Pioneer Farms

We had a great time! It’s a fairly large place and had plenty of room for the kids to run and play after being cooped up in a car or hotel for several days. The scenery was great. The blacksmith was very friendly and informative. My kids loved the donkeys, pig, chickens and horses. The teepee area was neat. It was slightly chilly so it wasn’t very busy. We could have stayed wondering around for a couple more hours if we had the time. There was not an official tour, just a map and a brief description from the ticket person, however I think that made it more fun to just explore as we wished. I’d go back again next time we are in the area. The price was reasonable. Also, I found a Groupon, (but forgot about it once I got there) They may still be available.

This is based solely on their «haunted halloween» if you want to call it that. My husband and I went to something similar in another state, that was awesome and maybe we were hoping for something at least as half as awesome as what we had experienced. It doesn’t even come to be ¹⁄₁₆^th as good.
My husband and I arrived at around 7:40pm. We left at 8:00. They advertised two haunted trails, one for kids and one that was «R rated». Yeah if R stood for Really lame. It was awkwardly and half-​assed. The trail set up was dark and had no atmosphere at all. The R rated trail had one guy to jump out at you… ONE GUY. There was two other awkward «creepy» people to follow you in the forest. I could barely see they had decoration, but it was so dark you couldn’t really tell what it was. So they wasted money on the decoration no one could see. The buildings had some décor and some people dressed up, but that was so dark too. Also I saw and employee on their cell phone, obviously as bored as we were. Kinda ruins the ambiance don’t you think?
There wasn’t anything else to really do. There was a guy singing a song about bananas and the little shop. The whole thing was worth maybe $ 3-​$ 5. Not $ 12 each.
Sad excuse for a halloween themed farm.
PS. How is «fairy tale» a good halloween theme?

I think I’m biased about the Pioneer Farm because I went as a little girl for a field trip. It has always had a very special place in my heart because it was such a fun and informative field trip. From what I’ve read from the others, they no longer do demonstrations which is such a shame. I remember on our tour (mind you this was about 20 years ago) they showed us how to churn butter, cook bread over a fire, and make cornhusk dolls.
This past weekend me, my husband, and a group of our friends went to check out the «haunted trail». Honestly I’ve seen a lot of cheesy Halloween attractions and while this had some cheesy moments, it was probably the best and creepiest (safe) Halloween attractions I’ve been to. No it wasn’t terrifying but it was definitely fun and jumpy at times. We all had a really good time, definitely worth the $ 12 a person ticket! Walking along a dark, spooky trail in the middle of nowhere is way scarier than paying $ 40 for some bloody, gory fake haunted house.
I think if the Pioneer Farm would bring back some cool demonstrations then this place would be the hit it once was with families. I still love the Pioneer Farm but if nothing else, go check out the Halloween trail! Definitely fun!

Had a blast at pioneer farms haunted Halloween! The trails were scary. My little creature enjoyed the story telling and face painting

Very disapointing. I have visited similar pioneer farms in other states and had too high of expectations I guess. There was one person there that was it no people dressed in costume interacting with visitors. Simply houses and signs and livestock. Many similar concepts have blacksmith demonstrations, how to churn butter, how to make corn husk dolls, just much more interactive. My kids were bored and I don’t blame them we walked all around to see a few houses and livestock from a distance. I guess we will have to travel to another state to get a better experience where people are dressed in costume and there are exhibits and interacrions. Don’t go it is a waste of money, I used a coupon and was still disapointed with the price for getting nothing in rerurn.

Definitely not recommended for a hot day. If u are from the country, there’s not much u haven’t seen already. It’s merely a replica here.

