Lake Metroparks Farmpark — Attraction in Kirtland

I recently visited Lake Metroparks Farmpark with one of the kids I care for — a 15-year-old with autism who is nonverbal and sometimes vocal when stimming. We were attending a new camp specifically geared toward kids on the spectrum, and this was our very first outing. From the Cleveland area, the drive was around 35 minutes, depending on where you’re coming from — a very reasonable trip for such a gem of a destination.

First impressions: The parking lot isn’t huge like the Cleveland Zoo, but it’s a good size and easy to navigate. The entrance is beautifully maintained, clean, and inviting — everything felt very well cared for. Admission was also extremely affordable (about $10 or less per person), which is rare and so appreciated for families and caregivers.

What really stood out to me was how spacious, open, and peaceful the grounds were. Even if the park had been busy, the layout and cleanliness create a calm, non-overwhelming atmosphere — something that’s crucial when you’re with neurodiverse kids.

There’s so much to do! From milking cows, petting animals, seeing horses in training, wagon rides, and shaded playgrounds — it’s a perfect mix of fun and learning. The animals all looked healthy and happy. Staff members went above and beyond, especially with our group. They engaged not only with the kids who were verbal but also made intentional efforts to include the nonverbal ones. One thoughtful moment that stuck out was when a staff member gently brought out a bunny to help some of the more hesitant kids feel comfortable enough to interact.

Restrooms were very clean, and while I didn’t notice a family-style bathroom, I did see changing tables in the men’s restroom — an important detail for caregivers to know.

There are also shaded areas to relax and what looked like a small splash pad. I heard from one of the staff that kids can plant vegetables like potatoes, which sounded incredible, though our group didn’t get to try that this time.

This didn’t feel like your typical “farm experience” — and I mean that in the best way. It’s educational, inclusive, therapeutic, and incredibly well-designed. Check their website for special events or free admission days, which makes this hidden gem even more accessible.

While I’d say it’s perfect for kids 12 and under, teens and even adults will enjoy the experience too — I know I did! A huge thank you to the staff who helped make our visit so smooth, welcoming, and inclusive. It’s rare to find a space that really understands and supports neurodiverse children so thoughtfully. We will...

We were pretty disappointed. I guess we expected more since they charge $8 admission a person. There were not that many animals there for being a farm. The petting zoo had 1 pig, a couple chickens, a couple sheep, and a rabbit. We went to the cow milking show which was interesting, although we wished the girl had a mic.

We were hoping to eat lunch at the Cafe, but it was closed (not sure if this was a consequence of covid or because it was a thursday), so we were starving. Luckily we had some snacks for the little kids, but definitely pack a picnic if youre going to visit.

We came here because we saw a thing on TV about it and it looked cool and my daughter was stoked to try out the zip line. The zip line isn't there anymore. So she was pretty upset. She enjoyed the playground and water feature they had, though. But it was hard because there aren't many benches, and my dad (with an artificial hip) had to stand, so we didn't stay long.

There were hardly any employees around, and we expected someone to answer questions or something at each building (again, because there was an admission charge). The worst part was you don't get a map... we were looking for the "woodland center" thinking it would place to learn about nature (and maybe the zipline could be found there since it wasn't anywhere else). We found it and it was basically an abandoned picnic building.. we kept walking and found the sugar maple grove which was cool, but then we were lost and missed the border collie show. I had to Google maps "where am I" to find our way back into the park. We really had no idea where we were going or what was going on the whole time and there was not anyone we could ask.

It was a very clean and well maintained park, but it just did not meet our...

I’m a lake county resident and a member of a Farmpark for over 8 years. For the past three years I’ve been trying to get a tickets for the hayrides for my kids who are desperately keep asking to go there. As a member, I’m supposed to get an alert email when ticket are on presale, and this is what I rely on. Since I noticed I didn’t get any emails this year as well as previous 2 years, I went to check their website a month in advance to see if the tickets are up for sell. Sadly, I came to find out that they have been sold out again. Since I leave across a street I decided to go there physically to find out why am I missing presale or regular sell notification. Apparently when they renewed my membership 3 years ago they typed in my email address incorrectly. I told them that I understand that this was a human error, but due to this I failed to get the tickets for three years in the row and my kids were really hoping to get in this year. The bottom line, after going through three different manager the answer I received : “the tickets are sold out this year”and Apparently it’s my problem for not checking their website in advance, even though I told them I checked their website a month in advance. Of course my kids were super disappointed for not able to do hayrides again when most of their friends are going. It’s Ridiculous and disappointing how I have to go through so many “managers” who doesn’t want to take responsibility for their error and on top of it making it your problem. Definitely not how you’d expect to be treated as a...