what are the best animal farms in melbourne (1)

What Are The Best Animal Farms in Melbourne?

Table of Contents
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents
    Table of Contents
      Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

      Melbourne has a number of great animal farms where kids can learn about and interact with farm animals, making for a memorable day trip with the family. A great aspect of maturing is gaining the freedom to approach animals and pet them (when permitted!). The silky smoothness of a reptile's skin, the strange yet pleasant carpet-like fur of a koala, and the fluffy softness of a ball of young chicken are all sensations that cannot be replicated.

      Visit these landmarks to learn more about Melbourne's native fauna.

      And many of them let you get up close and personal with the animals by feeding, touching, and otherwise interacting with them, adding an extra layer of magic to the visit. Here are a few of the best animal farms in Melbourne for those with young kids.

      Best Animal Farms in Melbourne

      Visiting an animal farm is a great way for kids to get up close and personal with farm animals, experience rural life, and observe how it differs from city life. Kids in Melbourne often spend their weekends at animal farms. You should definitely bring these on your next visit to the farm.

      Collingwood Children’s Farm

      If you live in Melbourne's urban core, you should visit Collingwood Children's Farm. A convenient route is the Capital City Bike Trail, which follows the Yarra River. Visitors to this children's farm in Melbourne can help milk a cow twice daily, bottle-feed newborn lambs (seasonal), feed the animals, help with chores, play with sheep and goats in the paddocks, pet a guinea pig, waddle after ducklings, feed chickens, and hunt for eggs.

      The nearest animal farm to central Melbourne is Collingwood Children's Farm, which is located in adjacent Abbotsford. Several of their services are provided at no cost to the neighbourhood.

      Since there are numerous gardens and paddocks to explore, there is never a dull moment. Animals such as cows, goats, ducks, and geese can all be interacted with and fed. Other animals can be viewed here as well.

      Visit the Collingwood Children's Farm for some real farm animal fun. You can see English sheep being shorn, or you can milk a cow, stroke a duck, play with guinea pigs, ride a pony, avoid being devoured by goats, and watch rare-breed pigs tumble around in the mud (in season, in November). To sum it up: put on your gumboots; you'll be busy.

      FAQs Best Animal Farms in Melbourne

      Despite being a big city, Melbourne has a variety of family-friendly farms to visit – and many of them are very convenient to the CBD. To get your children in touch with farm animals they can see up close and learn about – check out our list of great farms for kids in Melbourne.

      I like a children’s farm (I can’t guarantee it’s the best) Horseshoe Bend Farm in Keilor. Managed by Parks Victoria, it is open weekdays from 10 till five and free.

      Then, of course, there are the usual animals - sheep, pigs, alpacas, etc., plus hens and ducks. It is a peaceful place, with shady trees and picnic spots.

      When you get to the park, you will have the opportunity to feed and pat the farmyard animals located on-site, including chickens, sheep, goats, rabbits and guinea pigs.

      Kids can also join in with feeding sessions and learn how to milk cows with the milking demonstration.

      What do the animals do about the farmhouse? (They all file through the house looking at all the luxuries. Some hams are taken out and buried, and a barrel of beer is destroyed. The animals agree that the farmhouse is to be preserved as a museum and that no animal may ever live there.)

      In the closing scene of the novel, the animals peer into the farmhouse window where they see the pigs entertaining Mr Pilkington who notes that he's impressed that the animals on the farm do more work and receive less food than any animals in the country.

      Myuna Farm

      Visit Myuna Farm to interact with guinea pigs, bunnies, snakes, lizards, and other reptiles. Explore the area on a pony or train trip. You can bring a picnic or eat at the cafe while the kids feed the animals in the paddock. Next to the restaurant is a grassy playground where kids can run around and play.

      Located in Melbourne's southeastern suburbs, Myuna Farm is a public communal farm that will quickly become a family favourite. The wildlife sanctuary features natural habitats such as river gums, wetlands, and birdlife. You can have a tour of the farm on the train and then go for a walk among the wetlands. Children will be able to interact with a variety of animals, including ponies, bunnies, guinea pigs, sheep, goats, deer, and more.

