Smithills Open Farm

Smithills Open Farm

Smithills Open Farm
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • Franc M
    14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I’m singing in the rain.
    Torrential rain all day didn’t dampen the fun we had at the farm. Tree down on the lane to the entrance meant a detour ( sat nav kindly given by the staff member that drew the short straw standing in the rain). Got checked in, animal food bought and off we went. Great selection of animals to see and feed and to learn about. Plenty of indoor barns to keep out of the rain too. Exotic animals were spotted albeit they were sheltering from the elements too. After a bit of lunch in the cafe (very reasonably priced food) it was off to the hands on experience where we met an owl, alpacas, donkey, chicks, lambs, rabbits, and guinea pigs. (Remember to wash your hands afterwards). Young lad in a burgundy coat was fantastic with the children wanting to touch the animals, made them all feel comfortable and encouraged them to have a go. Little man (2 years old) had a donkey ride then a play on the park and a visit to the shop for ice creams all round. Best value farm for miles.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 10 April 2024
  • ScottyGee81
    Manchester, United Kingdom749 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Day Out
    There are plenty of things to do at Smithills Farm... Walking space through the huge barn with cows, pigs, goats and sheep, an informative chat in the petting area with smaller animals and a couple of kids play parks. Along with a couple of chargeable extras like a donkey and tractor ride for a small fee. All in all, a great family day out and reasonably priced too.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 4 June 2024
  • Angie L
    Manchester, United Kingdom77 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Wonderful Day at the Farm
    The farm is exceptional! We went with our grandchildren, aged 3 and 5. The whole place is well thought out and geared for families, catering for children of all ages. The children were able to feed most of the animals (there are too many to mention) and we went into the petting corner where they were able to hold chicks, rabbits and Guinea pigs and see many others close up, including emus, Shetland ponies and lambs. There are play areas to suit all ages and we went on the tractor ride to feed the donkeys. I was most impressed with the handwashing facilities which were at child-friendly height making them so easy to use. We had lunch in the café and ice cream from the creamery. We’ll definitely return and would recommend the farm for a wonderful day out.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 10 June 2024
  • Beth M
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best birthday party & afternoon
    We booked a joint birthday party and it was the most amazing afternoon had by all! It is such a lovely farm with lots of animals to see, many activities and a wonderful park. It was the best birthday party many of us had been too, all the staff were brilliant and accommodating all afternoon, particularly patient with all the children. Especially Lucas our party host. Thank you very much again!! 😊
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 7 July 2024
  • Karl
    28 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic day
    We have family visiting with us so decided to go and have a look at Smithills farm. All I can say is what a brilliant day to visit. My 5 year old grandson had a fantastic time, from looking, feeding and touching the animals to having a tractor ride and play in the play park, finished off with a delicious ice cream. Not only did he enjoy it, both grandparents and his mum enjoyed it too. We ate in the cafe, the food was tasty, reasonably priced and the service was first class. The gift shop wasn't in my opinion overpriced and was certainly themed to the farm. To top the day off we all had ice cream, the choice of flavours was good and all made on the farm, very tasty and what a way to end the day. To finish off, this is a highly recommended place to visit, the staff were really friendly and will be visiting again, even if it's just for the ice cream.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 August 2024
  • Lee B
    Manchester, United Kingdom204 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This place never disappoints
    I have been bringing my kids here for years and it never lets you down. We always see to have a great time and always want to come back. The animals and play areas are just great fun and the ice cream is some of the nicest I've tasted. You are guaranteed a great family experience so I guess that is why we keep coming back. I always recommend this place to anyone with families or who loves farm animals.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 August 2024
  • Debra W
    Preston, United Kingdom114 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Another trip to Smithhills 👏👏👏👏
    We’ve been going here most years over the last ten years and seen it grow n grow … Had a fantastic day out kids 5. - 11 plus 3 adults who also loved it! Friendly staff from welcome to pets corner to donkey ride to gift shop and milk parlour x We loved nes soo area and tractor 🚜 ride. Definitely got good dry weather which helped but we’ve been in drizzle too … Highly recommended x
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 August 2024
  • Debbie E
    Manchester, United Kingdom2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great family day out
    Great family day out. We have been visiting here for years, my youngest is getting a little older now but still loves it and would spend all day in pets corner, petting all the animals. The staff at the entrance are always polite and friendly. Make sure you get some bags of the £1 animal feed for on the way round. The ‘zoo’ section has recently been improved and is much better now as is the play area. Tractor ride is great, takes you up the top of the hill where you get to feed the donkeys. Can’t leave without buying an ice cream or a bottle of fresh milkshake to take home. Fab day out.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 29 August 2024
  • Jade
    Elland, United Kingdom2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Meerkat Experience was amazing!
    Me and my 9 year old had the best day here. We were both particularly impressed with the pets corners where you get to stroke so many animals, including at the end you get the chance to hold them too. We prebooked the meerkat experience which didn't disappoint. We had 45 minutes in the meerkat enclosure and our guide, Alex let us have a peep at the other animals alongside the meerkat enclosure. Alex was very easy going to chat with about the meerkats, took photos for us and was great with my son too. We even got a certificate at the end which is a lovely keepsake to remember the occasion. Booking the meerkat experience granted us admission into the farm for the day too, and we were so pleased with how much there was to do there. The only downfall was the very long wait in the cafe for food, so I would recommend taking a picnic to make things easier. Will definitely be visiting again!
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 14 September 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,098 reviews
Excellent
745
Very good
230
Average
55
Poor
32
Terrible
36

