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    Harvard Alpaca Ranch

    5.0 (30 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    By appointment only

    Updated 3 months ago

    Harvard Alpaca Ranch Photos

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    A walk through the woods with some friendly females.

    Fun time with great staff. They take great care of the ranch animals. Looking forward to a return.

    Aya R.

    The review: With their free tours and fuzzy, irresistible alpacas, there is no reason not to visit the Harvard Alpaca Ranch. The tour consists of a "meet and greet" with all of the alpacas, first the girls section and then the boys. The owner, Matt, led the tour, and he was awesome. He explained each alpaca's relation to one another and their back stories, it was like a ruminant reality show. It was such a unique opportunity to converse with him, find out how does one get into alpaca farming, and learn the workings of an alpaca farm. They are nosy, lazy, sassy, and have the absolute cutest faces. As a lover (ok fine, a worshipper) of fuzzy creatures, it must be noted that these alpacas are not particularly friendly--not much petting will occur. Children?: Of note for energetic children, there are also rules surrounding the alpacas, like not being able to approach or touch from behind to avoid kicking. To know: This is not a nonprofit organization, meaning it is a business and although the tour is free, they encourage purchases and donations afterwards (there is a feeling of obligation after such a thorough and involved tour). Funds support their business and other programs (again, it's a business and it should be noted that they charge patients for alpaca therapy). Bathrooms: You should probably prepare your bladder before you get here. The available restroom is a port-a-potty. Overall, this was a lovely spot to visit in MA, and there are many trails and farms in the area to explore afterwards. Thank you for the visit!

    Feeding the alpacas
    Ella R.

    SO MUCH FUN!!! We went at about noon on a Saturday, stopped in the gift shop, and were told we'd be able to take a tour in just a few minutes. Seems like tours run about every 30 minutes because ours lasted about 20/25. It was more than enough time to meet lots of Alpacas, see both barns, and ask all the questions we wanted to. The owner took us right back with them, and was able to tell us the name of each Alpaca. We went only about a week after they'd been shorn, so they looked goofy, but they were super friendly, especially when we were giving them treats. The tour was completely free, but I recommend buying something from the gift shop or donating a few dollars because it was an unforgettable experience. My friend and I had an absolute blast, and there was only one other couple on the tour with us. Totally recommend if you have a car to get you out of Boston!

    Alpacas!
    Jenny T.

    We came after shearing day, but these guys were so so cute (I would love to see them with full fur as well). Farm staff are so so friendly as well, they obviously know their alpacas very well. The gift store also has a lot of cute stuff, everything sold there is sooo fluffy and cute and you're supporting local by buying stuff there. Def lots of alpacas to see and touch! I would suggest stopping for bathroom at the Dunkin nearest though, only porter potties were there.

    This place was the coolest farm I've ever been to. Ranch tours are FREE and the store is so cool. The alpacas are beautiful and friendly and our tour guide (I didn't get her name but she was in college and really educated and friendly) was awesome. We met the 4 day old alpaca and had a really good time. If you don't want a large group I recommend coming on a weekday !!

    Jamie Y.

    Such a fun family activity! We emailed their contact form and signed up for the Enhanced Tour, which was $50 total for up to 5 people and $8 per person for more than 5 person (when we went in fall 2022). We got to meet one of their alpacas on halter and walked them through an obstacle course, and then walked through the ranch to see all the alpacas chilling. Our tour guide was able to answer all of our questions and we learned a lot about the ranch and the alpacas. There's a small alpaca gift shop at the end of the tour.

    Katie P.

    This place is awesome. The alpacas are so cute and the tour was great. The only heads up I would give anyone visiting is that they do NOT have a bathroom (their website does not indicate this), and as we had driven 45 minutes to get there, I was really struggling. Things got awkward at the end of the tour when I had to ask to be let out of the enclosure so I could bolt to my car, and the tour guide seemed confused and a little annoyed. This unfortunately precluded me from spending money at the shop as well, but it was either that or join the alpacas in peeing on the ground. ‍ So my tip would be to go to the Alltown Coffee or McDonalds before you visit. Otherwise, highly recommend!

