Unearth The Voyage
The Lands at Hillside Farms has been welcoming visitors to its historic Shavertown property for generations with a combination that’s hard to resist: friendly farm animals, homemade ice cream, scenic walking trails, and a farm store stocked with locally made foods. Set on more than 400 acres, it’s the kind of place where you can spend hours exploring without ever running out of things to do.
Visitors come to meet goats, donkeys, alpacas, cows, and other resident animals, then stop for rich ice cream made with the farm’s own Hillside Gold milk before browsing artisan cheeses, grass-fed beef, fresh baked goods, honey, and other local specialties. The nonprofit farm also offers educational programs that connect visitors with agriculture in a hands-on way.
Here’s why The Lands at Hillside Farms has become one of northeastern Pennsylvania’s favorite family destinations and a place that keeps visitors coming back year after year.
A Victorian Estate Turned Living, Breathing Farm
Back in 1881, someone with a vision and a fondness for pastoral elegance established what would become one of northeastern Pennsylvania’s most beloved destinations. The Lands at Hillside Farms, located at 65 Hillside Rd, Shavertown, PA 18708, began its life as a Victorian Gentleman’s Estate, a grand agricultural property meant to showcase refined rural living.
Over the decades, the land changed hands and purposes, but its agricultural soul never left. The property became a non-profit organization in 2005 and was purchased in its current form in 2009, setting the stage for a new mission centered on education, sustainability, and community.
Today, the farm stretches across roughly 412 to 438 acres of rolling countryside, and every inch of it carries a sense of purpose. The historic buildings still stand alongside modern programming, creating a layered experience that feels both rooted in tradition and genuinely relevant to today’s world. Few places manage that balance so naturally.
Certified Animal Welfare and the Open Barn Policy
Not every farm lets you walk right up to the barn, but this one does. The open barn policy here means visitors can get genuinely close to the animals, not behind a fence from twenty feet away, but actually near the spaces where the cows live and rest.
The dairy cattle hold Certified Animal Welfare Approved status from A Greener World, which is one of the most rigorous animal welfare certifications available. The cows live in a bedded pack barn that gives them freedom of movement, and their calm, unhurried behavior reflects the quality of care they receive every single day.
This is not a petting zoo setup designed for photo opportunities. It is a working farm where animal welfare standards are genuinely taken seriously, and the animals’ relaxed temperaments are the best evidence of that commitment. The difference between a stressed herd and a content one is visible the moment you walk through those open barn doors, and here, contentment wins every time.
Meet the Residents: Goats, Donkeys, Alpacas, and More
The cow barn gets plenty of attention, but the supporting cast of animals here deserves its own moment. Goats, pigs, chickens, sheep, donkeys, horses, and at least one very charming alpaca all call this farm home, and each one brings its own personality to the experience.
The donkeys, in particular, tend to hang around a scenic little stream area near the horse paddock, which makes visiting them feel like a peaceful detour rather than just another stop on a checklist. The goats are predictably curious and will investigate anything within reach, while the sheep tend to cluster together in that endearing way sheep always do.
These animals serve as what the farm calls co-faculty in its educational programs, helping students understand science, ecology, and animal husbandry through direct interaction. For families visiting on a casual afternoon, that educational layer adds depth to what might otherwise just feel like a fun outing. Watching a child meet a donkey for the first time never gets old.
Hillside Gold Milk and the Ice Cream That Built a Legacy
Ask anyone who has visited this farm what they remember most, and there is a very good chance the answer involves ice cream. The homemade frozen treat produced here uses what the farm calls Hillside Gold milk, and the richness of that base ingredient is something you can taste in every single scoop.
Cookie dough, peach, chocolate, strawberry, and rotating seasonal flavors fill the display case at the dairy store. The portions are generous, the texture is creamy rather than icy, and the price feels fair for something made with this level of care. Root beer floats made with the chocolate ice cream have developed their own quiet fan base among regulars.
People have been coming back for this ice cream for thirty years or more, and some visitors make the drive specifically for it, stopping here on road trips as a non-negotiable tradition. The chocolate milk is equally worth your attention, rich and fresh in a way that packaged supermarket versions simply cannot replicate. This is the kind of dairy that makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about milk.
The Dairy Store: A Local Food Hub With Over 100 Products
The dairy store here goes far beyond milk and ice cream, functioning as what the farm describes as a local food hub. Over 100 locally made products line the shelves, turning a quick stop into a genuine shopping experience for anyone who cares about where their food comes from.
Artisan cheeses, raw honey, seasonal organic vegetables, fresh baked goods, jellies, jams, salsas, syrups, and hand-crafted chocolates share space with more unusual finds like beet kvass tonic, elderberry syrup, and kombucha. The farm’s own pastured 100% grass-fed beef, pastured eggs, and pastured pork are also available for purchase.
Sourdough bread, smoked cheeses, and fresh butter tend to disappear quickly on busy days, so arriving early gives you the best selection. The store layout is clean and easy to navigate, and the staff at the dairy counter are generally knowledgeable about the products they carry. Bringing a small cooler is genuinely one of the smartest things you can do before making the trip here.
