Plan Your Visit

Daily Admission

Admission can be purchased for Blackberry Farm prior to arriving by purchasing your tickets here. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the park entrance for walk up purchase.

NOTE: Resident rates apply to those who live in Aurora, North Aurora, Montgomery and Sugar Grove. Proof of residency is required. Acceptable proof of residency is a driver’s license, state ID, utility bill with picture ID, rental/house contract with picture ID, or insurance card. If you are uncertain about your status, view the Fox Valley Park District Resident Boundary Map.

Blackberry Farm

100 S. Barnes Road, Aurora, Illinois ● 630-892-1550 ● Directions

Parking

Parking is always free at Blackberry Farm. During busy days, overflow parking is available across the street at Splash Country Water Park.

Rides & Attractions

All of Blackberry Farm’s rides including the train, hay wagon, paddle boats, carousel and ponies are available during your visit with reduced capacity.

Little Farmer’s Junction pedal tractors will be available for children to enjoy. The sensory table will be closed due to the high touch features. Adventure Playground & The Discovery Barn will also be available during your visit. Animal feed can be purchased at the entrance to feed the animals.

Big Rock Steam Train

All aboard! The steam-engine replica train and its open-air passenger cars take you on a 3/4-mile tour around scenic Lake Gregory – about a 7-minute ride across the grounds of Blackberry Farm. See historic pioneer cabins and enjoy sites of turtles sunbathing and even the occasional bass leaping in Lake Gregory. The train is wheelchair accessible. Those needing accommodations should line up on the wheelchair ramp; staff will assist prior to the train boarding.

Paddle Boats

Float on Lake Gregory is a four-seat paddle boat. We also have one ADA-accessible paddle boat that has a hand crank, rather than a traditional foot pedal. One passenger must be a minimum of 16 years old (I.D. Required). Passengers under age 18 require parent/guardian permission waiver.

Carousel

Enjoy the old-fashioned merry-go-round reminiscent of fairs and carnivals of yesteryear.

Hay Wagon

Hop aboard the hay-less hay wagon to enjoy a ride in the same way pioneer farm kids used to get around.

Pony Rides

Children delight in saddling up for a ride in the pony ring. For the safety of the ponies, this attraction is restricted to children under 70 pounds.

Little Farmer’s Junction

Tot area geared for children ages 6 and under. Children can ride bikes and toy cars around a paved bike track and enjoy the nearby sensory tables.

Adventure Playground

An extensive network of climbing decks, slides, ropes and catwalk-style bridges connecting an array of playhouses on multiple levels with zip line.

Open May through September

(Note: Due to the high-skill requirements of our historical interpreters, not all sites are open every day.)

Museum Sites

All museum sites are available for guests to enjoy, each museum sites will have a capacity limit posted at the entrance. Please maintain social distancing at all times, and face masks are required while enjoying the museum. If the site is at capacity. Please wait outside until the site can accommodate your group.

Pioneer Cabin (1840s)

Observe demonstrations of Dutch oven cooking, candle dipping, soap making, heirloom gardens and  butter making.

Wagner House (1840s)

Post-Civil War era house once owned by the Wagner family, a prominent 19th century Aurora family believed to have been involved in the Underground Railroad.

Pottery Shop (1850s)

See how pioneer cookware is crafted – from wet clay to finished product. All items are fired on-site.

Big Rock Train Depot (1860s)

One of the two original buildings at Blackberry Farm. See what a train lobby and ticket window looked like in the mid-1800s.

Spinning and Weaving Cabin (1860s):

Watch and learn how spinners card and spin wool for clothing. Observe weavers working on rugs and textiles on antique looms.

Blacksmith Shop (1900s)

Watch the blacksmith at work on our forge.

One-Room Schoolhouse (1880s)

One school, one classroom. See what learning was like for students in the 1880s.

Huntoon House (1890s)

See Victorian room settings, treadle sewing demonstrations and temporary exhibits.

Early Streets Museum

Visit 12 shops fashioned after 1880s downtown Aurora, nicknamed the City of Lights because it was the first city in American to install electric street lighting.