Newcastle Girl
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK57 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Family

Don’t think they have heard of social distancing ??? We arrived and couldn’t even find a parking space it was that busy! Surely they should be limiting tickets?? Long queues for everything like feeding cows and petting the rabbits, because of the amount of people.

Pumpkin picking what a JOKE
£5 each for a small tiny pumpkin which you lift out of a box. I emailed to complain about our disappointment and was told I should have sorted it on the day or asked staff where the pumpkin field is.

We were pointed up the hill, we walked up the hill and there was loads of people picking pumpkins out of storage boxes.

On the email, she claims if I walked further I would have found the field....

1) there is no directions and we wasn’t told about the field, we were told to go up the hill.

2) everyone else was lifting out the boxes, so either they didn’t know either or the field was empty!!!

Waste of £15 on rubbish pumpkins and the farm wasn’t safe with new covid restrictions

Don’t waste your money
Written 29 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

reviewer
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
We visited today everything was great. Toddler really enjoyed her day out with the animals. The only disappointment was majority of the staff weren't very welcoming and customer service definitely needs improving. There are two cafes we first queued to go to the one opposite the donkey ride stable (however it was cash only). So we walked over to the bigger cafe near the car park the staff in there were rushing us. As i was inside i was told to hurry up because there is a queue outside. Being with a toddler was difficult especially whilst i waited in the queue to get inside the cafe and was told to hurry up by the staff. really disappointing experience from staff. The lady that was at reception at 16:30 ish was very welcoming.
Written 26 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Salford55
Manchester40 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
Visited with my grandchildren aged 8 and 6 , this was not our first visit so had expected a good day. The day started off with disappointment when after queuing for some time for a donkey ride ( having purchased tickets ) my granddaughter was told she couldn’t ride as she was too tall , I was understandably upset by this as children taller than her had already been allowed to ride. In fact the child directly in front of her in the queue was a good couple of inches taller. Apparently they measure the child against a post that isn’t evident until such time as your child is at the front of the queue and this, is interpreted differently depending on who is currently in charge of the donkeys. I understand that if there is a height restriction protocol, then it has to be adhered to unfortunately this is not the case here and if the staff decide one can ride another can refuse. Disappointing and confusing. I was left feeling my granddaughter was discriminated against. Certainly not a good family experience.
If you are going to have a height restriction please can you make this evident prior to people spending an age queuing only to be turned away and make you decision with regard to this matter consistent.
Don’t think we will be going back there are other places where my grandchildren will be made to feel welcome
Written 25 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sarah J
Warrington, UK169 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
We went on a rainy weekend. There’s a lot to do inside so the rain doesn’t interfere too much. The tractor ride was a bit damp but worth it to feed the donkeys and watch them playing with the dog. Our eldest daughter really enjoyed the inflatables and feeding the baby animals.
Written 2 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jasmine G
4 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Family
The farm it’s self was a nice little farm but I feel everything could have been organised better, The que to get in even when purchased online was horrendous, spent more time queung to get in than actually on the farm, the cafe is very small and compact so when busy you can’t move much and the calf feeding was just a mess, it was so busy you could hardly move, there was just no organisation at all. The animal corner was great it was nice to feed and stroke the different animals and my little girl loved that and the tractor ride was good, they have donkey rides Wich is great for kids but again a long time queuing. The play area was good for older kids but my little girl is 3 so we didn’t get any use out of it. The staff are lovely and friendly but overall after a 45 minute drive i felt disappointed.
Written 20 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

