13 Nov Queens Farm
Where can you visit a farm that’s been in continuous operation since 1697? In New York City, that’s where!
Queens Farm, located right on the border of Queens before crossing over into Nassau County, is a little oasis in the city that was once one of the many industrious and thriving farms in the countryside around the city. The farm was started by Dutch settlers who built the original farmhouse that still sits on the property. The 47-acre tract has been an active farm for over three hundred years and in 1975 it was given to the New York City Parks Department where it is operated by the Colonial Farmhouse Restoration Society of Bellerose, Inc. It is also listed on National Register of Historic Places and serves as an important resource for connecting people to agriculture and the environment.
It is a delightful place to visit and they provide a lot of activities as well as hosting education programs. The farm is probably best known for their Maize Maze (second only to the line for apple cider doughnuts!) and was the main reason I was there—a football field sized corn field designed around a different theme every year. This year the theme is Georgia O’Keefe and her famous painting Ram’s Head, Morning Glory from 1938.
The fun challenge of finding your way out is enhanced by the scavenger hunt element of looking for puzzle pieces hidden in mailboxes along the way. When you have collected them all, they form a map of the maze. There are also special signs at various points which provide clues to solving a crossword that is included in the booklet you receive before entering the maze. It’s a great way to bring people together as everyone is navigating their way through and working out the path to the exit with lots of laughter and comradery.
Other things you can do there include taking a tour of the original farmhouse, buying some fresh, seasonal produce at the farmstand, feeding the animals, having a meal in the picnic area where food trucks are parked, touring the farm on a hayride and visiting the alpacas or the apiary.
It’s such a great way to spend a day and experiencing life at a different pace and enjoying simpler pleasures.
Open year round, the farm changes with the seasons as do the activities so there is constant change and therefore regular reasons to make repeat visits. What could be a better way to mark the passage of time?
Queens Farm is located at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Queens, NY 11004. General admission is free to the public, except for special ticketed activities. Hours are daily, 10:00AM – 5:00PM and the farm is closed on New Year’s Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