    The sign for the alpaca ranch.
    Lisa G.

    My husband and I visited the alpaca ranch on Friday, August 26th. We learned so much while we were here. Also, there were so many alpacas. It was just so amazing. We even got to pet two alpacas. We absolutely loved this place. This was my husband and my favorite place during our vacation.

    2 of the male alpacas!!
    Joyce W.

    A cute little ranch to stop by and learn about alpacas! The staff is super nice and knowledgeable, leading tours roughly every 30 mins (or when enough people show up). My boyfriend and I came by around 11am on a Saturday, right after another tour had just ended. We waited for about 10 minutes, before another 2 couples also showed up - and then our tour began! We got to get up close and personal with all their alpacas (or at least the ones that wanted to get close to us). I LOVE alpacas and was lowkey giddy with how inquisitive some of them were. Our guide gave us an intro to the animals, and answered all our questions for the next 40ish minutes. Note - all of this was totally free! After the tour, we spent some time in their small gift store and walked away with a couple of pairs of alpaca socks. As a sidenote - I've worn the socks a few times now and each time my toes feel like they are in cuddly, fluffy warm heaven. If it's not too far of a drive for you, I def recommend a trip to the ranch! It's a great local business with the CUTEST alpacas!

    Ally G.

    We came here as part of my friend's bachelorette and it DID NOT disappoint! We did the $8 "enhanced tour" which meant we got a longer tour and got to feed the alpacas! The whole thing lasted about an hour and we got to pet, feed and learn about them. The guide was super friendly and answered all of our questions. They also have a great gift shop with all things alpaca! Would definitely recommend a visit out to Harvard to this place! I think families especially would enjoy it... or a bachelorette party. ‍

    Farhan S.

    Well worth a visit. The owners are very hospitable and knowledgeable and will take you on a tour and answer any questions you may have. You can take a free tour or an enhanced tour. There are about 20 alpacas there. There's also a gift shop if you feel like buying some cool stuff.

    Durrrrr
    Daisy E.

    Absolutely the cutest thing I've seen!! The alpacas were adorable, friendly and super soft. Nacho was my favorite little guy! I couldn't believe how many there were and the mini tour was super informative. Be sure to tip your guide!! They work hard to keep this farm going- and it shows. The grounds were well maintained and the animals were clean and very well cared for. Want to support this small business? Be sure to check out their little store and buy at least one thing.

    Wool spinning demos - the spinning wheel on the right is from the 1870s I believe!
    Karen W.

    I visited Harvard Alpaca Ranch today with some friends as part of their anniversary celebration. There were tours every 30 minutes, which I attended. It was lovely to get to see their alpacas, many adults as well as two babies, in person! I wish I could have interacted with the alpacas more since this was my first experience in person, but of course since they attracted a huge crowd that would have been way too stressful for the animals this weekend. I appreciated that the farm did the responsible thing instead of the people-pleasing thing to respect the animals this weekend. The event was fun, there were all sorts of touchable knitted items, spinning demos and spun wools in the shop. They had a touching fleece area where one of their alpacas' fleece was laid out on a table to touch - it's downy-soft! There are lots of informational signs all around as well, so I learned more than I knew about alpacas! They are going to train one of their oldest alpacas to be a therapy animal which sounds awesome. Just wish they were closer so I could more easily go back for time with the alpacas!

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    Very educational and fun experience and they have a great gift shop with lots of fun alpaca items!

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    Ask the Community - Harvard Alpaca Ranch

    Review Highlights - Harvard Alpaca Ranch

    We had a group of ten and did an enhanced tour and totally worth it.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Shelburne Farm

    Shelburne Farm

    (141 reviews)

    Tldr: didn't like the random dust clouds, apples were good, pears were smaller than expected but…read morealright, also didn't like the slope, it's not very flat or smooth except for on the grass in between the rows of apples but depending on if there were lots of rotten fruit on the ground there were also lots of bees. Went with my husband and 10month old to pick some asian pears and honeycrisps. There was organized and ample parking. The main paths have large gravel rocks that were loose and uneven and a grass strip in the middle. It was a bit hard to push through even with our stroller with large wheels. The tractors that occasioned through blew the dust up around the paths too. There were plenty of porta potties and I also liked they have a hand washing station too. We didn't try any of the food trucks but appreciated the option. Farm stand was small, there were some picnic tables but could have been more (potentially near the food trucks) There were some chicks, bunnies, a goat, and donkey? to look at. The kids play area has a 2-5 & 5-12 play structures and water play but they were very close together, not much room to run around between the structures.