A B
4 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
Visited their website to see what they were doing for Halloween. They advertised pumpkin picking and in its description made it out to be a wonderful experience for the kids. We booked to take my little girl pumpkin picking thinking we would get quality vine'd pumpkins along with a trail through the woods being scared by their staff dressed up as Halloween monsters.

What we actually got were exorbitantly priced, scuffed and marked up create bought pumpkins which were thrown into a bramble field. To and insult to injury, we were told that the "Scare Walk" was an extra event that we had to book and pay for via the website. My poor daughter was all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Terrible experience which left a little girl saddened. Don't think I'll be going back in a hurry and definitely not for next years Halloween.
Written 8 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mavis1948
Bolton, UK95 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
Great experience for our 4 year old grandson. Loved the hands on with the animals. We booked prior to going and so pleased we did. We arrived at 10am when opened and went on donkeys when they started and had booked a tractor ride. When we were leaving at 12.45pm there was great big queue outside for people who had not booked and couldn't get in because of strict numbers rule.
Written 26 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

UK Travelling
United Kingdom167 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Family
I took my 3 grand children, my daughter and son in law, we all had an amazing time plenty to do and see, I payed for three adults and 3 kids, 6 feeds, 3 donkey rides and tractor rides costing £50, meals for the child were great value which was extra, they make thire own ice cream which you can buy to take home. You can watch the cows being milked which is about 1 pm but ring up to find out. The kids have a opportunity to hold chicks and rabbits, look around to see smaller animals, feed the donkeys and play on the playground. There is plenty free parking. Tips we all wear wellys, has the donkey rides area is very muddy.
Written 10 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Glitter King
Wigan, UK85 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021 • Family
A wonderful day had by all. It was our first visit to Smithills Farm and taking our 16 month old nephew. On arrival we were glad to see plenty of space to park and a quick and easy check in to the petting zoo. The door staff were really friendly and helpful. On entry to the farm we followed a sort of one way system into the cow shed. People were sticking to the guidelines and plenty of social distancing pointers were added by the staff. The freedom of wondering around and greeting all the animals was lovely and the staff on site were really attentive to lend a hand especially to the little ones. The petting corner was great and we got to hold chicks & rabbits. The Animals were in great condition and majority seemed super friendly and happy to have some interaction. During our visit we had a tractor ride to the top of the farm to feed the donkeys. This was a wonderful edition and everyone was having a great time. We spent most of our day here as there is so much to do. The only negative point I would make is thag sign posts about food should definitely be made. We only found one small shop on sight that sold packed sandwich lunches. This was great for the kids but not for us. We skipped lunch only to find a cafe serving hot food from pretty much the car park on the way out, had we of known this early on we would of visited the cafe. There is so many places to sit and enjoy lunch when you have it. We got lucky with the weather but I’m sure it would be just as fun in the rain due to most exhibits being indoors. On our exit we finished off at the gift shop. The toys are super cheap and keeping within theme. We also selected a variety of fresh farm products including milkshakes & butter to take home which rounded off the visit nicely. We will definitely be back again, a really fun day out especially for those on a budget!
Written 20 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melanie
Barnoldswick, UK52 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Family
Great day out for all the family, lots of different animals from meerkats to Alpacas to Cows to snakes.

My son particularly enjoyed feeding the donkeys on the tractor ride (although I feel £1.50 is a bit steep in price for this when you’ve already paid to get into the farm, it would have been better if the ride was a bit longer and you could see other animals).

We also enjoyed the pets corner especially meeting baby Penguin the Alpaca. The milking demonstration was really interesting.

We ate in the cafe, the food was nice and reasonably priced, if you’d rather take your own food then there were plenty of benches under cover to use.

We had some of the ice cream made at the farm which was really good too. We will definitely be back.
Written 1 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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SMITHILLS OPEN FARM (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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