Fun Friday at Fosterfields

Guest post written by Elizabeth, Madison town specialist and fellow local mom. She’s always on the hunt for hidden gems and fun family spots. If you’re looking for a quick, kid-friendly escape close to home, Elizabeth has you covered.

Fosterfields Living Historical Farm (“Fosterfields”) is one of my favorite places to visit with my kids. Located in Morristown, you would have no idea such a large and historic property exists just a few minutes away from their great downtown. Fosterfields is a wonderful throwback to the early 1900s, with the opportunity to visit with actual farm animals in a historic 100-plus-year-old setting. While the farm is typically open April-October, Wednesday-Sunday, they offer wonderful children’s programming and a variety of weekend programming throughout the year.

We have visited Fosterfields a handful of times and have found it never to be crowded. Parking is ample, and they have picnic tables out front for snacking. You start your visit with entry to the Visitors Center, to pay for tickets (or you can sign up for children’s programming online). Most of the children’s programming is $10 per person, geared for children between the ages of 2.5 and 5, and usually themed around a different animal on the farm. After visiting with a Docent and the animals, there is usually either a craft or a story back in the visitor’s center. The visitors’ center has some fun historical facts about the farm and farming in the Morristown area in general.

Once you are through the visitors center, you can head outside and really take in the antique farm life. The farm typically has goats, sheep, cows, horses, pigs, and a full chicken and duck coop. A lot of the animals are rescued, and everyone who works at Fosterfields will happily tell you and your children the back stories of each of the animals, including their names and food preferences. Beyond the animals, there are a few historical homes on the property that are sometimes available for self-tour. Included on the property is a small schoolhouse house usually with hands-on vintage toys, where kids can experience. When we visited in the spring, there was also a large working garden where the vegetables grown were being donated to a local food pantry. 

I’ve put my kids to work on each of our farm visits to really immerse them in farm life! There is an example well for water pumping, a pretend cow for milking, a machine to remove corn from the husk, as well as the opportunity to feed various farm animals. Before leaving, make sure you head back to the visitor’s center to check out the antique car collection located at the lower level. Great photo opportunities and a fun way to show kids what cars used to look like.

This fall, Fosterfields is hosting their kids’ programming, Little Farm Friends, typically each Friday from 10:30 AM-11:30 AM, exploring different topics such as Feeding the Birds, Dairy Day, and Turkey Time. In addition to Little Farm Friends, they also offer Homeschool meet-ups and Craft programming for those ages 12 and up. The first weekend of December, on both Saturday and Sunday, they are hosting their Festive Farmyard celebration, which offers guests the opportunity to see the barnyard decorated for the holiday season, watch live cooking demonstrations in the 1915 farmhouse, create a holiday craft, take a wagon ride, and take a photo with Santa. Fosterfields is a great way to sneak in a farm visit and history lesson without a far drive!

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Laura Deutsch is a realtor who specializes in helping people relocate from the city to the suburbs of New Jersey.  Laura took the plunge herself from city to suburban living (not easy!) and is passionate about helping others do the same without all of the stress.  Finding the right town to call home is just as important as finding the perfect house, and that’s why Laura’s tailored approach ensures that you not only love your home, but also your new community.

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