! I was looking for a free (yes and this amazing activity is FREE!) activity for my 7 month old on a weekday. I can't speak to the weekend but the weekday pave is totally chill and not crowded. We started at the visitors center. There is parking there but you can also drive further down the road to park near your the farm. The woman at the front desk was helpful with a map and where things were located. There's a museum In the VC too. About 0.25 miles down a dirt path is the country store. You can buy tickets for the carousel and tractor wagon rides here. Check the board out front for the times. Also in the store they sell drinks and very limited food, but it does include eggs from their chickens. The carousel is antique, 1920s I think, and is fun for the little ones. It was my sons first and he loved it. He also loved the tractor wagon ride. We actually had the whole wagon to ourselves! We got to go through the woods and other parts of the farm. They have lots of animals- pigs, cows, horses, sheep, goats, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, peacocks; I'm sure I forgot a few! At 4pm everyday they do cow milking, although we didn't stay for that. There is a playground but it's not shaded. You can bring your own picnic but I bet it's hard to find a weekend table. Restrooms are at the VC and near the store. They also have a fun play tractor area; my son got a kick out of being able to turn a tractor wheel. My son really enjoyed the few hours we spent here and we plan to return as a family Unit next time! read more

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My 8 year old granddaughter loved this park/working farm!!! It is perfect for children under 12. The man who leads the wagon rides stopped a few times to share interesting stories about the animals and crops. He patiently answered many of the children's questions. The carousel operator and store clerk....everyone we met was helpful, pleasant! This place was just a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. She petted sheep, goats and a cow and saw chickens, horses, a peacock and pigs. read more

I loved my visit to this farm. The kids had a blast. I am visited for a birthday party there and there was so much to do. The carousel was fun, my kids did 2 rides and enjoyed it. The animals were nice to look at, a lot of bigs so be ready for the smell :) The farm itself is huge so there is plenty to do in here. Highly recommend to check it out. read more

It's a nice place to bring little kids to see some farm animals, run around, play at the playground and burn off some energy at no cost. It's cute how they have kid's size tractors that kids can sit on for fun. There are 2 playgrounds, one for tots and another for the older kids. There's even a merry-go-round that you can purchase tickets to ride on. Bathrooms are next to the playground. On the other side of the park, down the gravel path between the fenced animal pen, there's also a small museum. It talks about agricultural life and farm animals. We also saw maps for hiking trails at the museum, so maybe we'll try that next time! read more

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Prior to COVID, I paid little attention to Frying Pan Park. My family and I live within a mile of it, so the sight of cows and horses grazing at the edge of the fenced area was normal. But I never thought to spend a day there. During the pandemic, this place has become almost an extension of our backyard. And with that, one of my (and my 2-year-old daughter's) favorite places in the world. The main attractions are the farm animals - goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, horses, ducks, turkeys, and peacocks. But this place has even more to offer: There's a carousel and a farm store; picnic tables and rental facilities; an equestrian center and hiking trails; wagon rides and plenty of wide open spaces for little ones to run and jump and tire their little legs. Some evenings in the fall, my husband, daughter and I laid out a blanket on one of the picnic tables on the north side of the park and ate our dinner while we watched the equestrian classes. Other times, we've taken the trails with my parents for an easy walk around the farm. And other times we've just come for the animals. The park is busiest on weekends but everyone (including bigger kids) come masked. If you'd rather avoid crowds, however, I suggest coming during the week if possible or keeping an eye on that useful "popular times" chart on Google. While some regular events have been removed or cut back during the pandemic, there is no underestimating the value of the park to families, especially at this time. It has been by far one of my greatest discoveries this year and one I am deeply grateful for. read more

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Wonderful place to take the kids for a relaxing and fun time. Today, however, in the middle of the day, someone sent a couple of workers out to move dirt around in the parking lot, using a loud blower (my least favorite thing at any time) and brooms. It was dry and windy, so soon huge clouds of dust settled over the picnic lunch we were setting up, and over our car. They even touched my car, for some reason, because there were big dusty fingerprints on the door and windows, We could hardly see out of the windows. What genius thought of that project? When the dust finally settled, a group of women with babies came and sat down next to us and began describing childbirth and epidurals in excruciating detail in front of our six-year-old. Not our day at the park, I guess. read more