The best way to describe my experience is say exactly what happened pay to walk through random «town». No tour nothing exciting and honestly didn’t learn anything so won’t return

Fun place to visit. The people are really friendly and the buildings are very interesting. I love the old history. I’m pretty sure we will be back sometime. The price is good. Lots of stuff to see. I think a concession stand would be nice. A few more animals would be great. But, overall, it was a great way to spend the afternoon.

neat exhibits, very bad customer service.
My husband and I visited Pioneer Farms this afternoon with our 3-​year-​old and 1-​year-​old. We paid $ 22 admission. They give you a small flyer with a map of the exhibits on it. I knew the 3-​year-​old would likely far outpace the 1-​year-​old, so I started to pick up a second map so that my husband and I could split up. The guy selling admission said that they only gave one flyer per family (these were each about half the size of an 8.5″ x 11″ standard paper).
Since we couldn’t split up with separate maps, I asked the admissions guy which parts were good for babies (thinking that one of us would just go hang out in one place with the baby, while the other explored more widely with the 3-​year-​old). The admissions guy told me, «We don’t have a petting zoo.». Which was not what I had asked about, plus I knew that already because he told me that the animals weren’t petting animals as part of his standard admission sparkling spiel.
So then I said, «Look, my kids are 1 and 3. They have very different interests and levels of stamina. Since we can’t have two maps I need to know where are the good places for the baby.». He said, «There are benches along the trail.»
I don’t see why $ 22 can’t cover 2 small flyers. And if that is the Pioneer Farms policy, I think their front staff should provide helpful guidance, and not just a statement about the existence of benches. Have you ever seen a 1-​year-​old sit safely and happily on an adult-​sized bench? Neither have I.
This is a weird policy for a place meant for families. A gap of a few years can make a big difference for kids. Maybe they’re used to school groups where everyone is about the same age and the same ability level. I would hesitate to recommend this to any family where the kids were not much older than mine and close in age, or where any member of the family had a disability.
We made it work OK but it left a bad taste in my mouth. The exhibits are neat but there are a lot of other neat things in Austin, all of which have better customer service than we experienced at Pioneer Farms.

Pioneer Farms was a ghost town when we went. Very disappointing. I brought my kids and we expected to see reenactments and demonstrations. Instead we were the only visitors and didn’t see a single person besides the person manning the general store. We did see livestock and several exhibits spread around the area. Some places were closed and several areas has wasps and poison ivy. We expected to have an interactive experience and instead found ourselves wandering around.

We came here expecting different activities to be going on like demonstrations, Indian dances etc. instead we walked around and toured the old homes and things sure but no one was around like Indians or old settlers or anything until we came to the blacksmith shop. There was a man there that demonstrated and put on a show for us and there was a lady at the last house that we were told would be spinning and weaving but all she was doing was spring cleaning and told us she couldn’t show us now. Then my one year old who I was holding was bit on her knee by a donkey that left quite a bruise while we we’re feeding them. We we’re VERY disappointed for having driven so far 2hrs to experience pioneer life!

A nice place to spend a few hours. There are 19^th century homes featured along with descriptions throughout explaining how they reflected the style of the time. It’s basically a self-​tour, but it’s nice not to be bothered. There’s a lot of walking so bring a water bottle.

I am a nerd.
I love history and I love theater so combining the two is heaven for me. This is a quaint little replica of a pioneer town reminiscent of something you might find on the set of Little House on the Prairie.
Every year they stage a wonderful interactive Halloween haunt that I do not miss. Their costumes, storyline and acting are above par. They had a headless horseman on actual horseback. I can’t even do this event justice by writing about it. It’s something to be experienced.
The Christmas event this year was AMAZING as well. It was a reenactment of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol with a superb twist. We played the part of Ebenezer. You walked along with your ghosts of Christmas past, present and future from house to house to enjoy the story as it unfolds all acted by volunteers. I’ve been to several pioneer towns and this is by far the best. You should definitely check out one of their events.

Kinda cool place. 2 stars since the staff can be a little rude. Pretty sure Lucy R. review is an advertisement and not a real review.

Wow, what a different experience on our second visit to Pioneer Farms!
Our first experience was the Halloween special event, which was REALLY poorly executed. You can see my first review, and that stands and echoes other peoples’ experiences whom we spoke with while there. I can imagine the Christmas special event a recent reviewer described would have been equally underwhelming.
They aren’t really set up to handle crowds (super limited bathrooms being a good example), and many of their challenges seem related to the limited volunteer staffing, as all volunteer organizations struggle with.
BUT, this time we went with a visiting relative as a way to get out on a nice winter day. We were one of maybe 3 groups in the large property, and felt like we had the place to ourselves.
You might not like this if you had hoped for costumed interpreters, as there were only the two running the store. If, however, you wanted a really cool experience exploring these farmsteads on your own (with plenty of little signs to explain things), it was terrific.
We spent all afternoon exploring the houses, farms, creek, feeding longhorns and donkeys, and getting endless cool photo ops. My young teenager even exclaimed, ¾ of the way in. «Dad, thanks for forcing me to come!»
So, my two cents…
1. Avoid the holiday specials.
2. Avoid hot days.
3. Be ready for a self-​tour.
4. Enjoy walking around a beautiful property with some cool exhibits.
(5. If you like dressing up in old-​timey clothes, volunteer so they can keep it up!)

