Unearth The Voyage
More than 75 ice cream flavors, homemade waffle cones, baby goats, peacocks, and centuries of family history make Beech Hill Farm & Ice Cream Barn much more than a place to grab a scoop. The Hopkinton property dates back to 1771 and remains in the Kimball family today, with the ninth generation carrying on a story that stretches back more than 250 years.
Visitors can build their own sundaes before meeting calves, piglets, lambs, donkeys, rabbits, ducks, and other farm animals. Homemade baked goods, a country store filled with New England specialties, seasonal plants, and elaborate fall corn mazes add even more reasons to linger.
Here’s why Beech Hill Farm & Ice Cream Barn has become one of New Hampshire’s most charming seasonal destinations – and why a quick ice cream stop can easily turn into an entire afternoon.
A Farm With Roots Deeper Than the Beech Trees
The land at 107 Beech Hill Road, Hopkinton, New Hampshire 03229 was originally granted to Aaron Kimball by the King of England in 1771, making this one of the oldest continuously family-operated farms in the state.
Herbert M. Kimball purchased the property in 1893 and built it into a working dairy farm, importing Ayrshire cattle from Scotland in 1896. He became the seventh person in New Hampshire to receive a license to bottle and sell raw milk, and that original license number is still visible on his red horse-drawn sleigh displayed right at the farm stand.
Robert and Donna Kimball, the ninth generation of the family, live in the 1800 Kimball homestead on the property today. They began renovating the historic buildings in 1996, transforming them into the welcoming, multi-attraction destination that draws families from across New England every single season.
Over 75 Flavors and a Sundae Bar That Means Business
Seventy-five premium ice cream flavors is not a menu, it is a commitment. Beech Hill Farm & Ice Cream Barn sources from beloved New England makers including Blake’s, Gifford’s, and Bliss Microcreamery, so the quality behind every scoop is genuinely regional and carefully chosen.
The make-your-own sundae bar lets you build exactly what you want, with toppings, sauces, and the choice of a cup, a regular cone, a homemade waffle cone, or a chocolate-dipped cone. The waffle cones here are particularly worth noting, crafted in a way that actually helps prevent dripping, which anyone who has ever lost a scoop on a hot July afternoon will deeply appreciate.
Beyond classic ice cream, the barn also offers low-fat frozen yogurt, sherbet, sorbet, and no-sugar-added options, meaning nobody in your group gets left out. Ice cream pies and hand-packed pints, quarts, and half-gallons are available for those who want to bring the celebration home.
The Farm Animals That Steal the Show Every Time
Forget the ice cream for just a moment, because the animals at this farm have a way of becoming the main event without even trying. Calves, piglets, lambs, baby goats, donkeys, chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigs, peacocks, and sheep all call this property home, and they are genuinely accessible to visitors of all ages.
The peacocks especially tend to catch people off guard. There is something wonderfully unexpected about rounding a corner near the barn and finding one of them fanning out in full display, completely unbothered by the crowd gathering to take photos.
After visiting the animal pens, a hand-washing station is conveniently located nearby, which parents with young children will appreciate more than almost anything else on the property. The animals are well cared for, the pens are clean by farm standards, and the whole setup feels relaxed rather than rushed, encouraging you to linger and let the kids soak it all in before heading back for a second scoop.
Award-Winning Corn Mazes Built by the Next Generation
Each fall, the cornfields at Beech Hill Farm transform into something genuinely impressive. Two separate mazes cover a combined 8 acres and typically take about 40 minutes to complete, making them substantial enough to feel like a real adventure rather than a quick loop around a field.
What makes these mazes stand out is the thought that goes into the annual themes. Past designs have included “Yellowstone – A National Park Scavenger Hunt” and “Where in the World? – a unique corn maze trivia challenge,” both incorporating interactive elements that keep the experience engaging for older kids and curious adults alike.
Grandchildren Nate and Cooper Kimball are involved in planning and cutting the maze designs each year, which adds a genuinely personal touch to the whole experience. The mazes run daily from August 1st through October 31st, noon until dusk, with admission at $7 per person and children three and under free. And if the mazes get your competitive instincts fired up, just wait until you see what the Rhododendron Trail has in store.
Donna Kimball’s Bakery and the Apple Pound Cake You Will Dream About
For more than 30 years, Donna Kimball has been baking in the farmhouse kitchen, and the results are the kind of thing that make people plan return trips before they have even finished their first visit. Her apple pound cakes have become something of a local legend, dense and fragrant and exactly what autumn in New England should taste like.
The bakery also produces fresh breads and cookies, all available at the farm’s Country Store and Farmhouse Bakery. These are not mass-produced items dressed up with a rustic label; they are genuinely homemade, baked by someone who has been perfecting these recipes across three decades.
