The barn style stable at Sibley Farm in Mankato, Minnesota.
GROWING UP, MY DAUGHTERS had a Fisher Price barn that, when the doors opened, “mooed.” For hours they would play with this toy farm. Being a rather unwise mom who determined that everything from their childhood could not be kept, I gave the barn, silo, Little People, tractor and animals to friends with little ones. My eldest once reminded me that was a mistake. I agree.
A fenced pond is in the foreground and the farm’s barn in the background.
But now she, and other twenty-somethings who hold fond memories of the Fischer Price barn, can see a similar real-life barn at Sibley Farm in Mankato’s sprawling Sibley Park.
Kids love the tractors, this one located next to the bridge spanning the pond stocked with koi and dotted with water lilies.
Friendly sheep are a favorite.
The fabulous farm-themed playground. There’s also a traditional playground, shown in the background.
I explored the farm on a recent Sunday afternoon, delighting in the animals, the pond, and the agricultural-themed playground. What a brilliant idea, to create this educational and engaging tribute to the region’s rural roots in the heart of southern Minnesota farm country. The farm park opened in 2008 and was partially funded by a $200,000 gift from the Al and Erla Fallenstein fund through the Mankato Area Foundation.
A young family checks out the alpacas.
When I got to the pygmy goats, a young boy was feeding them grass.
The farm animal sculptures provide perfect photo opportunities.
This agricultural-themed park makes my farm girl heart happy—to see kids petting farm critters, posing with farm animal statues, racing to tractors, and clamoring onto barn, silo, straw bale and even cornstalk playground equipment. This is a place for families, for anyone who grew up on a farm, and for those who didn’t.
The farm features Ayrshire cattle like this one seeking shelter in the heat of a summer afternoon.
We need to hold onto our rural heritage. And one way to do that is through parks like Sibley Farm.
Sibley Farm’s lay-out.
FYI: Sibley Farm is located at 900 Mound Avenue and is open daily from 6:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. mid-spring, summer and early fall. Admission is free. Click here to read a 2011 post I wrote about a goat-napping caper at this very park.
BONUS PHOTOS:
A sign at the playground.
The playground chickens.
I absolutely love the creativity of the climbing apparatus designed to look like cornstalks.
Love the signage at the farm-themed playground. There’s also traditional playground equipment, background.
Playground pig sculptures.
A musical detail on the playground.
The miniature horses are kid-sized friendly.
Bring coins so kids can feed the animals.
Daily instructions posted inside the barn.
Found feathers displayed in the barn.
Appropriately printed lockers.
CHECK BACK TOMORROW for a similar, but much smaller, project proposed for the Redwood Falls Public Library.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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