We love Wheeler Historic Farm, or Wheeler Farm for short, and don’t get there often enough considering it’s right in our backyard and costs nothing to visit (except some stale bread for the ducks and geese). Located in the heart of the Salt Lake Valley, Wheeler Farm is a wonderful way to spend a day with the kids. From climbing all over old farm equipment to checking out the farm animals (cows, chickens and pigs, oh my!) to going for a wagon ride (not free but very, very affordable), you won’t tire of things to do…though you may tire following the kids from one exciting agricultural thing to the next!

Wheeler Farm also boasts some great picnic areas, a fun little country store with treats and souvenirs, a daily cow-milking session (one of my kids’ faves), a variety of original Wheeler Farm buildings including a root cellar and outhouse and even the original home, which you can tour for a nominal fee. I look at my donation to the wagon-ride and house-tour funds as my way of keeping Wheeler Historic Farm up and running. Always happy to do my part!

On the website you’ll find a wonderfully detailed background about the history behind Wheeler Farm and some insight to what life was like for the Wheeler family. Here’s a short excerpt from the site:

The Farm is a restoration of the turn-of-the-century dairy farm of Henry J. Wheeler. Maintaining the farm presents to the public the history of Utah family agriculture. It is a representation of the rural lifestyle in Salt Lake County from 1890-1920 and presents the best farming methods of the Progressive Era. … Here you may discover the old time farm lifestyle once common for most families in Utah but which is now largely past and gone.

Wheeler Historic Farm is also an outdoor classroom that promotes discovery and inquiry into the world around us. The Farm is a part of the outdoor space you require to provide your food, air, and water. … See the animals and stroll along Little Cottonwood Creek or visit our award winning wetlands.

Wheeler Farm also offers a day camp in the summer, participation in farm chores and even Tai Chi classes! You can read more about their activities and view their calendar on their website. If you’re not already packing up the kids and heading to Wheeler Farm, perhaps a short slideshow of one of our past trips will get you in the mood! Enjoy!
…