Blackberry Farm — Attraction in Sugar Grove Township

Wonderful experience on the right day. If you have younger kids, I would suggest not visiting during "camp" season, though. We have been here three times during different months of the year in years past and this visit wasn't like the others. Definitely feel like the authenticity and pride has diminished. Multiple camp groups with too many children and not nearly enough chaperones. Children from these groups were running rampant with little to zero rules, bulldozing other children and even myself-that's truthfully a issue of requirement via Blackberry. Stationed staff to monitor rule guidance and safety would be a major improvement. The staff we did encounter were the operators of the mechanical attractions and a few exhibits, but they paid no attention to the rambunctious behavior nor curbed kids behaving recklessly or the lack of supervision. This is simply an issue of safety. It is a businesses responsibility to enforce rules and supervision. The animal feeding areas had no staff monitoring the well being of the animals and we noted several empty dixie cups IN the enclosures. The children's playground is a major sight issue. You must have two adults to keep an eye on your children, one upstairs and one down, otherwise they're out of sight instantly. Playground had multiple lost band aids stuck to the lumber, otherwise was in great condition. A small play area geared for toddlers to 5 would significantly improve the play opportunity for the youngest patrons, who are certainly a large portion of the attendees. The gift shoppe was barren and I would personally advise a skip to save your dollars, but did offer a small individual candy selection that was priced fairly. The toys and stuffed animals had no reflection of the establishments exhibits like most historical locations. They have gas station level bags of candy with a Blackberry Farms label that is 3xs the price it is worth. Didn't see any of the rock candy sticks, quality taffy, no fancy sodas- just standard coke products, etc.. they have Ertl 1:64 diecast farm equipment for double the price of your farm store and some dollar store toys that kids will destroy before you get home. It seemed like a no-thought gaggle of random things just to say they have a gift shoppe. I don't know that we would give them a fourth go based on the totality of experiences, unfortunately. Major potential with...

This place is so perfect for fun days with the kids. Lots of space and a wide variety of activities to burn energy and explore. The playground area feels like a little pretend village/tree house that could entertain the kids for about 40 minutes straight just there. You can feed some cute friendly animals (goat, sheep, lama, small bull, and more). The train has a very good length and sights from the track so its a lovely little ride (5 ish minutes). We rode some ponies. Carousel. Paddle boats. There are some old fashion cabins where kids can learn about olden times and different skills. The whole layout is beautifully landscaped. Everything is spread out enough that it doesnt feel crowded even on summer weekends. They even have a perfectly placed mist/spray thing for hot days. There is a restaurant that had all the stuff a family wants and plenty of seating for those who buy or bring food. There is a little little kid area, and I will say that one always seems to feel a bit crowded, also we like the bin full of corn or sand more than mulch, but that area is nice since it is semi-enclosed to help contain the very littles. Honestly, my 4 and 6 year old get excited every time they hear the word "farm" because of Blackberry Farm. We are delighted every time we go, keep up the great work and thank you for creating wonderful...

We went for a birthday party which was really nice. Lots of activities for little kids to stay busy. The grounds are beautiful. During our train ride the employee driving thought it was a good idea to stop the train and start screaming at a little girl... The situation was not that serious and him screaming at this little girl was uncalled for but ok.. moving forward. A couple minutes later, we pull up to the train depot, and the train fully stops. All the passengers get off and start walking away. The same employee starts yelling at everyone telling us to get back on, that he was not done pulling in yet! We all stop and look at the employee confused. At this point, we are already off the train and walking away, we are not getting back on... The employee throws his hands in the air and says, OK that's fine, I wasn't done yet but whatever and starts mumbling under his breath... not sure if he was having a bad day but my husband, the dad of the little girl he yelled at and a few other men on the train had to bite down and walk away... this employee was out of line and should not be allowed to work around customers. Not sure if we will return to this place and if we do, we are going to avoid this guy.. hopefully he will no longer be...