From baby goats to pumpkin patches, this park lets people discover farm life for free.
Not many generations ago, most families were connected to agriculture—including the Rutledge and Wilson families, who farmed land west of Springfield for more than a century. When their farmland went up for sale, the Springfield-Greene County Park Board saw an opportunity to preserve the legacy for future generations and purchased it.
Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park reconnects people to agriculture through education and recreation on its 207 acres of land. Visitors can explore animal barns, pastureland, a farm-themed playground, a fishing pond, 20 acres of native prairie, and a milelong paved trail along Wilson’s Creek Greenway. Sheep, cows, goats, chickens, turkeys, and hogs all live on-site, and you can also rent your own garden plot.
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“Visiting the animals and seeing how they live is a big draw,” says Jenny Fillmer Edwards, public information administrator for the park board. A large barn doubles as an Education Center, where guests can interact with animals and learn how milk gets from cow to carton and how pollinators support the food chain.
For many in the Springfield area, the park is a restful safe haven. Nova Center of the Ozarks, a support organization for families and individuals with autism and developmental disabilities, takes field trips to the park often. “We love visiting because it offers the chance to connect with nature, interact with animals up close, and feel truly part of the community,” says Jessie Edwards, the day services program director at the center.
The park offers memorable opportunities throughout the year with scheduled special events. Whether it’s a Family Fishing Fun Night, Craft Night, or Heroes at the Farm, where local first responders and emergency workers display their work vehicles, you can typically find the farm buzzing on the weekends.
The biggest celebration is Harvest Fest each October. A maze is cut through a sorghum field, instead of through corn, because sorghum remains green in the fall. You can also pick out pumpkins and ride a Cow Train made from plastic barrels painted like Holstein cow faces.
Admission to the park and its events is free, with fees for extras like the Cow Train, garden plots, playing on the inflatables, and renting fishing gear. “It’s a real farm,” Jenny says. “It smells and looks like a farm, and you can experience hands-on learning while having a lot of fun.”
3825 West Farm Road 146, Springfield
Photos by Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park
This article was originally published in the July/August 2025 edition of Missouri Life.
