Unique Things To Do In Ohio

Video: A Visit to the Amish Farm

By Lary Stucker

Get up close with buffalo, llamas, giraffes, deer, elk and more! Hand-feed animals from horse-drawn wagons through this unique Amish farm.

While researching the various things to do in Amish country Ohio, Kari found The Farm at Walnut Creek. An Amish “zoo” where you get to feed the animals from a horse-drawn wagon. It sounded pretty cool, so we added it to our travel itinerary.

Wagon rides

For a couple of dollars more than the entrance fee you can have the opportunity to take a guided horse-drawn wagon ride through the animal enclosure where you get to feed the animals.

wagon loading amish zoo — wagon loading zone

We arrived around 4:00 pm and got on one of the last wagon rides of the day. Our driver’s name was Noah and he explained the basic rules:

Don’t feed animals at the back of the wagon; they could try to climb in.
Don’t feed the birds by hand; they peck.
Don’t feed the animals directly from the buckets; you have to use your hands.
Don’t feed the zebras by hand; they could bite.

jersy cow visit amish zoo — This Jersey cow was the first to approach, but soon we were surrounded by animals.

Having seen pictures and read descriptions of the park, I thought I knew what to expect, but once the wagon was beyond the gate, and this large group of cattle descended on our wagon I was amazed!

nilgai india amish zoo — A Nilgai from India

The animals were HUGE, friendly, and eager to get us to feed them. Everyone grabbed a bucket and started tossing food into the animals’ mouths. After we had plenty of time to feed, pet, and take a picture with the first set of animals we moved on down the road.

Rocky Mountain Elk

It seemed at every turn we’d come across another amazing set of animals.

axis deer herd amish zoo — Axis deer herd approaching our wagon

giraffe amish zoo — Giraffe at the Amish Zoo

elands amish zoo — Hand feeding Elands

Tips:

Take the wagon ride

Wagon Rides Amish Zoo

You have the option of driving your vehicle through the animal enclosure. We chose to ride the wagon for a personalized touch. The guides are very knowledgeable and the animals know the wagons bring food!

I think the wagon experience is superior.

Time to explore

This is an actual working farm, with crops, dairy cows, a farmhouse to explore, a petting zoo, and produce stands. We wish we had more time at The Farm, even if it was just to go on the wagon ride a second time! I’d recommend giving yourselves at least 4 hours there.

Hard to find

I’m not sure if the management doesn’t want to upset the neighbors with a big sign, but I expected a slightly larger one. Even with our Google Maps navigation, we missed The Farm and had to turn around.

google street view the farm — Google street view of The Farm at Walnut Creek

Here is a Google maps link to, The farm at Walnut Creek

Conclusion

With the cleanliness of the facilities, friendly staff (and animals), and the friendliness of other guests, it was no wonder why our family had a great time at The Farm at Walnut Creek.