Ardenwood Historic Farm - Fremont, California

Olga Kalinichenko

The farm has a large area. We were at the pumpkin patch in October. This is a separate entrance. There was a high pyramid of straw, carts with hay and pumpkins, great for photos. It was very interesting to visit the house, it was open from 1 am to 2:30 pm. Many different events: a puppet show, making a doll from dry corn leaves, picking corn, dancing, music, etc. And there are also Train Rides. There is a place to sit.

Ikram Haque

Beautiful place! Super crowded though. Because kids and family were there to pick corn and pumpkins! We did the tour of the house. So many treasures and so much history! Will return on a quieter day to really enjoy the lush greenery and the impeccably kept belongings. A real blast from the past!

Very helpful and knowledgeable staff.

Daniel Fields

What a beautiful place to bring children and your family. It was fun to interact with the goats and chickens. There was a cultural dance event happening on Mother’s Day. There are plenty of spaces to bring a frisbee or toss a ball. The staff is friendly and the environment is clean. You can get food and drinks from the cafeteria if you are hungry after walking the large property. There are plenty of seats if you need a place to rest or want to watch and enjoy the tranquil environment. we will be back for Halloween as we heard. There are many fun activities to do with kids throughout the year.

Sylvia Lai

Awesome place for kids and toddler. Our 1 year old enjoy the train ride and just running around. Lots of table and shade so perfect for picnic as well.

You can also see the animal up close!!

Ani Yazlali

Met and exceeded expectations. My kids (10 and 7) were in awe. They were adamant about visiting on a day when the train was running and we finally got it after a couple of trials and errors. The last train departure from the entrance is at 2:50 pm on Thursday and Friday; one more run at 3:30 pm happens on Sundays only. No train rides on Saturday. The train was very real with a cute little diesel engine, sounding its horn and ringing its bell at railroad crossings, operated by an engineer and two conductors. The train passed through a eucalyptus grove and monarch butterflies were flying around in droves, it was a dreamy ride.

We happened to be there at animal feeding time and that was entraining, too, happens at 3 pm every day starting at the granary (the place where grains are kept) when the farm is open. The farm lets children of all ages feed the animals so parents and kids alike lined up and were allocated a handful of grain to throw at the chickens or let the goats and sheep lick out of their palms. But please don't feed the animals at other times.

There was also a blacksmith shop and the blacksmith forged a hook with an ornamental brass leaf for all those interested, you can also buy said hooks and other handmade iron items there. I found the forging demo very interesting and my kids watched attentively and asked a ton of questions, the blacksmith was very kind and patient and answered all of those.

My seven year old spent most of his time at the farm milking the wooden cow, a cleverly made and surprisingly sturdy milking simulator, which you could refill and play with forever or until bedtime, whichever comes first. We spent 3 hours there and if we had come earlier and the cafe were open (the cafe is open on weekends only) we could have easily spent the whole day. What a gem!

Vic

This place is reallg nice. Low-cost entry plenty to see. Train ride and animal feeding. I recommend bringing snacks, sandwiches, and water but they do have a small snack shack.

André T.

My mother and I really enjoyed visiting the open house, especially with all the Christmas decorations in place. The volunteers were dressed in period attire, were very friendly, and brought each room to life with engaging presentations. They even challenged our knowledge of the antiques on display.

However, we found the arrival instructions a bit confusing. Our tickets indicated a time frame of 5:20 p.m. to 6:50 p.m., and since it was described as an open house, we assumed arriving precisely at 5:20 wasn’t necessary. We thought we could come at any time during that window to explore at our own pace. When we showed up at 6:00 p.m., the staff seemed surprised and needed to make some last-minute accommodations. While we appreciated their flexibility, clearer directions would have been helpful if the event was intended to be more of a guided experience.

In practice, the tour had a semi self-guided feel—you move from room to room, and volunteers are available in each space to provide information. This allowed us to spend as long as we wanted in each area. Unfortunately, a large group of caroling children and their parents arrived soon after us. Though we started just before them, they eventually caught up, creating some crowding in the smaller rooms.

Despite these minor issues, we really value the one-on-one conversations we had with the volunteers. For most of our visit, we were able to have in-depth discussions and learn quite a bit about each room’s history and its antiques.

seerat Kaur

The farm was bustling with activity, with numerous chickens roaming around and many people visiting. The sight of the chickens added to the lively atmosphere, as the crowd enjoyed their time exploring the farm.

One of the highlights for me was the train ride, which I found especially enjoyable. It provided a unique experience that stood out from the rest of the day at the farm, making it a memorable visit.