    Review is as a non-apple picker. My friends and I swung by here for lunch in the mid-point of a…read morebike ride, lured in by the promise of apple cider donuts. From what I could tell, there are larger orchards in the area but Shelburne seemed to have everything you need - a food truck (with an excellent burger and pulled pork sandwich), a hard cider place, the aforementioned apple cider donuts, and a little general store selling jams and whatnot. At first glance, there didn't appear to be a ton of seating but if you walk a bit further up the hill, past the grassy patch, there's a good amount of benches and tables. Apple cider donuts review: 4/5? Not as fresh or as warm as I've sampled at other orchards but these had a healthy dusting of cinnamon sugar and a great chew. Downing two of these bad boys was not a great decision for the ride back (plus I had a cheeseburger). Cheeseburger: 4.5/5. Just a bun, patty, cheese, ketchup but listen, this was one of the best cheeseburgers I've had in a while. The bun was perfectly buttered and toasted and there was just the right ratio of meat to bread to condiments. I felt really, really food-drugged after eating this and the donuts. All the burger needed was some pickles. The only thing I didn't love about the layout is the area with the food truck had only three or four tables (no chairs) and faced the row of Porta Potties but I get that space is at a premium. There was also a sizable hill to get from the food truck to the area with tables/benches/donuts, which made walking in cycling shoes an enormous pain, though that's a me-problem.

    Templeton Family Organics

    Templeton Family Organics

    (3 reviews)

    $$

    TFO is a wonderful farm! They offer the most amazing food! I've had their eggs, chicken, pork…read morechops, breakfast sausages & honey, just to name a few. Everything was absolutely delicious. I have also joined their "Rent the Chicken" program. I used to own chickens years ago and it was a lot of work. "Rent the chicken" was a super fun & easy way to have chickens and enjoy farm fresh eggs every day! I toured their farm and all the animals are in very spacious and comfortable living spaces. They are treated like LOVED pets! Also, the Templeton's are very friendly and professional. I learn something new about animals every time I go to TFO! The service is outstanding! Look forward to my next visit to the Templeton Family Organics Farm!!

    Last week, my husband and I picked up a chicken at Templeton Family Organics. It was, by far, the…read morebest chicken I have ever tasted! If you have never had a farm fresh chicken, it really is something to try. It is hard for many people to understand why there is such a difference in grocery store prices vs farm prices (and then, organic farm prices). It's worth it to me because the flavor is so insanely better than anything I have bought at a store. This meat is even better than the chicken we get from a local non-organic farm. The other differences I noticed is that the skin is much heartier. It does not split easily. It's a healthier chicken, so the collagen is not compromised. My proof is also in the bottom of the pan. There was not much fat once the juices cooled. They solidified into gelatin, which tells me the collagen is healthier. We both noticed when eating the meat from bones, the bones actually had flavor! So, I cannot wait to get another one and make chicken stock from the bones. Also, the chicken was very big. I was under the misconception that only GMO feed and steroid injected chickens get that big at that young age. Not true. What is true is that all parts are proportionately large. As opposed to grocery store chickens that have huge breast meat areas, and the other parts are small. This chicken clearly got great exercise. We also got a sugar pumpkin. It was wonderful too. Some pie pumpkins are very hard to cut into, the skin is like bark. These pumpkins cut well, roasted well and had a nice autumn flavor. I will be making my pie soon. We ordered a turkey for Thanksgiving. I am very much looking forward to it. The turkeys are raised the same way the chickens are, and I am quite certain the flavor and quality will be unbelievable.

    Harvard Alpaca Ranch - attractionfarms - Updated May 2026

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