“Kids – just get in the car. We are going somewhere fun today. It’s a surprise!” The kids were excited. Why wouldn’t they be? Whenever they go somewhere, they don’t have to pay anything. They get fed free food, and all they have to do is entertain themselves and maybe ask you “are we there yet?” a thousand times. Being a kid is awesome. No one ever randomly drives me to the brewery or a ballgame!
My wife was not as enthused. Somehow, she managed to pick up on my plan for the day – taking the family to Corn Cob Acres in Lancaster, PA! “Great”, she thought. “A beautiful sunny day and I get to spend it at a farm ninety minutes away. Sounds like a blast!” We are pretty Delco – our farm experience consists of pumpkin picking trips to Linvilla Orchards and the occasional trip to Amish Country. In her mind, a trip to another farm meant muddy lanes, animal crap all over the place, and kids whining about how bored they were. But she was in for a surprise, too, because we had an awesome family day.
Since it was me planning this trip, it was last minute – I came up with the idea about 10:30 in the morning, and got everyone in the car by noon. My annoyed wife was bugging me about “feeding the kids” (i.e. getting food into her hangry mouth) by 12:01. It was only an hour and a half drive, so I was able to handle the hangry silent treatment and the daggers staring at me the whole way there.
When we arrived, the first thing we had to do was eat. Luckily, there was a food stand right by the entrance. We all enjoyed some chicken, burgers and Capri Suns from the stand before beginning our journey. Little did we know that on the other side of the park was a BBQ stand that also sold warm apple cider. We enjoyed our food, but with BBQ in the mix, I will make sure we have better meal planning for our next visit!
The kids wasted no time starting their fun. They immediately jumped into the cow themed moon bounce, leaving mom and dad to enjoy our lunch. Soon, they were moving onto the rest of the park to see what else they could do – the older kids found the Pedal Karts, before moving onto the Bungee Trampolines. The trampoline did cost a bit more ($5 for each kid). Our daughter was even able to do some flips in the air!
Meanwhile, our little guy had fun in the Corn Bin – a giant sandbox full of corn kernels instead of sand. He eventually moved on to the Treehouse Slides and the Tire Mountain.
They were all having a blast – but we had to interrupt the fun for the pig races. Yes, you read that right. We watched four or five races of pigs with names like Car-swine Wentz, Ham Solo, ChewBacon, and Albert EinSwine. The races were much more crowded than I expected. I think 90% of the people in the park were watching the races. So get there early, and grab a seat close to the pen. You may also get chosen as one of the official cheerleaders. Those that do, get to go home with a free pig snout! My kids bugged us for some, so I shelled out a couple bucks to buy them each one.
It also made for a fun game on the ride home – I tried to see how many pig names I could come up with on my own. Despite 90 minutes of this, my wife and I are still married. The kids enjoyed the pig races much more than we expected. They were laughing all through the races and got into cheering for the pigs as they passed by. Sooiee!,
After the pig races, we still had another hour or so before the place closed, and the kids found even more stuff to entertain themselves – The Castle Slides, Giant Sling Shots, and a Giant Jumping Pillow, which looks like a moon bounce without the walls. We eventually moved along to the thing our little guy was most excited about – the animal train! It was basically just a bunch of oil barrels cut up to look like a farm animal and attached to a tractor, which drove around the park. But he loved it!
The park also has a bunch of cool stuff to look at all over the place. There are metal statues everywhere you turn, Disney music is played on the PA system, and there are stands all over the place for you to take pictures of your kids, or your whole family.
Last but not least, we went on the hayride – or straw ride, as they kept reminding us. It brought us all around the park, and even played music. No Metallica or Guns N Roses – just BINGO and Old McDonald. So don’t get your hopes up.
The ride was pleasant enough, but it does go through their Field of Screams haunted hayride. They tried to cover most of the gore, but some of the kids noticed the skeletons, dismembered bodies, and other things that they weren’t supposed to see!
By 5 o’clock, the park was closing and our guys were done. We managed to get about four hours out of the park, and didn’t even get to try all of the rides. We were hoping that the day of fun would mean a good night sleep for everyone (it didn’t. They were still a pain in the ass at bedtime).
Before we left Lancaster, we did stop off at an Arooga’s Sports Bar for dinner. The kids got their chicken fingers, mom got her soup, and dad got his beer and managed to catch up on his fantasy team. All was good.
Overall, we had a great day. Even mom was happy – the kids didn’t spend the day hanging on her, and she even got to sit down and enjoy a warm apple cider.
Some things to keep in mind, if you decide to take a trip over to Corn Cob Acres:
- They only take cash. Admission for a family of four is $56, and kids under two are free.
- Only a handful of the activities there cost extra – the bungee trampoline, gemstone mining, corn cob blasters, and pumpkin painting, for example.
- They do have food, which is also cash only. And the BBQ stand is in the back. Don’t miss it like we did!
- Pig races are run twice a day, and tend to get crowded. Get there early, and get yourself a seat up front.
- All bathrooms on site are porta-potties. So beware if you only like flushables!
- The park is only open weekends from September to October. November 4 was the last day for this year. And during Halloween time, the Field of Screams is on site as well. So it can get pretty crowded.
Looks like so much fun! I have yet to visit Pennsylvania! I really have to make a trip over there.
Where are you from, Michelle? What fun attractions or things to do are near you?
This place looks like so much fun! I love the animal train, that cow is so cool!! On a side note, I love your humor and writing style; makes for a great read!
Thanks, Anitra! This one was all Shawn! We did have a lot of fun. Appreciate the comment!
Looks like a fun place. We will put it on our list!
Thanks for the comment, Matt! You definitely should put it on the calendar for next fall. The kids will love it!