Landmark Review: This is a great place to bring your kids…read morewhich rivals Lamb's Farm up in Libertyville. In some ways it is even better. Well kept, clean, and lots of up close experience with animals. This is owned by Champaign Park district. It has a petting zoo with lambs, donkey, and small goat which you can visit from 3-5 pm everyday. Otherwise you can see horses, pigs, peacock, chickens, and even turtles. There is a small playground area off to the side that little ones will like. All and all fun for little kids and best of all free! Donations accepted to help feed the animal if you feel incline. Hidden deals: FREE

I really have no idea what category to put this in. It's kind of like a zoo but in farm form. As…read morefar as I know, this used to be an actual farm but got changed into a farm zoo of sorts when the area started to develop. Basically this establishment is run by the Champaign Park District. They're open in the summer for families to stop and see farm life (horses, sheep, llamas, ponies, cows, geese, goats, pigs, bulls, chicken, koi fish, turtles, bunnies). They even have a petting zoo and little playground for the kiddos. The petting zoo is only open from 3-5 pm though. It's not that big but neither is Champaign. When I went last (many, many years ago) it was free and accepted donations. They also doa summer program for kids who learn how to run a farm and help take care of the animals. I did this for a few years when I was a child and it was really, really fun.... Except for when you had to feed the bulls and you felt like you were walking to your death, clinging that hay to your chest while the volunteer leaders assured you it was okay but just make sure not to run away or make any sudden movements... Make sure to bring close-toed shoes, the won't let you in without them. This place may have changed SIGNIFICANTLY since I've been there last (which was in the 90's..) but I remember it being a wonderful summer spot as a kid.

We really enjoyed our visit at this reindeer ranch! The gift shop was filled with lots of reindeer…read moreand Christmas products, an old-school furnace in the middle to keep it nice and toasty, an upstairs full of colorful Christmas decor and trinkets. The highlight was the running train in the middle on top floor as you sit and sip on the hot cider while waiting for our reindeer tour at around noon. Luckily at the time we went we were the only once so we basically got a private tour. Who knew reindeers love graham crackers? It had snowed a couple days before so it was so special to see all the reindeer in the snow. The lovely gal answered a lot of our questions about the farm and the reindeer and my 4 yo daughter really loved feeding and patting the friendly and soft reindeers. It looked like they had a fun playground and an onsite cafe (it was closed) and some other amenities around but they were all covered in snow when we went. The only thing is it would have been nice if they plowed their parking lot after the snow for safety. This was in the same town we were visiting family so it was very close. I thought it was worth the price ($12) and I would recommend this for other families to come check out with their little ones and have a unique experience!

Such a cute little place. Did the corn maze with a bunch of friends, was so fun despite the heat…read more The little christmas shop was super cute. I wish they had some proper drinks like cider or something for the hot days but they just had this smashed pumpkin pie with icecream and a donut on top. It was delicious but a whole lot of sweet assortments I guess. Would love to return and do the maze in moonlight, if not for the horror movies I watched

Great for a small zoo overall, but as someone who collects mugs at the zoos I go to, I was very…read moredisappointed to find out that the gift shop closed 30 minutes early with no warning prior.

When visiting Decatur a must stop is the Scovill Zoo. Lots of animals to look at. Great concession…read morestand with tasty snacks. Not big but you can easily spend a couple of hours exploring. If you are a member of a reciprocal zoo the admission is half off.

We were at the Forsyth Fest this weekend and ran across this mobile petting farm. Very nice family…read morerunning it and they were walking around and telling everyone all about the animals and the animals are all so nice and very cute!! We could even buy some food and feed the animals!! Very nice and organized setup! They will do private parties and Birthday parties too!

From the owner: We are a small family farm that travels with our mini sized farm animals to various community…read moreevents, carnivals, festivals. They are raised in a very hands-on and loving environment, so they love all the affection and attention. Guess how the opportunity to feed, take pictures with, and even hold some of our mini sized furry farm friends. we are available for any size event from a birthday party to a corporate event. We also offer pet therapy at nursing homes and educational programs such as assemblies and classroom buddies that meet quarterly to introduce one animal to your classroom.

Nice little zoo! We took advantage of a free admission day. The kids had a blast, staff was very…read morefriendly and knowledgeable & its so nice to not having outrageously priced food (we all ate for under $15) would definitely return in the future.

Review Visit: April 11th, 2012…read more Penguins, peacocks, chickens, oh my! Henson Robinson Zoo is located in the heart of Abraham Lincoln country. So, it makes sense that there is a zoo that has all it's animals wearing black hats and Lincoln-style beards. Actually, that makes no sense at all. Lets try that again. Henson Robinson Zoo was the destination for Matt and I during the early days of spring. When the warmth of the day is enough to make exploring possible and not miserable. I picked Matt up and we headed out to explore the capital. We got to the zoo around noon, parked, paid our admission, and got hyped to see some animals. I don't remember much about the zoo layout. I do remember a few different things. One. Peacocks and chickens walking around like they own the place. Yep, they had live animals walking around, strutting their stuff. No, they didn't have bears walking around, though that would be one heck of an experience. There were some peacocks strutting around, showing off their tail feathers. I never thought I would see a peacock up close and in person, let alone one I could pet. Whether you should attempt to pet the, that's up to your discretion (and probably some zoo rules). Two. Racing a wolverine is something I can mark off my bucket list. Upon visiting the wolverine exhibit, Matt and I noticed this creature was hyper and running up and down the edge of it's viewing area. Me, being the person I am, decided to mirror it's movements. The wolverine and I ran up and down the exhibit for a solid 5-10 minutes. Back and forth. Back and forth. Matt ended up recording some videos of us racing. I included a photo below where you can see me in motion. My current WordPress plan doesn't allow me to upload videos or else I would include one as well. Since I don't remember much else from the zoo, that leaves me without much else to say. There was a big water exhibit near the entrance. That is where the penguins were. They were fun to watch waddle around and swim around. I would suggest checking it out if you have an itch for a zoo. Maybe you can even race a peacock or pet a wolverine during your visit... or something like that.

