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
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
What a neat little park. That truly is a testament to all farmers across this land and such an educational area for the children. This is someplace I’d like to visit myself.
I loved this playground. I’ve never seen an agricultural themed play area. And I loved the petting zoo, too.
What a great place. I love it and wish I could have visited with you. 🙂 Sharing with all my Iowa friends because I know a lot of them would love to go there as well.
Well, thank you for sharing. In addition to Sibley Farm, Sibley Park has walking trails, a beautiful flower garden, poems posted (Mankato Poetry Walk & Ride) and more. Yes, your Iowa friends could make a day of visiting Mankato. There’s the downtown Sculpture Walk. And then, of course, the Betsy and Tacy houses, of interest to fans of the Betsy-Tacy children’s book series by Maud Hart Lovelace.
There are so many great things in Iowa and Minnesota that people probably don’t know about so it is fun to be able to write about them and share them with others.
I agree 100 percent.
I so want to check out the playgrounds and PLAY – ha! – oh so COOL!!! Great Park – Loving Your Captures – thanks so much for sharing 🙂 Happy Day – Enjoy!
It’s a great park for this agricultural region.
I have the Old McDonald song running through my head now. I remember growing up with Fisher Price, especially the house and the barn and the people and the animals that went with it.
I didn’t know there was a house to go with the barn. A popular toy, I think.
We just put them together as kids. I know we received the house first and then the barn came out. As kids of course we had to have that too!
Well, of course. You needed the barn to complete your farm.
Like I have said so many times, “kids get all the cool stuff.” (sigh)
That’s the irony of it. Kids spend their play time pretending to be adults, adults spend their play time pretending to be kids.
Now isn’t that the truth.
What a wonderful and unique park. I remember having the very same Fisher Price barn as a child.
Definitely not your typical park, which is why I like it, especially in Minnesota farm country. I bet a lot of kids had that Fisher Price barn.
Such creativity, it is incredible what some folks can imagine and then to see their ideas come to life. And solely for the enjoyment of the masses. Thanks again for sharing Minnesota with the rest of us Audrey.
You are welcome, Jake.
Looks like a fun place to take my grands…I’m gonna have to look into this place, thanks for sharing 🙂
Sibley Park is sprawling with trails and a flower garden and lots to see and to besides touring Sibley Farm. Yes, your grandchildren would enjoy this park.
Oh my goodness that looks like a lot of fun.
Totally agree.
Charming place. Looks like fun for all ages, but especially kids. On the subject of keeping toys. Don’t feel guilty. We kept all our kids’ Fisher-Price and they are just cluttering up the attic. Who knows what condition they’ll be in if there are ever any grandchildren to play with them? My mother saved my Little Kiddles and Little Kiddle town. By the time my daughter came along, the old plastic was so fragile that things broke when played with. (The Barbies were all right, but the Kiddles and stuffed animals, not so much.)
You’re right. You can’t keep everything. That said, I’ve kept a lot. And when the “kids” get their own houses, they get their stuff. One down, two to go.
What a lovely park. I love the lockers. When Archie was a baby my father used to travel a lot to the USA on business. On one trip he returned with the exact same toy. He gave it to Archie but we kept it at mum and dad’s house and it has been much adored and certainly played with, over and over by all 13 grandchildren. It’s still going strong and it still ‘moos’ when the barn doors are open. Fischer Price made some amazing children’s toys xx
I love this story. And I would agree that Fisher Price made (still makes) some great toys.