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 Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead Posted by:  manuka
N 38° 52.709 W 094° 42.072
15S E 352433 N 4304666
The Farmstead is a 12-acre park. It has farm animals, birds of prey, vegetable and flower gardens, a one-room country schoolhouse, old time fishing pond, horse drawn wagon rides and pony rides.
Waymark Code: WM1KC0
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 05/26/2007
Views: 120
Animals: The Farmstead has just about any animal found on the farm - cows, goats, sheep, ponies, draft horses and miniature horses, donkeys, chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks. We also have bison, longhorn steer, prairie dogs, bobcats and the birds of prey.
Audio domes for hearing impaired
Concession Stand: The Farmstead concession stand carries hotdogs, sandwiches, chips, candy, ice cream and fountain drinks. The brown bag lunch is available. It includes a hotdog or PB and J sandwich, bag of chips, fruit snack, a small drink or juice box and a farm animal toy. The concession stand also carries a variety of merchandise items including Farmstead T-shirts and hats. The concession stand is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
Combo packs: Available for $10 that include one coupon each for a wagon ride, mining, pony rides, pygmy goat feeding and fishing.
Fishing Pond: The pond is well stocked with hybrid bluegill and catfish. The $3 cost per child includes a cane pole and four worms; extra worms are four for $1. It's catch and release and no outside poles are allowed. (see hours)
Garden Area: View a multitude of flowerbeds and butterflies. The Johnson County Extension Master Gardener organization displays and maintains a variety of vegetable and perennial flower gardens.
Helen's Country Schoolhouse:
Our beautiful school is a re-creation of a 1900 one-room schoolhouse, which were a vital part of the educational development of rural communities throughout the midwest.
While the construction materials are new, they capture the architectural features of the past. For example, when suitable windows and doors couldn't be found, they were custom made to duplicate those used in 1900.
The interior is a wonderful blend of re-creations and antiques. The slate blackboard and coat hooks came from an abandoned school in Kansas City, Kansas. The desks came from all over the United States and show signs of years of learning. Another great find is our working pot-bellied stove. If these antiques could talk, what stories we would hear!
An apple orchard serves as a backdrop to the schoolhouse.
We offer a Kansas history tour package that includes a classroom lesson in the schoolhouse, lunch, fishing and a visit to the Indian Encampment.
Kanza Indian Encampment:
A Kanza Indian Encampment and earthen log lodge opened in 2003 at the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead. This attraction will be a significant addition to the expansion plan currently under development at the Farmstead.
This encampment focuses on the culture and history of the Kanza Indian tribe, today called the Kaw Indian Nation.
The Kanzas were indigenous to northeast Kanzas when the first white explorers arrived. They then made treaties with white settlers before finally ceding all land holdings in the region and moving to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) in 1873.
The Kanza were involved in crop raising and big game hunting. The Kanza Indians were semi-nomadic and used tepees during their semi-annual buffalo hunts. They built permanent earthen lodges clustered in villages.
The primary structure is an earthen lodge with an interior diameter of 40 feet.
Inside the EncampmentIt is constructed entirely of wood from tree trunks for support and covered with smaller trees and thatched grasses with a top layer of soil. The center structure is constructed of Cottonwood trees 14 feet tall and 14 inches in diameter. The outer ring of the lodge is constructed with mostly hedge and hackberry tree trunks 10 feet tall with 8-inch diameters.
This earthen lodge will serve as a primary instructional facility for students, visitors and field trips.
Two tepees and two wigwams are also part of this encampment.
The encampment is a historically accurate, culturally sensitive replica of a small Kansa Indian village. The Earthen Lodge will serve as a primary instructional facility for field trips, historians and guests of all ages.
Mining Exhibit:
This new feature is located just west of Helen's One Room Schoolhouse.
Guests may purchase a bag of "rough" which is a bag of sand with genuine gem stones hidden inside.
While at the mining trough, pour the entire bag of rough in a sifter and submerge it in the water. Your "gem stones" will appear.
You will receive a postcard with pictures and names of the gem stones for identification.
Mining ExhibitOn special occasions we will offer bags of rough containing arrowheads and fossils.
An attendant will be located at the mining exhibit for your convenience.
Prices of rough are $4 for a small bag and $6 for a large bag.
Nature Trail:
Walk through the Farmstead's nature trail this spring and you'll observe many changes. Five nodes of interest will be incorporated in the trail. Some areas will focus on education, others offer quiet solitude and the beauty of nature.
A generous donation by the Overland Park Kiwanis Club has enabled us to install "The Repose Area". Take a few minutes to relax on new willow benches and watch birds eating at the feeder. If you are lucky, Austin and Beau, the longhorn steers, and Blue Feather, the American bison may pay you a visit.
A large arbor has been built on the south edge of their pen to allow you a close up view of the two long time residents of the park. Blooming trees, shrubs and wildflowers have been planted to add color and fragrance for your enjoyment.
Beverly's Butterfly Garden was installed in 2006. This terrific new addition features butterfly plantings, houses and benches. Please join us as this addition grows to include a wind chime garden.
Petting Pen: Open to the public to feed and pet the goats. Feed is $.25 a handful.
Playgrounds: The play barn is equipped with an open-air bridge leading to two tube slides. There is a Tiny Tot playground just for children six years and under. The Prairie Playground has slides, ramps, sandpits and a water feature
Website: [Web Link]
Physical Address:
13800 Switzer Road
Overland Park, KS USA
66221
Phone #: 913-897-2360
Directions:
he Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead is located at 138th and Switzer in southern Overland Park.
From I-35, take the Olathe Santa Fe exit, also known as 135th St., to the east approximately 6 miles to Switzer Road. Turn south and go to 138th street. The Farmstead is on the west side of the road.
From I-435, take the Highway 69 South exit to the 135th Street exit. Turn west, and go 2 miles to Switzer Road. Turn south to 138th street. The Farmstead is on the west side of the road.
If you need additional assistance with directions, call 913/897-2360 or 913/895-6000.
Hours of Operation:
April 1-Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Focus of Museum: Children, Agriculture, Animals, History, Kansas
Parking Coordinates: Not Listed
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