Unearth The Voyage
New Jersey is not the first place most people think of when they picture rolling fields of tulips stretching to the horizon, but that is exactly what you get at a farm tucked into Monmouth County. Every spring, millions of tulip blooms cover the land in bold waves of red, yellow, pink, purple, and white, and the whole thing is almost hard to believe until you are standing right in the middle of it.
The farm does not just do spring either. There are sunflowers in summer, fall flower-picking events, and a full-blown Winter Wonderland light show that draws crowds from across the region.
I made the drive out to Cream Ridge, New Jersey, and what I found was one of the most genuinely fun, family-friendly, and visually striking farm experiences I have had anywhere in the country. Here is everything you need to know before you go.
Where Exactly This Farm Is and How to Find It
Holland Ridge Farms sits at 108 Rues Rd, Cream Ridge, NJ 08514, right in the heart of Monmouth County. The address sounds simple enough, but the drive through the back roads of central New Jersey is part of the charm.
You pass horse farms, open fields, and quiet stretches of rural highway before the farm suddenly appears on your right.
The property covers around 300 acres, which means the farm is genuinely large, not just large by suburban standards. The entrance is well-marked, and on busy event days, parking attendants guide you to your spot with lighted signals, keeping traffic moving efficiently.
The official website at hollandridgefarms.com is the best place to check current hours, ticket prices, and upcoming events before you go. Tickets are typically timed, so booking in advance is the smart move, especially on weekends when the farm fills up fast.
The Scale of the Tulip Fields Will Catch You Off Guard
Nothing quite prepares you for the moment you walk past the entrance and the tulip fields open up in front of you. Row after row of blooms extends in every direction, and the color combinations shift as you move deeper into the property.
The farm plants millions of tulip bulbs each season, and the result is a landscape that genuinely does not seem to end.
The rows are wide enough to walk between comfortably, and the farm keeps the paths well-maintained so you are not tripping over uneven ground. You can wander for a solid hour and still feel like there are new sections to discover.
Each color grouping tends to be planted in large clusters, which makes the visual effect especially striking from any angle.
Spring is the peak season for tulips, typically running from late March through early May depending on the weather. Checking the farm’s website before your visit will give you the best bloom update for that week.
The Iconic Dutch Windmill Is the Heart of the Farm
The windmill at Holland Ridge Farms is not a prop or a painted backdrop. It is an authentic Dutch windmill that the farm has restored and maintained, and it stands as the visual centerpiece of the entire property.
Visitors who have taken the windmill tour consistently describe the craftsmanship inside as genuinely impressive, with details that reflect real Dutch milling traditions.
During the spring tulip season, the windmill surrounded by blooming fields makes for one of the most photographed spots in all of New Jersey. During the Winter Wonderland events, the windmill transforms into a synchronized light show set to music, which visitors repeatedly call one of the highlights of the evening.
The structure is visible from many points across the farm, so it works as a natural landmark when you need to get your bearings on the large property. It is worth spending a few extra minutes near it regardless of which season brings you out.
Flower Picking Is the Main Event and the Best Deal on the Property
Picking your own flowers at Holland Ridge Farms is one of those experiences that sounds simple but ends up being genuinely enjoyable. You grab a bucket at the start, choose your rows, and cut stems at the right point for the longest vase life.
The farm staff are helpful if you have questions about technique, and they are not hovering over you, so the whole thing feels relaxed.
Pricing typically runs around one dollar per stem during the regular season, with special deals available on the final weekends when the farm discounts buckets significantly to move the last of the blooms. One past visitor filled an entire bucket for just seven dollars by timing their trip to the right weekend, which is the kind of deal that is hard to argue with.
Beyond tulips, the farm also offers sunflower picking in summer and other seasonal flowers in fall. Each season brings a different crop and a different reason to come back.
The Farm Runs Events Through Every Season of the Year
One of the things that sets Holland Ridge Farms apart from a typical pick-your-own operation is how deliberately it has built out a year-round calendar. Spring brings the Tulip Festival, which is the biggest draw and the event most people associate with the farm.
Summer shifts the focus to sunflowers, which cover large portions of the property in tall golden rows.
Fall introduces a broader flower-picking season with a mix of blooms, along with photo opportunities around floral arches, swings, and other installations scattered across the grounds. The farm has steadily added more seating and indoor options over the years, making longer visits more comfortable regardless of the weather.
Winter is when the farm goes in a completely different direction with its Winter Wonderland light event, which runs through the holiday season and into early January. The sheer range of programming across all four seasons makes this farm genuinely worth planning multiple visits around rather than treating it as a one-time outing.
Winter Wonderland Turns the Farm Into Something Completely Different
Seeing a tulip farm covered in snow and holiday lights is not something most people put on their winter bucket list, but after visiting Holland Ridge Farms during the Winter Wonderland season, it absolutely belongs there. The farm plants thousands of illuminated tulip-shaped lights across the fields, and the effect after dark is genuinely striking in a way that photographs do not fully capture.