What sort of misanthrope gives Pioneer Farms less than 5 stars? I grew up going here. It’s bad ass… as in donkeys, pigs, and original structures… etc. It’s a lovely place. Blacksmiths, too.

What a great place.
It is a living Museum. So the people are full of Texas History. The grounds and the building are a great learning facility. Family and Children (They have a summer camp) events are hosted there constantly.
Personally, I went to photograph the place. Because of the History, the is a fantastic place for photo ops. Each time you go, there are different exhibits available, on top of the already furnished buildings.
The have an abundance of animals to photograph as well. The drought has taken its toll on the Farms as well. The river running beside it, is mostly dry, there are pools, full of toads. A some great reflection shots. And allot of bushes and trees have felt the lack of water.
Definitely take bug spray. Little critters seem to always be around. Also be ready to walk. The buildings are spread out, but all of them came from around the Austin area. They are currently receiving carriages from the 1800’s for a new long term exhibit.
Do remember, there is nothing fancy about this place. And very family oriented. And a complete volunteer operation.

Took our family here on a cool Austin Sunday afternoon. The place looks like a deserted ghost town in the early 19^th century. It isn’t clear that you need to hit the general store when you first arrive to pay and get a map and guide of the property. We discovered this at the end of our excursion.
Once we started venturing out along the trail, I really felt like I was back on the prairie with Laura Ingalls. There are about 7 different historic areas. Each camp or area is a replica of the way of life for the people when Texas was first settled. Learn about the earlier settlers such as Tonkawas and Germans to the cotton plantation homes. The stroll along the path was relaxing and the kids enjoyed learning and imitating pioneer life. The longhorns on the property are super friendly and came up to us. There are also chicken coups, donkeys, rabbits, and other animals.
Some of the drawbacks include only one open restroom on the property.-which can be a challenge for kids. Also, not all of the homes are open so that you can go inside to really experience the era. I was also hoping to see a farm or wildflower fields, but because of our drought, there was very little greenery.
Overall, we can’t complain. We spent 4 leisurely hours here. PS. Don’t forget to pick up a dozen free range eggs from the chickens on the property. It’s quite a bargain $ 3/​doz for chickens that live a completely free range life.

It’s something to do with kids. You may spend 1 – 2 hours here. Bring water with you. The staff was very friendly and knowledgable. There was a nice mix of animals, buildings, and equipment from the 1800s.

A 1900’s demonstration farm replete with smithy, domestic animals, period costumes and restored buildings. Highlights are a tractor pulled hayride and a barn with an old farm wagon you can climb on. My boys also liked the general store, where they sell period toys, calico sun bonnets and sweets like ribbon candy. (They mostly were in it for the candy).
PF is the site for the PBS (award winning) children’s show, The Biscuit Brothers. In the show, PF is a «musical farm» and the BB’s introduce children to things such as percussion, pitch, instruments, and general musical fun.
We went for the Family Music Day, a fund-​raiser to support the farm. It was dry, hot and dusty. The farm is large; a stroller for older toddlers is a good idea though the terrain is quite bumpy– you’ll want to take a stoller that can 4 wheel it.
There are some trees but you really want to bring water! Hot, dusty, like I said – and not much shade.
A hayride took us further into the compound of structures that is PF. The day we went, there were different musical features playing throughout and a variety of decent concessions. We spent one hayride singing along with the BB — who are fun but not my style of songwriting. They are, however, very sweet and generous to the children who enjoy them
PF offers themed days, including a haunted hayride for Halloween, a turn of the century Christmas, Homeschool Day etc.
A fun and educational outing, if tiring for parents (and no beer!).