      That's a farm, and it's got a complete playground! We'd love that! There are also a lot of rabbits, guinea pigs, deer, alpacas, buffalo, emus, and a red-tailed black cockatoo at this public community farm in Melbourne's South East. Pack a lunch for the on-site BBQs, enjoy a ride on the pony or train, or explore the farm's wetland trails for a change of pace.

      Bundoora Park Farm

      The Bundoora Park Farm is conveniently located just next to the free Bundoora Park play area, and it can be accessed through the same building as the park's cafe. The nicest part of the farm is the section dedicated to newborn animals, which is open everyday at 11.30 and 3.30 at Bundoora Park Farm. Ride a tractor and see the emus and kangaroos up close.

      Several picnic areas and barbeque grills are available for anyone who would rather cook their own food than use the on-site eatery. It's our favourite northern animal farm because of all the fun things to do with the kids during the school holidays and all the animals you can meet! In Melbourne's northern suburb of Bundoora, you'll find Bundoora Park Farm, a council-run farmyard where children can have a real farm experience. Bunnies, lambs, and goats are all available for petting and bottle feeding. Then, observe the local wildlife on a tractor tour of the protected areas. Kangaroos and emus are easy to see.

      After visiting the animals, bring the kids to the massive playground nearby. I've only had the opportunity to milk a goat once, and it was at Bundoora Park Farm; it was quite the experience! You can enjoy the farm's tranquilly and great coffee and a fun playground.

      You can take a leisurely stroll by the horses, goats, and sheep, pet a bunny or guinea pig, and even visit the emus and kangaroos in a vehicle. Explore the on-site heritage village to get a sense of what life was like for early settlers.

      Ballarat Wildlife Park

      You should not miss the crocodile display at Ballarat Wildlife Park if you are a crocodile enthusiast. Kangaroos, koalas, wombats, devils, gigantic tortoises, and snakes provided a great day for the whole family. Daily, visitors can have up-close interactions with native wildlife like koalas, wombats, snakes, and giant tortoises.

      The Big Goose

      the big goose

      Playgrounds, water play, mini-golf, tractor rides, and mazes are just some of the kid-friendly activities available at The Big Goose on the Mornington Peninsula. They also routinely hold seasonal events (like Easter and Halloween) and activities during school breaks, making for an even more exciting day excursion.

      An animal-themed theme park. The Big Goose is located in Tyaab on the Mornington Peninsula and is a fun place for the whole family to visit. Because of the variety of indoor and outdoor activities, it is suitable for children of varying ages and throughout the year. You may go around the farmyard and get up close and personal with the different animals.

      The next step is a trip to the wildlife park, where you can get up up and personal with kangaroos, wallabies, emus, and other unique Australian species. You can provide for their nutritional needs by purchasing and providing food. There will be a tyre maze, a splash park, playgrounds, and even a tractor ride at this event, making it suitable for the whole family. Where Melbourne families should spend their day off.

      Moonlit Sanctuary 

      The award-winning Melbourne Wildlife Park features 10 acres of bushland where visitors may feed kangaroos and wallabies, pet koalas, and get up up and personal with a variety of colourful birds, reptiles, dingoes, and other animals. World-famous lantern-lit excursions bring the area to life after dark. Endangered quolls, pademelons, and bettongs hunt at night, and small feathertail gliders and big yellow-bellied gliders swoop overhead.

      It's worth the trip to this award-winning park just to explore the ten acres of woodland there. In their native environments, visitors can interact with and feed kangaroos, koalas, seabirds, reptiles, dingoes, and endangered animals. The park comes alive at night with the famed lantern tour, when the normally nocturnal creatures are more active after a long nap during the day. Observe the quolls, pademelons, and bettongs as they forage for food or look up to spot night birds, feathertails, and yellow-bellied gliders.

      Except on Christmas Day, the park is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily. Evening tour slots are available by appointment (bookings essential).

