Smithills Open Farm

Last Updated on February 20, 2024 by Suzy McCullough

Things to do at Smithills Open Farm review

Smithills Open Farm offers a fantastic family day out in Bolton, Greater Manchester. This real working farm has over 25 different types of animals, to see. As well as typical farm animals, like sheep, cows, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, horses and donkeys, you’ll also see more exotic animals, such as llamas, owls, meerkats, wallabies, skunks, snakes, lizards and deer.

Visitors to the farm can buy a bag of animal feed when you arrive and feed many of the animals, by hand. There’s also a schedule of talks and activities that you can attend at set times of the day. You won’t want to miss the petting session, where you can sit down and hold baby chicks and rabbits and you can also bottle feed the lambs.

Another popular thing to see at Smithills Farm is the milking demonstration. There’s an ice cream factory on-site too, so you can watch through the window as the milk is churned into ice cream.

Much of the farm is indoors, making it the ideal place to visit on a rainy day. There’s an indoor play area with a bouncy castle, slides and toy tractors to ride on, as well as a large outdoor adventure play area. Most things are included in the entrance price, but you will pay extra for donkey rides and tractor rides. 

The best time to visit the farm is in the spring or early summer when you can see lots of cute baby animals, and you might even be lucky enough to see some being born.

FAQ and Further Information Smithills Open Farm

Guest post with thanks to Jenni from Cruise Mummy

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