Pairing one of Donna’s baked goods with a scoop from the ice cream barn creates the kind of combination that makes you wonder why you ever settled for a gas station snack on a road trip. The bakery items tend to move quickly, especially on busy weekends, so arriving earlier in the afternoon gives you the best chance of finding the full selection still available.
The Country Store Stocked With New England’s Best
Beyond the ice cream and the bakery, the Country Store at Beech Hill Farm functions as a genuine one-stop shop for New England specialty goods. The shelves are stocked with the farm’s own all-natural, pasture-raised beef and pork, alongside fresh eggs, maple syrup, and a wide range of local condiments.
Local salad dressings, honey, jams, jellies, butters, relishes, pickles, and preserves fill out the shelves, and the selection skews heavily toward small-batch New Hampshire producers. For anyone who appreciates knowing where their food comes from, this part of the visit has real appeal beyond just browsing.
The store also carries a thoughtful collection of gifts and home accessories, including twig wreaths, pottery, baskets, candles, paintings, and soaps. In autumn, the outdoor area expands to include hundreds of pumpkins in various shapes and sizes, beautiful mums, and farm-grown corn stalks that make the whole property feel like a seasonal decorating destination as much as a farm stand.
The Gardener’s Barn Where Holly Kimball Works Her Magic
Holly Kimball, daughter of Robert and Donna, manages the Gardener’s Barn and Potting Shed, and her enthusiasm for plants shows in every corner of the space. Hanging baskets overflow with color, bedding plants line the shelves, and garden art pieces are tucked between the pots in a way that makes the whole barn feel curated rather than cluttered.
The selection changes with the season, so a spring visit looks completely different from a late summer stop, which gives regular visitors a reason to keep coming back. Holly occasionally offers hands-on workshops, including plant-your-own container sessions that let visitors leave with something they actually made themselves.
For gardening enthusiasts, the Gardener’s Barn is one of those spots that could easily absorb an extra 30 minutes without anyone noticing. It sits comfortably alongside the rest of the farm’s attractions, adding a layer of depth to the visit that goes well beyond what most ice cream stands could ever offer. The Activity Barn nearby has its own set of surprises worth exploring next.
A Community Hub With Room for Birthdays, Field Trips, and Concerts
The large Activity Barn at Beech Hill Farm serves as a gathering space for corporate outings, school field trips, and birthday parties, making it one of the more versatile rural venues in the Concord area. The farm provides an experiential learning environment that works just as well for a group of kindergarteners as it does for a company team-building afternoon.
Public events add another layer to the farm’s community identity. The Hopkinton Town Band has performed summer concerts here, turning the property into a relaxed outdoor venue where families spread out on the grass and enjoy live music alongside their ice cream.
Educational attractions like treasure hunts and New Hampshire animal tracking activities are available for school groups and youth organizations, with group discount rates that make the farm an accessible field trip destination. The farm’s role as a community gathering place feels organic rather than forced, rooted in the same family-first values that have defined this property for more than two centuries. It is a place that genuinely belongs to the people around it.
The Awards, the Accolades, and Why They Actually Matter
Beech Hill Farm has collected enough recognition over the years to fill a respectable wall. The farm was named a New Hampshire Farm of Distinction in 2001, and Yankee Magazine’s 2002 Travel Guide to New England flagged it as a “not to miss ice cream stand,” which is the kind of editorial endorsement that holds up across decades.
New Hampshire Magazine gave it the “Best of New Hampshire” award for “Best Family Fun Farm” in 2003. Boston Magazine and New England Travel named it a “Best of New England” destination in 2008, and Parenting NH Magazine added a 2012 Family Favorites Award to the collection.
These accolades matter not because they decorate a wall, but because they reflect a consistent standard of quality maintained across generations of ownership. A farm that earns praise from multiple independent sources over more than two decades is not getting lucky; it is doing something right, repeatedly, and that kind of track record is worth a great deal more than any single five-star review.
Planning Your Visit and Making the Most of Every Season
Beech Hill Farm & Ice Cream Barn operates seasonally, generally running from May through October, with the ice cream barn open daily from noon to 8 PM. The corn mazes specifically run from August 1st through October 31st, which makes the fall stretch the busiest and most visually rewarding time to visit.
Autumn brings pumpkins in every shape and size, fresh mums, and farm-grown corn stalks that make the property feel like a living seasonal catalog. Spring and summer visits lean more toward the ice cream, the animals, the trail, and the Gardener’s Barn, each offering their own distinct rhythm.
The farm recommends calling ahead at +1 603-223-0828 to check flavor availability, since popular scoops can run out on busy weekends. Visitors are welcome to bring their own picnic lunches, and the spacious layout keeps things from feeling overcrowded even when the parking lot fills up. Whatever season brings you here, the combination of history, flavor, and fresh air tends to make the drive feel very much worth it.