      Animal Land

      Families with kids will love the authentic farm experience at Animal Land. A birthday celebration there or a field trip with a class would be a lot of fun. Extending your stay in Melbourne with a visit to a farm is a fantastic idea. The homestead at Animal Land is a cosy cottage with all the amenities you need to have a relaxing stay, including bedding for six people, a kitchen, and a fireplace. Wake up early to enjoy the crisp morning air as you milk the cows and collect eggs from the henhouse.

      Animal Land Children's Farm is the best animal farm in Melbourne's West, and if you haven't taken your kids there yet, you're losing out. This children's farm has been giving tourists a taste of real agricultural life for 30 years. Hop on the tractor and explore the farm, where the kids may milk a cow, snuggle a sheep, feed the ducks, and ride a pony, among many other activities.

      This is an actual working farm, not some pretend one. Pony rides, tractor rides, seeing the animal nursery, hand milking a cow, collecting eggs, feeding ducks, and roaming the farm are all included in the price of admission. Let the kids observe what life is like outside of the city while they interact with the animals up close and personal by holding, patting, feeding, and riding them.

      Tours of Animal Land can be scheduled any day of the week (bookings preferred, but not essential). Daily tours begin at 10:30 and noon during the week and at 10:30 and 12:30 on the weekends.

      what are the best animal farms in melbourne (2)

      Funky Farm

      There is a little private zoo in Hastings that has never been available to the public previously, but it is only an hour from Melbourne CB.

      When first established, Funky Farm was meant to be a homestead and hobby farm, but it has since evolved into a zoo for both wild and domestic animals. Due to the high percentage of rescued, hand-raised, and rehabilitated individuals, educational opportunities are prioritised. You can take your pet here, or check out some native wildlife.

      Animals both domesticated and native to Australia, such as kangaroos, emus, and koalas, call the Funky Farm in New South Wales, Australia, home. You can even get your hands on a variety of snakes, lizards, and even a baby crocodile! During one of their two-hour, small-group tours, you can get up up and personal with all the creatures. One of the few places in Victoria to see these animals up close and personal for free.

      Caldermeade Farm

      In 1875, a community established Caldermeade Farm in Gippsland for the purpose of raising beef cattle. Now it operates as a family-friendly cafe complete with indoor and outdoor seating, milking, tractor tours, a garden with a playground, shops selling farm-made goods, and an animal nursery. Calves, chickens, goats, lambs, ducks, llamas, and donkeys are all available for petting and hand-feeding at the nursery.

      Living Legends

      Tours of the paddocks where the Living Legends racehorses live are given everyday at 11 am and 2 pm. Meet these racing greats and rub noses with them.

      You can get up close and personal with the Living Legends on the public tour, and this discount will let you into the horse paddock area where you may chat with and stroke the legends.

      In the Living Legends paddock, you may view photographs and read biographies of the world's most decorated racehorses. Champion racehorses from the Living Legends programme will be in their paddocks for visitors at 11 am and 2 pm daily, respectively. Meet these racing greats and rub noses with them.

      The coupon covers the cost of entering the paddock area where visitors can meet and pet the Living Legends, as well as the cost of joining the public tour where visitors can go even closer to the legends. In the Living Legends paddock area, you may view photographs and read detailed biographies of each winning racehorse.

      Rain Hayne & Shine

      An authentic-looking farm for kids, full with friendly bunnies, guinea pigs, and other farm animals. The farm is notable because of its dedication to experiential education. The whole family can enjoy a free hayride and a ride on one of the horses or ponies.

      There are gas grills and free coffee. Bring your own refreshments. There is a hay shed with a swing set and a little playground for the kids to use. As a result, plan a trip to the farm with your loved ones. On the Mornington Peninsula, you'll find the charming family-run animal farm Rain Hayne & Shine Farmyard, where kids and their families can get up close and personal with a variety of farm animals while also participating in traditional farm activities like milking cows, riding ponies and horses, and driving tractors.

