Tour Options

Each tour includes one hour with a Nature Interpreter as well as a free tree seedling and Tree Adventure admission for each participant. Minimum group size is 15. Groups with fewer than 15, please call for prices.

• Child $10
• Adult $12
• Each additional hour of tour: $2 per person

Spring only.

A springtime trip to Arbor Day Farm provides an awesome view of the apple orchards in bloom. It’s also a great time to learn about apple development, integrated pest management, and the importance of pollinators. Take a peek into the world of honeybees and beekeeping, plus take a hands-on approach to discover how flowers are pollinated.

Wildlife abounds at Arbor Day Farm, but we don’t always see it. Some animals come out only at night; others are very shy around people. But they all leave clues that they are here. Learn to read the signs and discover who is hiding as you take a hike along South Table Creek Trail. Each person uses a photo scavenger hunt sheet to help with the discovery process. Great for sharpening observational skills and experiencing a wilder side of nature.

Discover Arbor Day Farm’s diverse ecosystems — a creek, prairie, and riparian forest — all within a short walking distance. Take part in interactive games that match animals to their native habitat and explore the advantages of camouflage. Build a food web chain of producers, consumers, and decomposers, then dig up some decomposers for up-close viewing. A favorite among students!

Recommended for 3rd grade and older.

Take an up-close look at trees to gain the basic skills needed for tree identification. Discover how the parts and function of a tree can become unforgettable once you act them out. Get an introduction to dendrochronology—the study of tree rings. Observe the many species that depend on trees for their survival. And share our passion for growing trees with a trip through the Lied Greenhouse.

Fall only.

September and October offer bountiful ways to experience fall at Arbor Day Farm. Head to the orchard to learn how apples grow and are harvested. Interactive learning opportunities emphasize the importance of honeybees to the growing process. Visit the Apple House where the apples are washed, sorted, and packed and see where our cider is pressed and bottled. Everyone in the group receives a free sample of cider to taste.

Join in the fun of finding all our forest gnomes and discover their hiding places. Using a set of clues, you’ll journey throughout the Tree Adventure looking high and low. It’s the perfect event for all ages.

• Gnome Hunt lasts approximately 1–1½ hours
• $13 per adult, $11 per child (ages 3–12)
• Set-up charge of $150
• Minimum of 15 people per group
• Available year-round

Enhance your visit to Arbor Day Farm with an engaging Nature Interpreter who shares the history of this 260-acre historic treasure. The tour begins at Lied Lodge, includes a look inside the Fuelwood Energy Plant, and concludes with a walk to the Tree Adventure.

• Guided time is 2 hours; attendees may then explore the Tree Adventure on their own
• 15 to 25 people per guide (please call for smaller or larger groups)
• $18 per adult, $16 per child ages 3–12
• Tree Adventure admission is included
• Available year-round

Climb aboard and embark on a guided tour into the heart of the orchards and forest. See and learn from an experienced tour guide about Arbor Day Farm’s native trees and animals, tree research, orchards, and history. You also have the option to take a private, sunset Discovery Ride through the orchards and forest at twilight as the magnificent colors of sunset cast a spectacular glow across Arbor Day Farm.

• Rides last approximately 1 hour
• Minimum 15 people; maximum capacity 25
• Daytime ride cost: Tree Adventure admission plus $7.00 per person, ages 3 and up
• Sunset ride cost: $30 per person
• Available April through October (weather permitting)

Experience a tour of the mansion at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park. The home is filled with countless artifacts from the Morton family.

• Allow 1-2 hours for mansion visit
• $9 for adults, $7 for children (age 3-12), children 2 and under free
• A tour with a guide dressed in period clothing is available for an additional fee