Well, I’m embarrassed to say we’ve only just been to Beetle Bank Farm York. It’s very close to where I live and it’s a toddler’s paradise. We’ve been back to Beetle Bank Farm already after our first visit!
About Beetle Bank Farm
Beetle Bank Farm is a farm and playground for kids. It’s well designed in that it has a big playground in the centre, with a barn on one edge, some birds on another edge and outdoor animals on another side (imagine it as a square with everything around the play area). There’s also a cafe that has indoor and outdoor seating – the cafe sells light lunches and has delicious cakes!
So basically you can visit the animals, grab a table, and drink a coffee while your child plays on the play equipment.
I love how the cafe at Beetle Bank Farm is at the heart of the farm so you can enjoy a drink or snack during your visit, one of the things about the Askham Bryan Wildlife Park that annoys me as that the cafe is in a separate building when you exit the wildlife park (though they do have a drinks stand in the park during summer).
If you’re interested in finding out what’s on at Beetle Bank Farm at Christmas, read my Christmas in York post here.
Prices
The price to enter is very reasonable – £8 per adult, £6.50 for concessions and under 2’s are free. The only downside is there are signs up saying that guests can only consume food that was bought from the cafe, and not bring a picnic. But for us, we only stay a couple of hours so both times we just had a drink and snack (they did a lovely rocky road!)
They also offer yearly passes for £45.
The Petting Farm
We were advised to go to the barn to book a time to hold the animals. You have to book a slot, ours was only about 30 minutes away but as more people arrived, they were getting full so go early and book in quick! This lets you and your child hold a rabbit and guinea pig – which Leo hated because he is going through a phase where is he scared of everything! But my husband and I enjoyed it. He held a rabbit and I held a guinea pig named Jaffa Cake.
We have been to Beetle Bank Farm plenty of times where there wasn’t a queue. Some days are just busier than others!
Barn Animals
In the barn, there are pigs, piglets, baby ducks, chicks, goats, and cows as well as the guinea pig and rabbit city. If you bought some animal feed (50p at the entrance) you can feed the animals in there.
You can get up close and pet them, which is great if you’re looking for petting farms in York. The goats were my favourite as they were hanging out of their gate and looked very excited!
There are handwashing facilities when you leave in case you’ve touched the animals.
Outside at Beetle Bank Farm
Outside, there’s a selection of ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys you can also look at. There’s also a large field with a football goal and balls so the kids can play football and beyond this is home to the outdoor animals.
They have alpacas, llamas, donkeys, boer goats and more outside farm animals – so save some of your feed for them!
Kids play area
The play area is brilliant. It has lots of swings, slides, climbing frames, ride-on toys, a big sand pit and a wooden play house with a kitchen, dolls and prams inside. They also have bouncy castles (weather permitting) so there are lots of things to do!
The New Playground
As of Spring 2023, Beetle Bank Farm has installed a new playground area. This area is for older children and includes a slide with a rock wall, climbing equipment, one of those seesaws that bounce and rotate and a few other bits. It’s a great addition to the farm and gives more options for older children!
I’ll be getting the yearly pass for this as it’s only £40 and it is a brilliant safe place for Leo to explore. As he gets older and can play on more of the playground equipment I’m sure we will spend a lot of time here.
Beetle Bank Farm Opening Times
Here are the current opening times, please check the website for more updated information.
| Day | Opening Time | Closing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9:30 | 17:00 |
| Tuesday | Closed | Closed |
| Wednesday | 9:30 | 17:00 |
| Thursday | 9:30 | 17:00 |
| Friday | 9:30 | 17:00 |
| Saturday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Sunday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
Bettle Bank Farm would be the perfect place to meet up with friends who also have children. I hope you enjoyed my Beetle Bank Farm photos!
If you are looking for something to do indoors with the kids, check out Agility York – I’ve written a whole article on it here!
If you want to visit something bigger that will last a full day, consider Murton Park Farming Museum just down the road. It’s more expensive but there’s much more to do there.
See you soon, Beetle Bank Farm!
Address: Beetle Bank Open Farm, Moor Lane, Murton, York YO19 5XD
Find more info at the Beetle Bank Open Farm website.
Just an update to say that we got have Beetle Bank Farm yearly pass and now visit at least once a month! It’s a great way to spend a sunny weekend. There’s also a new play area that is being built! Can’t wait to see it finished.
This farm looks lovely. I’m glad you had a wonderful time.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
How fun! This looks like the perfect place for kids. I love that you can book a time to hold the animals; my kids would love that!
What a lovely farm! This looks so fun. We love farms that also consider their animal welfare.