These are the 25 Best Farming Museums

Many people think farming is an easy job everybody can do. However, the same people never tried raising animals, planting a garden, cleaning dirty barns. Farmers are the people who put food on our tables and often earn too little for their efforts. We all should respect them and thank them for the hard work they do every day.

The unfortunate thing is that nobody takes the time to remind us of farmers’ importance. We go to the market, buy our meat, vegetables and fruit and leave, without thinking once of the process behind the food. Therefore, a few farmers have decided to raise awareness of their work and open farming and agricultural museums. These places tell the story of simple men and women who struggle with weather and soil, with diseases and exhaustion.

If you are interested in learning more about a farmer’s responsibilities and struggles, take a look at these farming museums from the United States. The first eight museums on the list are specialized in tractors and other agricultural machinery, while the rest present the whole farming life.

25. Tennessee Agricultural Museum

Address: 404 Hogan Rd, Nashville, TN 37220

Nashville is home to many of Tennessee’s beauties, including the Tennessee Agricultural Museum. The museum presents a large collection of home and farm artefacts dating from the 19th to the 20th century.

24. Stonefield Agricultural Museum

Address: 12195 Co Hwy VV, Cassville, WI 53806

Stonefield Agricultural Museum is the home of the largest collection of farming tools and machinery in Wisconsin. The exhibits present the history of agriculture in the area and bring back years of struggles and evolution.

23. Floyd County Historical Museum

Address: 105 E Missouri St, Floydada, TX 79235

In Charles City, Iowa, there is a special place for farming lovers – The Floyd Country Museum. The museum is proud to be the biggest rural country museum, having over 50,000 industrial and agricultural artefacts. The machines have different ages, as the owners tried to gather exhibits from as many periods as possible.

22. Keystone Tractor Works

Address: 880 W Roslyn Rd, Colonial Heights, VA 23834

This museum will leave you breathless, especially if you are passionate about agriculture. The place brings back years of farming with fully restored antique tractors and other equipment. The owners always have ongoing restoration projects and keep trying to maintain history alive.

21. Antique Powerland

Address: 3995 Brooklake Rd NE, Salem, OR 97303

The Antique Powerland, located in Brooks, Oregon, has the rare talent of presenting eye-catching exhibits featuring not-so-popular objects- farm machinery. Besides, the museum has a mini-train! Who does not love things in miniature? You can visit the Pacific Northwest Truck Museum, too.

20. Bayer Museum of Agriculture

Address: 1121 Canyon Lake Dr, Lubbock, TX 79403

The Bayer Museum or the FiberMax Center for Discovery presents an impressive collection of tractors, drills and other farming tools. The machines bring back the history of agriculture, some of them being veterans in the field. The museum has both an indoor and an outdoor setting in a historic farm area. Therefore, the weather should not stop you from visiting this lovely place.

19. Mehmke Steam Tractor Museum

Address: 8244 US-89, Great Falls, MT 59405

In Great Falls, Montana, there is a special museum designed for gas tractors, steamers and other pieces of farming equipment. Walter Mehmke founded the museum over 60 years ago, and his granddaughters kept his legacy alive through the years.

18. Heidrick Ag History Center

Address: 1962 Hays Ln, Woodland, CA 95776

The Heidrick Ag History Center presents California farming history using different types of vehicles and tools. You will have the chance to see tractors and rare examples of harvesters, horse-drawn implements and trucks.

Now let’s move on to the museums about farming and farm life.

17. New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum

Address: 4100 Dripping Springs Rd, Las Cruces, NM 88011

New Mexico is a historic giant in agriculture, as people have been working the land for the past 4,000 years in the area. This museum, located in Las Cruces, presents farming devices and shows how they work. But there is more to that. Outside the museum, there are 47 acres of land with flowers, vegetables, fruit.

The most interesting thing is the pepper patches where agriculture experts plan on developing the world’s hottest chilli peppers. There are also hundreds of domestic animals around the area. There is always a guide available for a tour, and there are high chances to even attend an event as they are held almost weekly at the museum.

16. Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum of South Carolina

Address: 120 History Ln, Pendleton, SC 29670

South Carolina is another place where agriculture has flourished since ancient times. Therefore, several people eager to present this vast history decided to lay the foundations of a museum that now bears the name of one of its founders.

This museum has educational materials for children who want to learn more about the process by which food reaches their tables and aims to bring to the attention of as many people as possible the importance of agriculture and farms for the economy.