      You can also find activities ideal for children on school vacations, such as demonstrations on how to separate milk from cream, churn cream into butter, grind wheat into flour, bake bread, and sample the finished product.

      You can count on having "A Farmtastic day out" at Rain Hayne & Shine Farmyard. The young animals here require regular feedings from bottles; while your child isn't lending a hand, he or she may enjoy a $2 pony ride or get on board for a family hayride.

      There are many sheltered locations ideal for a picnic or barbeque, as well as complimentary coffee and tea. and a tiny but adorable playground area. Wallabies, emus, and the local dingo are just a few of the native species you may visit, and a mobile farmyard is also available.

      Jirrahlinga Koala & Wildlife Sanctuary

      Gather the kids, and take a day trip to Barwon Heads. View a wide variety of native Australian wildlife, such as koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, and birds. Experience a close encounter, where you can get up up and personal with some of our native creatures, during specific periods of the day.

      Chesterfield Farm

      Chesterfield Farm is a private working farm situated in the heart of Scoresby that also operates as a tourist/children’s farm. The activities, such as tractor rides and milking demonstrations, and animals, give visitors a real “hands-on” experience of farm life.

      For those looking for an animal farm in Melbourne East, Chesterfield Farm in Scoresby is perfect. Chesterfield Farm gives you the chance to experience a real “hands-on” farm life experience. Kids can get up close and interact with the animals and learn about daily farm life.

      There are tractor tours that operate at various times of the day and a farm show that is great fun for all ages. You can check out the baby animal nursery and bottle feed the lambs and goat kids. You can milk a cow and even learn how the cream is made.

      Edendale Farm

      Animals such as goats, lambs, alpacas, guinea pigs, spinifex hopping mice, blue tongue lizards, and a wide variety of poultry can be found at Edendale Farm. For about $1, you may purchase a bag of chicken feed and gain access to the coop to feed the birds.

      Artworks crafted from repurposed materials can be found all over the Edendale Farm gardens. And there's a sandbox and plenty of outside seating for families at Café Eden. If you're visiting Edendale Farm from the north entrance, the Eltham North Adventure Playground is a terrific place to stop and let the kids run off some steam.

      what are the best animal farms in melbourne (3)

      Green Olive at Red Hill

      Green Olive at Red Hill offers activities for the whole family, such as a farm trip for children. Put on your gumboots and help out with chores like feeding the chickens, guinea fowl, and ducks, gathering eggs, petting a Shetland pony, and meeting Maremma sheepdogs.

      Tours begin at 10 a.m. and cost $15, which includes hot chocolate and pastries. Lunch at the farm after the trip is highly recommended, but seating is limited, so reservations are required. Cafe patrons can choose from an all-day tapas menu with seasonal ingredients and estate wines.

      Conclusion

      Melbourne has a number of great animal farms where kids can learn about and interact with farm animals, making for a memorable day trip with the family. The best animal farms in Melbourne for those with young kids are the Collingwood Children's Farm, which is located in adjacent Abbotsford. Visitors can help milk a cow twice daily, bottle-feed newborn lambs (seasonal), feed the animals, help with chores, play with sheep and goats in the paddocks, pet a guinea pig, waddle after ducklings, feed chickens, and hunt for eggs. Animals such as cows, goats, ducks, and geese can all be interacted with and fed. Myuna Farm is a public communal farm in Melbourne's South East that offers a variety of animals, including guinea pigs, bunnies, snakes, lizards, and other reptiles.

      Bundoora Park Farm is a council-run farmyard in Melbourne's northern suburb of Bundoora, where children can have a real farm experience with rabbits, lambs, and goats, as well as a tractor tour of the protected areas. The Big Goose is an animal-themed theme park located in Tyaab on the Mornington Peninsula and is suitable for children of varying ages and throughout the year. The Ballarat Wildlife Park is a crocodile display and the Moonlit Sanctuary is 10 acres of bushland where visitors can feed kangaroos and wallabies, pet koalas, and get up close and personal with a variety of colourful birds, reptiles, dingoes, and other animals. Endangered quolls, pademelons, and bettongs hunt at night. Animal Land Children's Farm is an award-winning park in Melbourne's West that offers visitors the opportunity to interact with and feed kangaroos, koalas, seabirds, reptiles, dingoes, and endangered animals.