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!

Talk about a smaller zoo punching above its weight! We loved our time here, even if it was…read moreunplanned and last minute. We were anxious to head up to the beaches in Michigan, but some very intense Canadian wildfire smoke had the air quality so bad we decided to stay back as long as we could.. should we commit a full day to the Children's Museum? Nah. Go for a walk? Too hot and unfamiliar. What about this fun zoo? Score! It's extremely walkable here, shady in most parts, and very fair prices. Side note, they do zoo reciprocity and as Friends of the Zoo members in KC we got half price entrance. The animals are so close here! It's amazing. Right when we walked out it's like, 'that's the closest I've ever been to a flamingo!" and on it went like that. I enjoyed chatting with an honorary zoo keeper, who I assume was a high schooler. He told me it was his first day, and he was eager to teach me about wallabies and the like. Very cool program where kids get training and hands on experience with animals, customer service, etc. The highlight for me was hard to nail down to one, so we'll go in order: Anteater! What a cool, weird, unique animal. Not sure I'd ever seen one and loved it. And, the obvious choice.. a freaking snow leopard! I've read a book about the elusive snow leopard, aptly titled, "The Snow Leopard." It gave me such an appreciation for these insanely beautiful cats, and to see one here, in Normal IL on a random weekday in July blew my mind. I read more about it and a zoologist at this zoo was very successful with helping breed and support these cats, so it's a good story and not one who was just snatched out of a mountain in Nepal someday. Again, a nice pivot for us and I loved this zoo.

Good place to explore with children in Bloomington. It turns out to be a bigger place than it…read morelooks. Miller Park Zoo is the highlight of this big public park and one of the best things about the city as well. Bad thing is there's an admission price. This is worth it for looking around once, and you can also get a membership if planning to come more times. Even though it's kind of small, it feels there's a lot inside and you can be here awhile. It's got an interesting history. The beginnings of the zoo started when a circus lion cub was found on this site around 1900, and the city named him Big Jim. After he died in 1912, funds were raised to open the Koetthoefer Animal Building. The zoo began lots more expansion in 1960 with the building that became the Tropical Rainforest Exhibit, and pools were built for sea lions and otters. A lot of animals have come and gone. There's currently flamingos at the entrance, monkeys, the Koetthoefer Animal Building has gibbons, langurs, and snow leopards, giant anteaters, lots of birds including bald eagles, the ZooLab has frogs and insects, several tortoises and there's wolves. It's about $9 admission for adults. They have a program called Junior Zoo Keeper that students can start in 5th grade, and they volunteer to learn and train. Good experience. This is an opportunity for local students. Have to say it's a good zoo for the city. It's located in the middle of the park. This is particularly a good one for young children, but it's open for everyone, so it's also okay for adults or whoever.

Absolutely the cutest farm I've ever seen. A group of us went for the goat hike (so unique right?!)…read moreand loved it! Our tour guides were the sweetest people and so knowledgeable about the goats and the farmland. A drink ( alcoholic or nonalcoholic up to $12) is included in the price of the goat hike ticket. They also have a cute gift shop where they're selling goat cheese, goat gelato etc. We didn't try the restaurant this time, but we will be back! I recommend checking this place out if you're in the area even though it's a little out of the way in the countryside!

Thank goodness for word of mouth, or I never would've found this place. It sits in the middle of…read morethe country, and is very easy to miss passing by if you aren't looking for it. I think I've seen 1 billboard in Champaign / Urbana for here.. maybe. But, a coworker of mine suggested I go and thank goodness she did. The food here is so delish. We got the chef tasting and wine pairing. 5 courses + 5 wines. The muscles we were served for the entree were the star of the show; Especially the sauce they were served in - killer. It's not particularly "fancy" inside, given you're on a farm. But, it is cute and clean. Do be weary when ordering because our bill came to just under $300 for 2 with the tasting menu. There are many other cheaper options on the menu and their menu is clearly priced online so there are no blindsides. This is a great place to go for a birthday dinner or celebration. You will enjoy the food (and the goats)

We took our children camping here and it was great! Our daughter had a blast petting the bunnies,…read moreriding the horse, jumping on the trampoline, and running around. She met a new friend there and now they're pen pals. So fun! The bathroom was clean and new. Julie was very helpful. We will definitely be back.

From the owner: We are only open for special Events, Summer Camps, and Classes. Please call ahead!read more