The Mercantile: Boutique Shopping in a Farm Setting
Tucked alongside the dairy store is the Mercantile, a shop that manages to feel like a boutique without losing its farm-country charm. Handmade goods, local products, plants, flowers, candles, clothing, and jewelry fill the space in a way that rewards slow browsing rather than quick scanning.
Handmade soaps, antique finds, baby items, decorative pieces, and seasonal gifts rotate through the inventory, meaning repeat visitors almost always discover something new. The setup has been described as adorable by people who clearly did not expect to spend an hour inside, yet somehow did anyway.
There is a particular pleasure in finding a beautifully made item in a place like this, where the context of the surrounding farm adds meaning to the craftsmanship. A cow-shaped vase or a locally poured candle just feels different when you bought it twenty feet from an actual working dairy barn. The Mercantile turns a farm visit into a full afternoon, and that is not an accident. It is thoughtful curation at its most effective.
Scenic Grounds and the Peaceful Stream That Surprises Everyone
The grounds at this farm have a way of drawing you further in than you originally planned to go. A man-made stream winds through part of the property near the horse and donkey area, and it adds a genuinely peaceful quality to the experience that feels almost unexpected in a working farm setting.
Covered pavilion areas provide shade on hot days and shelter when the weather turns, making outdoor seating a reliable option rather than a gamble. Thoughtfully placed benches around the property invite you to sit down, slow your pace, and actually enjoy the surroundings instead of rushing from one attraction to the next.
The landscape changes with the seasons, and fall is particularly rewarding, when the surrounding countryside fills with color and the air takes on that cool, crisp quality that makes outdoor walks genuinely enjoyable. Dogs are welcome on the grounds, which makes this a popular stop for families traveling with pets. The combination of open space and quiet beauty is something you genuinely notice the moment you step away from the parking area.
Hours, Visiting Tips, and What to Bring
Planning your visit here is worth doing with a little intention. The farm is open most days from 8 AM to 9 PM, with Saturday hours running from 8 AM to 4 PM, so weekday and Sunday visits give you the longest window to explore. The phone number for the farm is +1 570-696-2881, and more details are available at thelandsathillsidefarms.org.
Weekends draw larger crowds, particularly during summer and fall, and lines at the ice cream counter can get long. Arriving earlier in the day gets you first pick of the baked goods and dairy products, many of which sell out before closing time.
Bringing a small cooler with ice is a smart move if you plan to stock up on milk, cheese, beef, or other refrigerated items from the store. Comfortable walking shoes are helpful for exploring the grounds, and leashed dogs are generally welcome outdoors. The restrooms are kept clean and include changing stations, which makes this a practical stop for families with young children as well as a genuinely enjoyable one.
The Farm’s Non-Profit Mission and Community Roots
Behind every jar of honey and every scoop of ice cream sold at this farm is a larger purpose. The Lands at Hillside Farms operates as a non-profit organization, and that structure shapes everything from how the animals are cared for to how the store is stocked and how educational programs are funded.
The farm’s transition to non-profit status in 2005 and its purchase in 2009 marked a deliberate commitment to preserving both the land and the agricultural heritage of the region. In a state where working farms have steadily disappeared, this place represents an active effort to keep that tradition alive and accessible to the public.
Community connection runs deep here. Families who visited as children now bring their own kids, creating generational ties to a place that has remained largely true to its values over the decades. That kind of loyalty is not manufactured through marketing. It grows from a place that genuinely delivers on its promise, season after season, year after year.
The land earns it.
Seasonal Highlights and the Best Times to Visit
Every season brings something different to this farm, and regulars have their personal favorites. Fall is widely considered the most visually rewarding time to visit, when the surrounding hills of northeastern Pennsylvania fill with color and the farm’s open fields take on a golden quality that makes even a simple walk feel cinematic.
Spring brings new arrivals to the animal barns, and the greenhouse comes to life with plants available for purchase through the Mercantile. Summer is the peak season for ice cream visits and outdoor exploration, though it also brings the largest crowds, especially on weekends and holidays.
Winter visits are quieter and have their own low-key appeal, particularly for people who want to browse the store without a wait. The dairy products are available year-round, and the store’s rotating inventory of seasonal goods means there is always something new to discover no matter when you show up. Picking the right season depends entirely on what kind of experience you are looking for.
Why People Keep Coming Back, Decade After Decade
There is something rare about a place that earns loyalty across generations, where grandparents, parents, and children all share the same fond memories of the same destination. This farm has built exactly that kind of reputation, quietly and without fanfare, simply by delivering a consistent and honest experience every time someone shows up.
The ice cream is the hook for many first-time visitors, but the animals, the store, the grounds, and the atmosphere are what turn a single visit into a lifelong habit. People describe it as feeling like home, and that is not a casual compliment. It reflects a place that has stayed true to its character even as it has grown and evolved.
A 4.8-star rating from nearly 3,000 reviews tells part of the story, but the real measure is the visitor who drove two hours, filled a cooler with grass-fed beef and fresh milk, let their kids chase chickens for twenty minutes, and already started planning the next trip before leaving the parking lot. That is what this farm does to people.