The windmill becomes the centerpiece of a synchronized light and music show that runs on a schedule throughout the evening. A light tunnel stretches across part of the property, and lighted seesaws and other interactive installations give kids and adults alike something to do between the bigger spectacles.
The drone show is a newer addition that visitors consistently single out as a highlight, with aerial formations set to music above the farm. Tickets for Winter Wonderland are timed entry, and the event has been running into the first week of January, giving families more scheduling flexibility than most holiday attractions allow.
Food Options Keep the Energy Up During Long Visits
A farm visit that lasts several hours requires decent food, and Holland Ridge Farms delivers on that front. The food truck lineup rotates but tends to feature a solid range of options that go well beyond typical fair food.
A lobster roll truck has appeared at past events and earned enthusiastic praise from visitors who called it the best lobster roll they had ever had, which is a bold claim that kept coming up independently.
During Winter Wonderland, hot chocolate stands are positioned at multiple points around the property, and the farm also offers rentable glass cabin huts that come with hot chocolate and cookies included for a set time period. Pierogies, popcorn, and cookies round out the snack options on colder evenings.
The gift shop has been specifically noted for reasonable pricing, which is not always the case at popular farm attractions. Getting something from the shop without feeling like you overpaid is a small but genuinely appreciated part of the overall experience here.
Photo Opportunities Are Built Into Every Corner of the Farm
Holland Ridge Farms has clearly put thought into how visitors experience the property visually. Floral arches, swings, and large-scale installations are positioned throughout the grounds specifically to give people interesting backdrops for photos.
During the tulip season, the rows themselves provide natural framing that makes even casual smartphone shots look well-composed.
The windmill is the most popular single photo spot, but the farm has enough variety that you will not feel like everyone is fighting over the same five locations. During Winter Wonderland, a vintage-style Santa setup with a North Pole theme provides a more traditional holiday photo option, and the lighted tunnel is another consistent favorite for portraits.
A giant pumpkin photo prop and a Santa sleigh setup have both been part of past seasonal events, adding more variety to the photo possibilities. The farm updates its installations regularly, so returning visitors tend to find new spots they have not seen before, which is one more reason the repeat visit rate here is notably high.
The Property Is Well-Organized for Large Crowds
Managing a 300-acre farm property when thousands of visitors show up on a single weekend requires serious logistical planning, and Holland Ridge Farms handles it better than most attractions of this scale. Parking attendants with lighted signals are stationed throughout the lot on busy event days, keeping cars moving and directing people efficiently from the moment they arrive.
The entrance process is structured around timed tickets, which helps prevent the overwhelming bottlenecks that can ruin an otherwise good outing. The farm emails visitors ahead of their visit with practical information, including heads-up notices about mud conditions after rain, along with reminders to wear appropriate footwear.
That level of communication is genuinely useful and reflects a management team that thinks about the visitor experience proactively.
The one area where guests have noted room for improvement is lighting in the far parking areas during evening events. Wearing good boots and arriving a few minutes early remains the practical advice that makes the visit smoother for most people.
The Farm Has a Real Story Behind It Worth Knowing
Holland Ridge Farms did not become a 300-acre destination attraction overnight. The farm has been building its reputation since at least 2018, when dedicated visitors first started making it an annual tradition.
The family behind the operation has steadily expanded the programming, the infrastructure, and the range of seasonal events over the years, and the results of that long-term investment are visible in every corner of the property.
The farm’s Dutch heritage is expressed most clearly in the authentic windmill, which is not a decorative import but a restored working structure with real historical craftsmanship. During events, the farm has featured storytelling elements about its history and the family who built it, which visitors have called one of the more meaningful parts of the experience.
Seeing a family-run agricultural operation thrive at this scale in central New Jersey, staying true to its roots while also innovating with drone shows and disco floors, is a story worth appreciating while you walk the rows.
Planning Your Visit to Get the Most Out of the Trip
Getting the timing right makes a significant difference at Holland Ridge Farms. The tulip bloom window typically runs from late March through early May, but peak color usually lands in mid-April.
The farm updates bloom conditions on its website and social channels, so checking those a few days before your planned visit is worth the two minutes it takes.
Tickets are timed entry and sell out on popular weekends, so booking at least a week ahead is the practical move during spring and the Winter Wonderland season. Admission for the Winter Wonderland has been priced around seventeen dollars per person, with children under three entering free.
Wearing boots or waterproof footwear is a consistent recommendation from past visitors, especially after any rain, since the farm is a working agricultural property and the ground reflects that.
The farm is about an hour from Philadelphia and roughly ninety minutes from New York City, making it a realistic day trip from either direction without requiring an overnight stay.
