Muscoot Farm: Why you want to take your kids
by Anne Siller
When we moved to Upper Westchester, Muscoot Farm was one of the first places we visited. Our neighbor, who, like us, had several small children, directed us there during our first week. “It’s a life saver,” she said. “It’s always open, it’s free and the kids love it.”
She was right. Muscoot Farm, located in northern Westchester County in the town of Somers, has room to park and room to run. My kids are endlessly fascinated with life on the farm: the animals, the tractors, the milking barn. They love it. When they were slightly younger and before a wide variety of activities started to occupy their time, we probably went there once a week…even more when the Farmers Market was running.
What is Muscoot Farm?
Muscoot is a restored 19th-century dairy farm, once operated by Ferdinand Travis Hopkins and his family. The farm was responsible for providing dairy products to New York City from the late 1800s through the mid 1900s. Eventually, eminent domain and the transportation boom caused the demise of Muscoot as a profitable enterprise. Westchester County bought the farm in 1967 and began restoring the buildings and grounds, eventually opening it up to the public.
Today, the farm offers a realistic view into the rich history of farming in Westchester. The buildings include a blacksmith shop, a wagon house, an ice house and a dairy barn. There is a farm museum that displays the tools of the trade and adds to the picture of 19th- and early 20th-century farming. The farm also houses several species of animals, including cows, pigs, turkeys, goats and horses. Each spring, a new bumper crop of baby animals delight visiting families. There is also a beautiful herb garden on the grounds, as well as a large vegetable and flower garden that has supplied up to 200lbs of fresh produce to Westchester Food Banks. In the summer and early fall months, Muscoot hosts a farmers market on the front lawn.
Why is it cool?
There is a lot that makes Muscoot one of the gems of Westchester. As mentioned above, there is room to run, lots of dirt roads and paths and sometimes mud puddles to splash through. There is green grass, room to picnic and a shady tree to sit under. It was the perfect place to let a pack of toddlers loose and watch them become engaged with the animals and nature all around them.
But before you think Muscoot is for the 5-and-under crowd, know that we have grown with it over the years. The Farm offers many events each year which follow the seasons including a Harvest Fair and pumpkin picking in the Fall, sheep shearing in the Spring, Christmas in the Main house during the Winter and the Fairy Walk in Summer. They also offer several unique camps. The Young Farmers Camp, gives children in first through eighth grades a chance to experience life on the farm.
Kids in fifth through eighth grade can experience their Outdoor Theater Camp in which kids work on their improv skills and can try their hand at all aspects of a theater production. Performances take place in various outdoor spaces on the farm. For older children in grades 7-9, Muscoot offers a Naturalist Apprenticeship Program in which kids learn the skills of a naturalist and bring their understanding of the natural world around them to a new level.
In 2014, Muscoot completed construction on a new environmental center, which promises to be a wonderful space devoted to increasing our awareness of nature and the abundant resources that belong to Muscoot.
The grounds also feature five hiking trails, which vary in length level of intensity. These trails are perhaps one of Westchester’s best-kept secrets. The shortest trail is .3 miles; the longest, at 3.5 miles, lets the hiker see several different landscapes on Muscoot Farm. Watch as your children grow into these hikes! You will make memories on these trails, from season to season.
And it’s FREE!
Yep, a visit to Muscoot Farm is free. Sure, some things cost a small fee. A hayride is $2. The camps are priced quite reasonably, too. Other than the dollar or two my kids joyfully put in the cow shaped box marked DONATIONS at the entrance, our visits cost nothing. And yet they are worth so much more.
Run, don't walk, to Muscoot Farm. (Did I mention they let you run when you're there? Oh, yes, I did.)
© 2014, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Anne Siller is editor of KidsOutAndAbout.com for Westchester and the Hudson Valley.