      It is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily and evening tour slots are available by appointment. Families with kids will love the authentic farm experience and the homestead at Animal Land is a cosy cottage with all the amenities needed for a relaxing stay. Tours of Animal Land can be scheduled any day of the week and at 10:30 and 12:30 on the weekends. Funky Farm is a private zoo in Hastings, New South Wales, Australia, that has evolved into a zoo for both wild and domestic animals. Calves, chickens, goats, lambs, ducks, llamas, and donkeys are all available for petting and hand-feeding, and tours of the paddocks where the Living Legends racehorses live are given everyday at 11 am and 2 pm.

      A coupon covers the cost of entering the paddock area where visitors can meet and pet the Living Legends, as well as the cost of joining the public tour where visitors can view photographs and read biographies of the world's most decorated racehorses. Rain Hayne & Shine Farmyard is a family-run animal farm on the Mornington Peninsula where kids and their families can get up close and personal with a variety of farm animals while also participating in traditional farm activities like milking cows, riding ponies and horses, and driving tractors. There are gas grills and free coffee, and a hay shed with a swing set and a little playground for the kids to use. Chesterfield Farm is a private working farm situated in the heart of Scoresby that also operates as a tourist/children's farm. Jirrahlinga Koala & Wildlife Sanctuary is a day trip to Barwon Heads where visitors can view a wide variety of native Australian wildlife.

      Kids can get up close and interact with animals and learn about daily farm life at Edendale Farm, Green Olive at Red Hill, and Café Eden. There are tractor tours, a farm show, baby animal nursery, milk a cow, and more. Edendale Farm offers activities for the whole family, such as a farm trip for children and chores like feeding chickens, guinea fowl, and ducks, gathering eggs, petting a Shetland pony, and meeting Maremma sheepdogs. Café Eden offers an all-day tapas menu with seasonal ingredients and estate wines.