Carriage House

Houses an extensive 40-vehicle collection of horse-drawn carriages and carts.

Stroller Rental

Rent an all-terrain stroller at the admission window for your visit. Strollers are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Single stroller: $8
Double stroller: $10

Dining & Shops 

The Summer Kitchen and Blackberry Farm gift shop are open. Please note that drinking fountains are not available for use but the water bottle fill stations are available.

Concessions

Don’t want to pack a lunch? The Summer Kitchen concession stand offers a great menu with a variety of favorite food items as reasonable prices.

Shopping

Visit Blackberry’s General Store Gift Shop at the end our your trip to bring home a memento of the day. The gift shop features merchandise for all ages ranging in price from under $1 to $29.99. Purchase items like local honey, delicious pumpkin butter or a plush animal for the kids.

FREE Family Fun Days 

2022 Dates coming soon!

On select Wednesdays throughout the summer, Blackberry Farm hosts Family Fun Days that provide FREE admission for Illinois residents as part of a statewide free museum days promotion. All guests must have a valid ID providing proof of Illinois residency.

New for 2021, Free Day Ride passes will be available for $4/person (Ages 1+). Guests who choose to purchase a ride pass will have access to all of the free amenities, as well as the rides, including the train, wagon, carousel, paddle boats, and pony rides. If guests are not interested in the ride pass, they can still enjoy the park for free and have access to the Discovery Barn, Playground, Historical Sites, and Little Farmer’s Junction. Please be advised that Family Fun Days tend to be quite crowded. Large crowds will result in longer wait times for rides and attractions.

Blackberry Farm reserves the right to refuse admittance when park attendance reaches capacity. Admission will be closed during these times and allowed only in accordance with guests exiting. For the safety of patrons and our ponies, Pony Rides close at noon and the zipline is not available on Free Days.

Group reservations cannot be scheduled on Free Days. Due to the volume of guests on Free Days, Blackberry Farm reserves the right to refuse any group over 10 people from entering the park for the safety of young children. Buses are not allowed to park in the lot on these days due to lack of space.

Help Stop the Spread

If you or a family member is sick, we ask that you please respect the safety of others and stay home. Please visit when you are feeling better!

Face Coverings 

We trust that individuals who are not fully vaccinated will continue to wear face masks in our facilities. Patrons who are fully vaccinated may choose whether or not to wear a mask.

Social Distancing

We’ll follow capacity guidelines and ask that all patrons continue to respect social distancing.

Sanitation Protocols

High touch areas and restrooms will be sanitized and on an increased cleaning schedule in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Hand Sanitizers

Hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout the park as well as restrooms located around the park to clean your hands.

Can I bring food into Blackberry Farm?
Yes. Any outside food is allowed, except alcohol. We have numerous picnic tables throughout the park for our guests to enjoy.

What is included with admission to Blackberry Farm?
All rides, amenities and attractions are included. Pay once at the gate and you’re good to go for the day!

Does Blackberry Farm stay open when it’s raining?
Yes, we are open rain or shine. In the event of inclement or severe weather (lightning), the park may shut down, but will re-open once the dangerous weather has moved away. Guests are welcome to stay in an indoor location during bad weather. If storms are prolonged and force us to close the par, guests will be issued rainchecks to return on another day.

If a picnic area is not reserved, can I use it?
Yes, any picnic areas that are not reserved is considered open and available. However, it cannot be closed off to other guests.

Can I bring sports equipment into the park?
No, due to safety reasons and the large number of guests that enter the park each day, we do not allow sports equipment in Blackberry Farm.

Can my child bring a scooter or skateboard inside the park?
No, we do not allow scooters or skateboards out of consideration for our guests’ safety.

Is Blackberry Farm handicap accessible?
Yes! However, the train and paddle boats are the only two rides that are handicap accessible.

Does Blackberry Farm grow blackberries we can pick?
No. Blackberry Farm does not have blackberries for picking. The name derives from Blackberry Creek, which runs along the east side of the park and can be seen while riding the train and hay wagon.

Can I bring animals into Blackberry Farm?
Outside animals are not permitted inside Blackberry Farm, service dogs are permitted with proper certification.