Group Tours

Large groups will be divided into 25-35 children. The tour includes information about the farm and how an apple grows, as well as a bees role in apple production; a trip to the orchard where apple picking equipment and skills are demonstrated, and everyone will pick one apple after the demonstration; a visit to the apple garage, to show how they are stored; and a trip to the barn, to view the apple sorting equipment. The tour, also, includes a snack of cookie and cider, and each child is given an "A is for Apple" coloring book to take home.

Pumpkin tours can accommodate up to 75 people. Larger groups are divided in half. The trip to the pumpkin patch includes some interesting facts about pumpkins, (omitted if children are wiggling and eager to get on the wagon) a hayride to the pumpkin patch where everyone picks a "pie" pumpkin, a snack of cookie and cider, and a "P is for Pumpkin" coloring book for each child.

You will be given a passport to assist you through the maze. This is not a guided tour. If maze is scheduled with an apple or a pumpkin tour, a snack will be served.

Tour Check List

• 1 week prior to tour: Call our Tour Coordinator with accurate number of students, adult chaperones and teachers.
• Paper Apple/Pumpkin: Prepare an apple or pumpkin for our visitor wall. The visitor wall is a mural painted inside the barn. We encourage each group or classroom to bring a memento of their visit.
• Encourage Participants to Dress Appropriately: Boots or sneakers are recommended as there is wet grass and sometimes mud!
• Day of Tour:
  • Collect all money. Money should be collected from all participants, including chaperones, prior to arrival. Cash or checks are preferred for speedy check-out. Receipts available upon request. Credit Cards can be used. A Group payment will be taken at snack time.
  • Count ALL participants: please have an accurate count of how many students, chaperones/siblings, and teachers prior to arrival.
  • Appropriate Snack for Students with Food Allergies: Sugar Cookies and Apple Cider are served at snack time. Cookies are baked in a kitchen where nuts are used. Please inform us of any child with this type of allergy or others that we need to be aware of so we can make appropriate arrangements for the child/children.
  • Bee Sting Kit: For allergic participants. Ice is available in the unfortunate event that someone is stung. A bounce dryer sheet safety pinned to the back of each participant is rumored to be effective in warding off bees.
  • Leave on Time: Several tours are scheduled each day. If you are late, your tour will be modified or worked in, in order to not inconvenience any groups that have arrived on time.
  • Hand-Wipes or Hand Sanitizer: for use at snack time
  • Lunch size paper bag with Students Name: for apples
  • Permanent Marker: to write name on pumpkin
  • Weather: tours operate rain or shine. If there is excessive rain making tours unsafe, we will call you to reschedule. Should you choose not to participate on your scheduled date due to poor weather conditions, please contact the orchard as early as possible: 317-745-4876. After you have notified the orchard, if you wish to reschedule, please call our Tour Coordinator to do so.