At Farmamerica, you will explore, discover, and connect with the evolving story of agriculture through sensory experiences like self-guided and guided walking tours, field trips, family fun events, day camps, farm animal interactions, virtual programs, interactive exhibits, and crop research plots.
You’ll gain a better understanding of how agriculture shaped Minnesota’s past and how it continues to provide our communities with food, fiber, renewable fuels, and jobs in a more sustainable manner than ever before.
The mile-long time line trail winds from the Visitor Center to the following sites:
The restored prairie lands show what Minnesota looked like prior to European settlement in the 1850s. Walk through the paths and around the pond to travel back in time.
The 1850s Homestead shows the procession for early settlers. Explore the three unique homes of this time period, including a dugout, hovel (or sod-roofed house) and a log cabin, in addition to a barn and smokehouse.
The Gallagher Country School lets you explore what school would have been like in the early 1900s. There are also some schoolyard games that can be pulled out for kids to experience, like sack races and stilts.
Built in 1881, this Country Church played an important role in the early development of Minnesota. Churches were often one of the limited opportunities for rural families to have social interactions with each other. As a bonus, the church makes a
great location for weddings at Farmamerica still today.
In the 1930s, the number or farms in Minnesota reached its peak. Put yourself back in that time period with a fully furnished house, plus the barn and outbuildings. In the summer months, this spot also holds live animals, including cows, chickens, sheep and pigs.
This Feed Mill was built in 1928 and served as a location to grind grains into animal feed for local farmers. Recently, the interior of the feed mill was redone into the Crystal Valley Classroom with new exhibits to show the difference between animal feed and feed mills in the early 1900s and today.
This Blacksmith shop was build in the 1870s and operated until the 1980s. Blacksmiths would help local farmers build or maintain tools, horseshoes or wagons. This shop is unique in that the second story housed the Town Hall for Meriden. Often Blacksmith Shops were solo buildings due to the risk of fire. This shop still gets fired up for our school tours and limited events.
Installed in 2022, the Ag Around You Discovery Center lets you explore how agriculture has entered your home. As you open the drawers and doors, discover how items in your home connect to the agricultural products they come from. Fun Scavenger Hunts are available for different ages, so you can work with your family to find the answers, or compete to see who can answer them all first.
