# Farmstead in Kansas



## marcopolo123 (Nov 11, 2010)

Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead is today’s version of the 19th century Kansas Family Farm. It is a petting zoo with more than 200 animals. Children would love activities like feeding baby goats, milking a cow in a dairy barn and taking horse wagon rides. As for the adults, the replica of a Red Indian Village of Kanza tribe is quite enchanting. What I and my kids loved the most here was the baby goat naming contest!

Picture 082 by mandrake_123, on Flickr
Animals are the protagonists here. All the animals usually found in a traditional Kansas Farms are around here. Cows, Bison, Steers, Prairie Dogs, Goat, Sheep, Horses, Donkeys, Hens, Turkeys, Geese, Pigs and Ducks. The best way to get a tour of the Farmstead is on a wagon ride. A team of Belgian Draft Horses take you on a joy ride through the perimeter of the entire Farm. Keep a look out and you will spot squirrels, bob cats, rabbits or even deer.

The Dairy Barn is a very exciting area for the kids. The whole place has been designed to be interactive for kids to learn about the animals and the dairy activities. Children can actually milk “Rosie”, the life-size Holstein dairy cow model with their hands in rural style!

Picture 068 by mandrake_123, on Flickr
Feeding baby Goats is another fulfilled activity for kids and those young at heart. It’s a delight watching the babies scamper around the park. Bottled milk is available at the fishing shack. A good idea is to buy the combo package which includes milk for goats as well as rides on the pony, wagon and fishing. 

Fishing looked never as easy as at the Deanna Rose Farmstead. Take the cane poll and worms and you can try your luck between the sunfish and catfish that are abundant in the pond. And remember, this is a catch and release pond so no take aways!

Picture 036 by mandrake_123, on Flickr
The Kanza Indian Village gives you a historical perspective of Kansas. The Europeans first came to northeastern part of Kansas which was the home of the Kanza tribe. You will find replicas of the typical earthen lodge here which used to be the dwelling units of the Kanza tribes. The Kanza people used to live only for six months in their villages. The other half of the year was spent in buffalo hunting in western Kansas. Horse racing was a passion among the men. Women usually tended to the corn fields. 

Gold hunt at the mining camp is a fun activity for people of all ages. For $6, you can get the “rough” which is a large bag of sand with identification card for precious gem stones to be found. You can discover precious gems by using a sifter at the mining trough and move your “rough” around the water.
Another place of interest is the replica of a one room country school house. Antiques like the slate blackboard, coat hooks and the stove take us back to the 19th century. The school house is surrounded by a beautiful apple orchard. 

Ben’s Bank is a real innovation. It’s a 19th century Bank with a 21st century passbook program! Take your Discovery Passbook from the Teller inside the Bank. Then as you go around the Farmstead, you will spot 12 Discovery Stations. Each station will have a question about the location. You need to fill in the right answer in your Passbook and once the riddle is solved you get a prize from the Bank before leaving the farmstead!

The Children’s Farmstead was renamed after Deanna Rose in 1985. Deanna Rose was an Overland Park Police Officer killed in the line of duty. It has come a long way from 11000 visitors in its first year of operator to close to 500000 in 2010.


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