Eight months in as an unexpected pre-school teacher, Frying Pan Park has become one of my favorite "field trip" spots! There is lots of room to socially distance and most everyone we have encountered has been mask friendly! There are tables to picnic, two large playgrounds (we almost always have it to ourselves), and horses, turkeys, chickens, goats and peacocks to gawk over. All for the price of free! For an extra $2 you can hop a ride on the carousel -- well worth the money if you ask me! You can purchase the tickets directly online, they wipe down the horses after every ride, and they have marked off certain horses so you never feel like you are packed in super tight. We've also gone in non COVID times where they will allow you to book a tour with an actual farmer, purchase actual eggs from the hens on site (their eggs are a beautiful blue color!), and go on a tractor ride! Thank you to Frying Pan Park for giving us a sense of normalcy and fun throughout everything that is going on in the world right now. read more

We went today right at 9am when the parking lot opened. (Farm is currently only open 9am-3pm.) There were only 3 cars there when we arrived so we had no trouble social distancing. By the time we left at 11am though the parking lot was half full so I think a mask would be appropriate if you went later (unless you do the loop around the farm which was pretty deserted due to the lack of shade). You aren't able to go into the barns but there's plenty to see outdoors - pigs, cows, horses, turkeys, ducks, sheep and goats. There's not much shade so pack a hat and sunscreen. I imagine it would be muddy if you went immediately after it rained. If you go on the loop around the farm (1-1.5 miles?), there's not much shade but you'll be rewarded not many people. There's some cows grazing in the small amount of shade on the loop trail and there's a horse stable where we saw all the horses getting their breakfast at about 10:30am. (The horses are grazing on the pastures when not feeding.) Overall, a great excursion for our 1 and 2 year old kids! And it's free! read more

I've wanted to visit this park for some time now because they always seem to have some kind of event going on. We came here today after lunch to visit the animals and walk around the farm. There was a spring event going on that you could pay an additional $7-8 to go inside but we decided to skip it. We spent less than an hour at the park and I feel like we saw all of the interesting points; tractors, animals, playground, country store and carousel. There are a few tractors near the front that are miniature and perfect for your little ones to play on and for mini photo shoots of course. The animals are in the multiple buildings in little stalls. There are some employees in the stalls at times that hold the animals and allow you to pet them. The playground, country store and carousel are towards the entrance of the park on the left. The little country store has fresh eggs (of all different colors, super cute!), honey, preserves, and then your standard snacks (chips, ice cream, candy, drinks), and some trinkets and toys for sale. They also sell tickets to the carousels inside the country store. Tickets are $3 for each child (adult rides free if accompanying a child) or $3 for an adult who just wants to ride for fun! The playground is pretty standard and just serves as a time killer before the carousel ride. When we went the carousel had set timeframes and they were not very flexible on those. So if you want to ride it, make sure your kids can be patient until their available time slot or that you get there right when they open it up for new riders! read more

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This is a free farm where children and adults can see, hear and smell sheep, pigs, cows, chickens, goats, horses and a variety of fowl. There is a carousel, which does cost money, and a fun playground. read more

Hermoso lugar para disfrutar en familia, sobre todo llevar a niños y que conozcan sobre animales de granjas read more

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What a lovely park. Came here with M and her kids. This park is so spacious, with lots of room for little ones to run around. This is a great place to have a picnic and see all the different animals. They have wagon rides, a carousel, and country store here as well. Restrooms are located close to the carousel. It's a wonderful place to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and it is super kid-friendly here. read more

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Attended a toddler's birthday party here. Lots space for the kids to run around and enjoy themselves (safely), as well as get up close and personal with some cute animals. The staff was welcoming, patient, and informative. The farm itself is expansive and there is a lot to see. It's a great local getaway if you're looking for something different to do on the weekends. Enjoy! read more

