Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead facts for kids
The Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead is a super fun place in Overland Park, Kansas. It's designed to teach kids about farm life and local history. You can see farm animals, cool birds, beautiful gardens, and even a real one-room schoolhouse. There's also a nature trail and a display about the Kanza Native Americans. Plus, you can enjoy playgrounds, a fishing pond, and wagon rides!
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Fun Things to Do at the Farmstead
The Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead has tons of activities for you to try. You can feed the animals, which is always a favorite! Animal feed is available at the General Store or from special machines.
Meet the Animals
You'll find many different animals here. You can even bottle-feed baby goats! Don't miss the cow milking demonstrations in the dairy barn. The farm is home to birds of prey, bison, bobcats, prairie dogs, rabbits, ducks, geese, cattle, goats, pigs, turkeys, chickens, and peafowl.
Play and Explore
There are several playgrounds, like Morgan's Playground and the Prairie Playground. You can also race around on the pedal tractor track! The Play Barn looks like an old farm building but has slides and climbing fun inside. For a relaxing ride, hop on a wagon pulled by strong Belgian draft horses. You can also try sifting for gems at the mining shack or explore the nature trail.
Learn About History
The Farmstead is also a great place to learn!
- The General Store shows what old stores were like.
- Ben's Bank teaches about money.
- Helen's one-room schoolhouse lets you see how kids learned long ago.
- The Kanza Indian encampment teaches about Native American life.
- John's blacksmith shop often has demonstrations where you can watch metal being shaped.
- The Cinemoo Moovie Theater in the dairy barn shares the history of dairy farming in Kansas.
Gardens and Picnics
You can relax in the outdoor picnic areas. There are also lovely gardens, including the 50th Anniversary Garden, a butterfly garden, and an apple orchard.
Special Events
The Farmstead hosts exciting events every fall.
- Pumpkin Hollow: In October, you can enjoy daytime activities like hayrides and pick your own pumpkin.
- Night of the Living Farm: This is a special Halloween event in late October. It has both spooky and not-so-spooky attractions, plus live entertainment!
History of the Farmstead
The Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead has a cool history!
How It Started
The city of Overland Park bought the land for the Farmstead in 1971. It was first called Community Park. The Farmstead officially opened on Memorial Day weekend in 1978. Back then, it had a petting zoo with miniature horses, ponies, goats, sheep, calves, and chickens. There was also a vegetable garden and a fun silo slide. About 11,000 people visited in its first year!
A Special Name
On May 27, 1985, the Farmstead was renamed to honor Deanna Rose. She was an officer with the Overland Park Police Department. The Farmstead was named after her because she was the first officer from that department to die while on duty.
Growing and Expanding
In 1996, a group called Friends of the Farmstead was created. This group helps raise money for new projects and programs. A big expansion started in 2000. This added new attractions like the fishing shack and Grandpa Bob’s fishing pond. Over the years, more cool things were added, such as:
- The one-room schoolhouse
- The Kanza Indian encampment
- The Prairie Playground
- The tractor track
- The dairy barn
- Main Street
In 2009, a new entrance building made it easier for visitors to come in. The Ben Craig administration building was finished in 2018. This building has more space for staff, a new snack area, and family restrooms.
Recent Additions
Since 2014, the Farmstead has hosted a beautiful Christmas light display during the holiday season. In 2021, Mackenzie’s Island opened. It has a water wheel and a gazebo overlooking the fishing pond. A new mining shack was added in 2023, giving you even more to explore!
