Willoughby Heritage Farm and Conservation Reserve is a peaceful little escape right in…read moreCollinsville, IL that is perfect for slowing down your day and taking in some good nature vibes. They have a few miles of hiking trails, but beware they are kind of hard to follow and it's really easy to get lost, but also pretty easy to get back on track! They have farm animals you can feed, pet, and check out along with vintage farm equipment dotted all over the farm. It's free to visit and is definitely a local hidden gem in this town!

I stopped by this evening about 4:30 to take a look around. It is a gorgeous, small farm with lots…read moreto do! There is a gorgeous garden, which is a photographers playground -- bees, beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds pollinating all around and enjoying the sweet nectar. Flowers everywhere -- it is so beautiful! It was super quiet as I walked around, it was just me and two hikers that went down to the little trail and back. This is such a wonderful play for kids! There are turkeys walking around loose, that just pass by, so used to humans, obviously. There are two pigs in a pen, a few goats chilling on their tables and a horse, two donkeys in the barn. Friendly, and curious if I had treats to give. (Which you can feed some of the animals, others have signs not too.) Groundhogs running around too but they do hide! Not scary at all. Lots of space for a shaded picnic lunch and a good sized play area for kids. It's well worth checking out. It is gorgeously maintained and the animals are beautiful, so very well taken care of. Just go, already -- It's good for the soul! :) Will definitely be back.

My two boys, 9 and 7 years old, had the best time feeding the animals and walking around.read more

This place was....interesting…read more I'll be honest, it popped up as a pumpkin patch. My sister just moved to the area and was looking for one close for her kiddos, and this was around the corner, so we decided to give it a try. To start, it was $10/person to get in, which wasn't really promoted. We've lived many different places and have never had to pay to get into a pumpkin patch, so that was a surprise. Kids were the same price, also a surprise. The property is pretty cool, they have some farm animals. They sold food to buy but half the animals you couldn't feed and the other half were already full from being fed so much. We assumed it was a regular petting zoo and bought some food before seeing it, so we ended up with leftover bags of food and no animals to feed. The hay ride only went once hourly so you basically had to wait around forever if you wanted to ride it. The maze was cool and the concept seemed really fun to find a message BUT the first word on the message was "God" and honestly, nowhere did they promote this farm as a religious-based experience. Lastly - the pumpkins. We came here for one reason. They don't even grow pumpkins on site, they ship them in, and they don't keep them stocked. I think we had like 20-30 pumpkins to choose from, if that, and they were picked over. We had a 4YO and a 6YO and they couldn't pick any of the pumpkins up, all the kid size ones were already sold. I feel like this could be a good spot for what it is, and if it was marketed as that - a Christian family fun farm experience. But, that's not what we had expected based on the marketing they had, so it was a bit of a disappointment for us.

I can't say enough good things about this place but here's a start:…read more- The View: STUNNING! It is just a gorgeous place to be - The Location: Parking always available and very easy to get to downtown - The Mission: A place you can feel good about supporting (and volunteering!) - They Make It Easy: It's easy to drop in on a Saturday morning if you want to get your hands dirty and help harvest - Cool Events: You can go to yoga, chef's dinners, or just host your own event for an EXTREMELY low cost - The People: Good people know good people, and everyone who is associated with a beautiful project like this is bound to be kind, interesting, and forward-thinking

From the owner: At Urban Harvest STL, we don't just grow plants; we aspire to create a healthy city immersed in…read moreliving and thriving gardens. Our designs are intentional and exemplify the principles of placemaking to create community spaces surrounded by farms that engage people in the local food system in unexpected and delightful ways. Urban nature takes many forms - it can grow on rooftops, in vacant lots, on living walls and in orchards. As in nature, diversity is prevalent and essential for resiliency. We are growing a network of urban farms supporting the health and vitality of our community.

Randomly stopped through and no one was there so we respected the rules and didn't get out of the…read morevehicle near the animals. We just drove though - it was crummy out anyways started raining as we got closer. Nice place, very spacious and seemed to have a lot of animals

My companion and I had the most wonderful hour at Rush Acres Farm! We saw ducks, geese, a pigeon,…read morechickens, turkeys, goats, llamas, alpacas, miniature donkeys, and pot belly pigs! No appointments needed. Lexie showed us around and introduced many animals to us by name--impressive considering the size of the herds! She we got to pet and feed the alpacas. She didn't rush us at all as we took many photos and videos. We also pet turkeys name Simon & Garfunkel. We visited the farm store on our way out. The farm owners and staff make most of the own products. We'll be back!

Pumpkin Creek Farms is an absolute gem and a fantastic destination for families and friends looking…read morefor a fun and memorable day out. The farm is beautifully maintained and offers a wide range of activities that cater to all ages. From the moment you arrive, you can feel the welcoming and festive atmosphere. One of the highlights is the pumpkin patch, where you can pick your own pumpkins--perfect for carving or decorating. The corn maze is a blast, providing just the right amount of challenge and fun. There are also hayrides, petting zoos, and plenty of photo opportunities that make for great keepsakes. The staff at Pumpkin Creek Farms are friendly and helpful, ensuring that everyone has a great experience. The farm also offers delicious seasonal treats, like cider donuts and hot apple cider, which add to the overall charm of the place. It is also incredibly affordable! Everything is included with admission. Which is $9 a person and I believe it is 2 and under that are free! Pumpkin Creek Farms is an awesome spot for a day of fun, learning, and making wonderful memories. Highly recommended for a fall outing!

Great family friendly fun place! It was cheap and offered multi things to do for the kids! The…read moredonuts were also amazing!