I have not seen this information posted, so if I missed it, my apologies. There are multitudinous carousel enthusiasts in the world and we enjoy riding as many as possible and seeking out new ones to try. The carousel at Frying Pan Park was written up in a recent issue of Northern Virginia magazine, so my husband and I set out from home for the 30 mile drive to Herndon to add this merry-go-round to our list. (The article referred to it as a "Hirschhorn" carousel, but the correct identifier is "Herschell" carousel.) When we went to the Country Store to purchase our tickets, the woman behind the register asked how many children. I smiled and said," No children, just two adults who love carousels!" Her expression changed a bit and said that due to the age of the carousel (which was 101 years), adults were not allowed to actually ride the horses. They could accompany a child, standing next to them at no additional cost or pay $3.00 to ride on one of the two stationary benches on the rotating platform. We were pretty shocked at that, since a lot of carousels are that old, and still entertaining folks with all kinds of weight diversity! She was very nice and went on to explain the care they take in rebuilding the carousel each year after their season, etc. But we decided that the benches were not worth $3.00 a ride and settled for a visit to the farm animals, which although charming, were not why we went to the effort to get there. This was a first, being kept off a carousel horse, but a learning experience and I will henceforth always call ahead to see if there are size restrictions. "Safety first" it is true, but I do think the Park promotional materials should indicate this so people can have all the information they need to choose where they spend their recreational time and dollars. The park itself is very nice and I will be glad to upgrade this rating if they inform the public on their website of the fact that adults can not as of this writing ride the carousel horses. read more

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I'm so lucky to live only a few minutes walk from this kick-ass park! It's a county park, so it's free to enter, but it is also a real working farm! You can stop in to check out the farm critters (think usual fare), play on the playgrounds, stroll on the attached nature trails, shop in the "country store," learn some local history at the visitor's center, and check out some antique farm equipment and old buildings like barns and a cider press. If you go at the right time, you might catch animals being fed, cows being milked, horses being exercised, a tour of the original farmhouse, or even a horse jumping competition or dog show in the arena! Bring a few bucks and you can take a tractor ride around the farm or ride the antique merry-go-round. The farm has a preschool as well, also run by the county. It's moderately priced, and our two-year-olds love the Tiny Tots classes the school does as well. Great staff and great programs. This is a self-sustaining farm: they grow the corn and hay that feeds the animals, and the manure fertilizes those crops. Baby animals are sold via Craigslist (seriously), and you can buy chicken eggs in the farmer's market. The farm hosts a couple of fairs during the year, and has a farmers market during the summer, but to be honest it's hardly worth going to. They have a pavilion that can be rented, as well as a ballroom and other facilities good for various private functions. This is worth a drive if you're in the NOVA area. Pack a picnic (and hand sanitizer, because farm animals) and come by do see some new piglets running around or pet a goat. read more

Great farm/park operated by Fairfax County. Walking the farm and seeing all the animals chickens, pigs and piglets, cows, goats, lambs, horses, and many others are completely free! The only thing that costs any money is the carousel and it's super inexpensive. Great play area with slides next to the carousel as well. Tons of free parking on site. Highly recommend. read more

Frying Pan Farm Park - Parks Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

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Omg, our kids are enjoyed this place so much! Perfect place for family time. They have carousel rides just for 3.5$, wagon rides for 4.50$. Entrance is free. Kids can see all farm animals and their babies read more

We absolutely love the farm! Animals from horses, to pigs, to cows, to sheep, to goats and more! The staff here are all super friendly and knowledgeable. We (a toddler and myself) come here a few times a week and it never gets old for the little one! They have a mini tractor area for kids to play on as well. They have a general store, fully operational daycare and several programs throughout the year. They also have a carousel and two playground areas. Contrary to the sign on the road, they DO NOT have a farmers market (anymore). read more

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This was a great park for us to take a toddler to see animals and walk around. It's free and it was pretty crowded on a Saturday afternoon. I would recommend it for anyone with little kids. read more

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I love this park! There is plenty of space for kids to run around and play, great walking for adults, and so many beautiful flowers and animals to see. It's just an enjoyable time for all ages. read more

It's free! Ok onto the real reason it's 5 stars. Lots of per table farm animals and a staff who cares about the visitors. I love this place with our family. The kids get to run around in a safe place, take hayrides or play on the playground plus see farm animals. Lots too. Pigs, horses, cows, goats, lambs, ducks, turkeys and a stray kitty. They also have a veggie garden too. Really love it here and is our go to place when it's nice out. read more

This is a great, FREE option for a morning or afternoon with young kids. They have two playgrounds, a carousel (though it's not always operating) and several animals to see/pet for free. Depending on when you go, you may get to try milking a goat! There are goats, sheep, pigs, cows, horses as well as birds like ducks, peacocks, chicken, and turkeys. There is also an area with small tractors and things to play on. Overall I would say this is a great place to kill some time for free with kids 6 and under. The area with the animals is not very big so it doesn't take long to see them all. I would plan no more than two hours here to include time playing on the playground. read more

Frying Pan Farm Park - Two playgrounds side by side - Parks Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

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