At the museum, you will have an interactive meeting with Clarabelle (a mechanical cow you can milk). Then you can walk through models of plantations and farms. Of course, the museum has dozens of tractors and machines. Now a large part of the museum is restored. In the past, this part belonged to one of the most famous farmers in the area. You will be able to observe farm animals and their behaviour, and you will come face to face with two American guinea hogs.

15. American Farm Heritage Museum

Address: 1395 Museum Ave, Greenville, IL 62246

More than 60 people passionate about agriculture gathered and opened this museum in 2002 with the idea of ​​passing on the knowledge received from their ancestors and obtained through hard work. Observing how agriculture is becoming an increasingly overlooked field by young people, they decided to do everything they could to share information and explain both the vital importance and the unparalleled beauty of farming.

The founders started building more and more on the allocated land, creating a small area of agricultural culture from scrap. In the beginning, they focused on basic farming tools and then continued to build until they became who they are today. You can observe tractors and other farming devices all over the area.

There are also a few extra museums, such as the American Heritage Railroad and the Armed Forces Museum. Both of these additions aim to pay respects to the railroads and army for the contribution they had in developing agriculture.

14. California Agriculture Museum

Address: 1962 Hays Ln, Woodland, CA 95776

The California Agricultural Museum is a wonderful place in Woodland that hosts some of the most beautiful tractors and farm tools that have ever existed. The museum presents rudimentary devices in contrast with new-generation models that make farming so much less exhausting and harmful for the animals (such as horses or bulls who were often used in agriculture).

The exponents are imposing in size, and people come from all over the world to reveal the secrets and history of farming. The museum has exponents from the Gold Rush Era and organized a children area to capture their attention.

13. Steppingstone Farm Museum

Address: 461 Quaker Bottom Rd, Havre De Grace, MD 21078

Maryland is a gorgeous region rich in farms and natural wonders. The Steppingstone Farm Museum sits inSusquehanna State Park, and it is an original farm that gathers numerous agriculture fans and curious people from all over the world. The fertile soil in the area gave people the opportunity to grow delicious food. The museum presents rural traditions farmers used back in the 1880s up to the 1920s.

Here, visitors can observe various domestic animals and can watch craftsmen working with wood and steel. You can even enter the kitchen and take part in the usual bustle. If you happen to be there in September, you might catch the Fall Harvest & Craft Festival.

12. Living History Farms 

Address: 11121 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50322

Iowa is a dream place that few discover in its true splendour. If you happen to arrive in the area, do not forget to stop by Living History Farms, an immense open-air museum that you must see at least once in your life.

The museum’s mission is to emphasize the beauty of farms from different periods and show that agriculture is vital, and we cannot treat it ignorantly. The farms are the Iowa Indian Farm (from 1700), the Pioneer Farm (from 1850), and the Horse-Powered Farm (From 1900). You will notice how farming has changed over the years, from rudimentary techniques to more innovative ones. The workers here present how our ancestors used animals to develop agriculture.

11. Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village

Address: 1392 Whiddon Mill Rd, Tifton, GA 31793

The Georgia Museum of Agriculture presents the way agriculture worked in the 19th century. You will get to admire beautiful landscapes and memorable sites and learn about farming and the struggles people had in the past to put food on the table.

You can also visit the Peanut Museum with special equipment and peanut plantations.

10. Loudoun Heritage Farm

Address: 21668 Heritage Farm Ln, Sterling, VA 20164

Have you ever went to a place and found everyone having a good time? Regardless of their age, appearance, passions, all people felt content during the same time, in the same place. Well, if you want to witness this wonder, then you should visit this museum in Virginia. Here, everyone can find a pleasurable activity to do.

Children can experience the farming life, as it is now and, as it was back in the days when there were no modern devices, with all it has to offer- milking cows (mechanical ones), collecting eggs, cooking without any electricity. Adults can take a more elaborate journey through the history of agriculture, learning about the struggles and evolution of farms.

9. Primrose Farm

Address: 5N726 Crane Rd, St. Charles, IL 60175

In St. Charles, Illinois, there is a dairy farm established in 1930. Here, interested people decided to open a museum for those who want to learn more about farming. There are various classes and plenty of fresh air.

The “professors” will teach you how to milk a cow, how to collect eggs. how to groom a horse, and how to butcher a pig. However, the last lesson is not the best option for animal lovers.

8. This Is the Place Heritage Park

Address:2601 Sunnyside Ave S, Salt Lake City, UT 84108

Salt Lake City in Utah does not only surprise us with a rich history and a Brigham Young monument but also with a Heritage Park that combines adventure and fun with learning. “This is the Place” has a collection of old buildings from Utah’s early days and Native American teepees. You will see mini-trains, zoos, train robberies, salt-water-taffy cannons and a splash pad.