My Grant's Farm experience has been limited to the Christmas light show and Christmas village…read moreexperience but recently I've added the Clydesdale tour which was fantastic and a one of a kind experience getting to meet these magnificent creatures. My brain wasn't working correctly and we missed our tour time but the guide was kind enough to take us along during their tour. Mind you, we got there an hour and a half early but the brain cells died or something. Anyway, we got to pet the Clydesdales and had a close encounter with one. These horses are huge and very beautiful. We got to see a couple of them getting bathed and they were so gentle and well-behaved, I was quite impressed! The tour includes a free adult beverage or water for those under 21 or those who prefers a water instead. Our tour guide was amazing. I think she said her name was Linda. She was very kind and didn't even want any gratuity explaining that her role is a volunteer one. She's a retired educator and you can tell with the patience she had with her rather large tour group. The ticket price for the tour was pretty reasonable for the experience you're getting. You do pay for parking but you can take the tram for free to the village area for more activities. Unfortunately, we ran out of time the day of our tour so we didn't make it up to the village. You can take the trails (bike or on foot) and visit the farm though! When it's nicer outside, I fully intend to do so.

1st time visitor(was there as a kid) Did the Tour of the…read moreBudweiser Clydesdales Tram ride after the tour Very pretty walk through the area around the farm On hot days, not a lot of shade in food court May want to invest in more umbrellas/shade areas Good for families and anybody with kids Can feed the goats,etc It looks like hours are limited to weekends, but not sure if only a summer thing though Definitely worth visiting, but expect a lot of kids though

For $20, my 6 and 7 year old kids were engaged and active for 3+ hours and could have gone longer…read more Staff was very nice. I wouldn't upgrade unless you have 10+ year olds, although the Apple launcher looked pretty cool.

Have you ever been surrounded by sunflowers? The Sunflower Experience at Eckert's is the perfect…read moreplace to do it. Mom and I chose the Flower Power Sunflower Pass, which included admission, a single cut-your-own sunflower, a souvenir mason jar lemonade (booze optional) and a pretty faux flower crown. It added a fun, whimsical touch to the day and made for even better photos! There was an option to fill a cut-your-own vase in the field for $10. The ride to the fields is part of the fun. Slow your mind and enjoy the journey. Once in the field, we skipped the walk up lookout, but took advantage of some of the unique photo opportunities throughout, including a flower arch, bicycle, oversized wicker basket and giant branded watering can, to name a few. The one downside was the mud. The previous day's rain made the ground soggy, and my sneakers sank in amongst the stalks once immediately off the main trail. Eckert's spread hay on some of the muddier areas, which helped absorb some moisture. Waterproof shoes or rain boots are a smart choice if there's been rain. I also recommend sunscreen, bug spray, hats and sunglasses. Pro tip: buy your tickets online ahead of time. I recommend going as early in sunflower season as possible. Quite a few of the blooms immediately alongside the trail had already been cut, despite signs asking visitors not to do so. There were still PLENTY of beautiful sunflowers to enjoy, along with a gorgeous field of colorful zinnias, but access was muddy overall. I know - it's a farm - and there will be dirt, but I hadn't recalled the field being so wet on previous visits over the years, so just tossing out a heads up on proper footwear and such. :) Although our wristbands gave us access to the peach trees also, we opted for picking them up from the Country Store instead! We finished the day with lunch at the restaurant, where I had some of the BEST fried chicken I've ever had. Perfectly coated and fried. It was a great topper on a wonderful day out with my mother. PS Because we were stuffed to the gills, we opted to take two slices of peach pie to go and that was one of the best decisions I've made all year. It's got a delicious homemade quality that is increasingly hard to find. It was stuffed with the freshest, sweetest peaches around. Don't miss out, dude.

Eckerts store is huge. From foods, to wines, to souvenirs, to nursery, to hayrides they cover…read moreeverything. Fruits, veggies, deli, plants and bakery. Household items as well. Staff were friendly. Store is pricey. Plentiful parking and plenty of picturesque areas. Store is well lit, and spacious.

Such a lovely ranch with miniature horses! We attended the free public tour that first started with…read morea presentation. It was very informative about how they rescued these horses and the work behind it to get them healthy. Very generous hosts and afterwards they let us tour the ranch and pet some of the horses. The measures they take to care for these horses is incredible. It lasted about an hour to hour and a half. Highly recommend as it is for all ages! Definitely would love to book a private tour and bring more people. It would be great for a group bonding experience as well.

Such a privilege to have been able to meet this herd of rescued ponies. The owner has such passion…read moreand love for these lil guys. Handsome the golden retriever is a great attraction himself. We loved our tour and the stories we heard today. If you've never seen a herd of rescue ponies I encourage you to email the ranch and set up a private tour. There are toddler tours, girl scout tours, any tour you can think of. If you love animals this is a great adventure. Several ponies and a bunny have their own book/stuffed animal you can purchase on-line or in the gift shop. They also visit nursing homes.

The friendliest family with delicious fruits and vegetables at very reasonable prices. When…read moreavailable, you can go out and pick the fruits yourself. My grandma loves to come here and insisted that I needed to come here while on my trip, and I am so glad I did! They also sell soaps, honey, and other products in their little shop. The farm animals are all very friendly and sweet. We even got lucky and got to buy one of the last bunches of strawberries! I am so excited to eat my fresh raspberries, cherries, strawberries, and zucchini. Biggest thanks to the Kern family for a memorable visit!

Delicious fruit! It's way better than what you can get at the grocery store and the family that…read moreruns it is very friendly and accommodating.