      Content Summary

      1. Melbourne has a number of great animal farms where kids can learn about and interact with farm animals, making for a memorable day trip with the family.
      2. Visit these landmarks to learn more about Melbourne's native fauna.
      3. Here are a few of the best animal farms in Melbourne for those with young kids.
      4. Best Animal Farms in Melbourne Visiting an animal farm is a great way for kids to get up close and personal with farm animals, experience rural life, and observe how it differs from city life.
      5. Kids in Melbourne often spend their weekends at animal farms.
      6. Collingwood Children's Farm If you live in Melbourne's urban core, you should visit Collingwood Children's Farm.
      7. The nearest animal farm to central Melbourne is Collingwood Children's Farm, which is located in adjacent Abbotsford.
      8. Visit the Collingwood Children's Farm for some real farm animal fun.
      9. You can see English sheep being shorn, or you can milk a cow, stroke a duck, play with guinea pigs, ride a pony, avoid being devoured by goats, and watch rare-breed pigs tumble around in the mud (in season, in November).
      10. Visit Myuna Farm to interact with guinea pigs, bunnies, snakes, lizards, and other reptiles.
      11. Explore the area on a pony or train trip.
      12. Located in Melbourne's southeastern suburbs, Myuna Farm is a public communal farm that will quickly become a family favourite.
      13. The wildlife sanctuary features natural habitats such as river gums, wetlands, and birdlife.
      14. There are also a lot of rabbits, guinea pigs, deer, alpacas, buffalo, emus, and a red-tailed black cockatoo at this public community farm in Melbourne's South East.
      15. Bundoora Park Farm The Bundoora Park Farm is conveniently located just next to the free Bundoora Park play area, and it can be accessed through the same building as the park's cafe.
      16. In Melbourne's northern suburb of Bundoora, you'll find Bundoora Park Farm, a council-run farmyard where children can have a real farm experience.
      17. Explore the on-site heritage village to get a sense of what life was like for early settlers.
      18. Ballarat Wildlife Park You should not miss the crocodile display at Ballarat Wildlife Park if you are a crocodile enthusiast.
      19. The Big GoosePlaygrounds, water play, mini-golf, tractor rides, and mazes are just some of the kid-friendly activities available at The Big Goose on the Mornington Peninsula.
      20. An animal-themed theme park.
      21. The Big Goose is located in Tyaab on the Mornington Peninsula and is a fun place for the whole family to visit.
      22. The next step is a trip to the wildlife park, where you can get up up and personal with kangaroos, wallabies, emus, and other unique Australian species.
      23. Moonlit Sanctuary  The award-winning Melbourne Wildlife Park features 10 acres of bushland where visitors may feed kangaroos and wallabies, pet koalas, and get up up and personal with a variety of colourful birds, reptiles, dingoes, and other animals.
      24. It's worth the trip to this award-winning park just to explore the ten acres of woodland there.
      25. Animal Land Families with kids will love the authentic farm experience at Animal Land.
      26. Extending your stay in Melbourne with a visit to a farm is a fantastic idea.
      27. Animal Land Children's Farm is the best animal farm in Melbourne's West, and if you haven't taken your kids there yet, you're losing out.
      28. This children's farm has been giving tourists a taste of real agricultural life for 30 years.
      29. Tours of Animal Land can be scheduled any day of the week (bookings preferred, but not essential).
      30. Funky Farm There is a little private zoo in Hastings that has never been available to the public previously, but it is only an hour from Melbourne CB.
      31. When first established, Funky Farm was meant to be a homestead and hobby farm, but it has since evolved into a zoo for both wild and domestic animals.
      32. Animals both domesticated and native to Australia, such as kangaroos, emus, and koalas, call the Funky Farm in New South Wales, Australia, home.
      33. One of the few places in Victoria to see these animals up close and personal for free.
      34. Caldermeade Farm In 1875, a community established Caldermeade Farm in Gippsland for the purpose of raising beef cattle.
      35. Living Legends Tours of the paddocks where the Living Legends racehorses live are given everyday at 11 am and 2 pm.
      36. You can get up close and personal with the Living Legends on the public tour, and this discount will let you into the horse paddock area where you may chat with and stroke the legends.
      37. In the Living Legends paddock, you may view photographs and read biographies of the world's most decorated racehorses.
      38. As a result, plan a trip to the farm with your loved ones.
      39. On the Mornington Peninsula, you'll find the charming family-run animal farm Rain Hayne & Shine Farmyard, where kids and their families can get up close and personal with a variety of farm animals while also participating in traditional farm activities like milking cows, riding ponies and horses, and driving tractors.
      40. You can count on having "A Farmtastic day out" at Rain Hayne & Shine Farmyard.
      41. Jirrahlinga Koala & Wildlife Sanctuary Gather the kids, and take a day trip to Barwon Heads.
      42. View a wide variety of native Australian wildlife, such as koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, and birds.
      43. Chesterfield Farm Chesterfield Farm is a private working farm situated in the heart of Scoresby that also operates as a tourist/children's farm.
      44. Kids can get up close and interact with the animals and learn about daily farm life.
      45. There are tractor tours that operate at various times of the day and a farm show that is great fun for all ages.
      46. You can check out the baby animal nursery and bottle feed the lambs and goat kids.
      47. Edendale Farm Animals such as goats, lambs, alpacas, guinea pigs, spinifex hopping mice, blue tongue lizards, and a wide variety of poultry can be found at Edendale Farm.
      48. Artworks crafted from repurposed materials can be found all over the Edendale Farm gardens.
      49. And there's a sandbox and plenty of outside seating for families at Café Eden.
      50. If you're visiting Edendale Farm from the north entrance, the Eltham North Adventure Playground is a terrific place to stop and let the kids run off some steam.
      51. Green Olive at Red Hill Green Olive at Red Hill offers activities for the whole family, such as a farm trip for children.
      Scroll to Top