The park will offer you details about Young’s settlement in Salt Lake City, and you will get to know better the history of one of the most influential religious leaders of all time.

7. Stuhr Museum

Address: 3133 US-34, Grand Island, NE 68801

This village museum focuses on the history of late 19th century pioneers that presents life as it was back in those days. The place has gained popularity after several filmmakers chose it for their movies (the Stuhr Museum appears in My Antonia and Sarah, Plain and Tall).

Some of the most exciting parts of the museum are the 1894 railroad town and the log cabin establishment. You will have the opportunity to see a Pawnee earth lodge. Do not forget to check out the collection of antique farm machinery and trains from the Union Pacific.

6. Old Sturbridge Village

Address: 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd, Sturbridge, MA 01566

The largest outdoor history museum in the northeast is the Old Sturbridge Village, located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The place gathers, in approximately 200 acres, forty authentic buildings that make people feel like they are wandering through history. The rural town has meeting houses, a country store, water-powered mills, trade shops and even a school.

The museum uses interactive activities to attract tourists. You will have the opportunity to experience 19th-century actions with people costumed in vintage clothes that milk cows, cook and craft in an authentic, antique manner.

5. Mission San Luis

Address: 2100 W Tennessee St, Tallahassee, FL 32304

Florida has this remarkable gift of offering the best experiences in the simplest ways. Mission San Luis from Tallahassee is one of those places where you can learn while having fun, no matter how old are you or if you had any contact with the subject it presents.

The museum will teach you about Apalachee heritage and take you over three hundred years back when Native Americans and Spanish settlers lived together. There are daily food exhibitions with traditional meals and occasional Thanksgiving dinners that recreate the traditional celebration. The Winter Solstice Celebration will also leave you breathless.

4. Queens County Farm Museum

Address: 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy, Queens, NY 11004

If you ever visited New York City, you must know the turmoil in this beautiful place. There are thousands of tourists visiting every day, and we can all agree that while it is good for the economy, it can be tiresome for the locals. However, there is a place in NYC where they can relax and enjoy a noise-free afternoon.

The Queens County Farm Museum is a 47-acre stretch of farmland that will take your mind off any worry you might have in your daily life. Greenhouses and historic farm constructions are amazingly well maintained, and there are many activities to enjoy alone or with family and friends.

3. Genesee Country Village and Museum

Address: 1410 Flint Hill Rd, Mumford, NY 14511

For this next museum, we will remain close to New York City, in Mumford, where the Genesee Country Village offers the most incredible walk through history, with small houses and inns, adequately preserved through the years, for an authentic old vibe.

You will wander between three life-changing periods: The Pioneer Settlement (from 1795 to 1830), The Village Centre (from 1870 to 1930) and Turn-of-the-Century Main Street (from 1880 to 1920).

If you happen to arrive there in the summertime, you will have the opportunity to watch a reenactment of the vintage baseball. What brings most people here is the Intrepid, a helium balloon inspired by the Civil War-era balloons that people can ride and enjoy the view from a high point.

2. Kona Coffee Living History Farm

Address: 82-6199 Hawaiʻi Belt Rd, Captain Cook, HI 96704

Hawaii does not mean only sunny beaches and beautiful views, perfect for an Instagram post. Hawaii has incredible farming history and thousands of unappreciated people who work long hours every day to offer a piece of their past to the tourists. This coffee farm located in Kona District proves how much we ignore the old parts of a country or region.

The place presents the life of Japanese immigrants with all of its struggles. Traditional crafts and endless orchards of coffee and macadamia will make you want to return to this unique place.

1. The Farmer’s Museum

Address: 5775 NY-80, Cooperstown, NY 13326

Our best pick for the first spot in this article is another New York farming museum located in Cooperstown – a four-hour drive from the big city. While Cooperstown is best known for its baseball performances, the place has a much richer history, being an old centre for growing hops, one of the most important ingredients in beer. Like most museums on the list, this one will let you experience the farming lifestyle shown by resident craftspeople.

You can come here alone, but the museum was definitely created for families, having activities for all ages. Adults can participate in special events, such as the annual October Tractor Fest, while children can play in the interactive barnyard that has different types of domestic animals.

The Farmer’s Museum gathers an impressive number of farming devices, such as a milk fat tester from 1960. The funniest activity is attempting to milk one of the cows at the museum, who willingly allows everyone to try.

Farming is one of the first things humans did to survive, and yet we tend to overlook the importance of working the land and raising animals. Without farmers, there would not be any delicious meals on our tables and, amazingly, some people are trying to remind us that by building museums.