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September 2019 by Riley C.
If I could give zero stars I would. Do not come here unless you support rampant animal abuse. This place has no business housing exotic animals. They have had many complaints over the years due to their unwarranted death. Not only do they not take care of them properly, THEY THINK THEY HAVE THE MORAL RIGHT TO KEEP AFRICAN ANIMALS LOCKED UP IN TINY CAGES. Absolutely disgusting. I don't know how the owner sleeps at night. This isn't a place that helps teach children how to treat animals. Don't come here if you have any interest in teaching your children how to be truly kind to animals.
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September 2019 by Mike M.
This place has gotten too expensive. $17 per person just to get in and then you have to pay to do anything. $6 for a pony ride? Seriously? $4 for a cup of carrots, $3 for roasted corn. We have been going here every year for fall fest but we are going to look elsewhere. By the time you leave you've spent $100.
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September 2019 by Tracy S.
Took my niece and nephew here for the first time since my kiddos were littles themselves; wow has this place changed from family cost friendly to let's make the parents get 2nd jobs to afford a nice outing with their kids. Entry is $16.99 (ages 3+)on weekends yet doesn't give you entry to the pony rides, camel rides, haunted house or bouncing pad (pad use to be free) which are all 6.00 extra. To feed the animals it's 4.00 for a small cup of shredded carrots! You are paying for the petting zoo, pig race and a rusty/dirty mechanical dragon "eating pumpkins". Everyone in your party pays this even adults who are just there to watch their kids. The workers were not friendly at all- I bought a bag of kettle corn for 6.00 (farmers markets are 3.00) and I opened it up and started to walk away. It was stall and chewy! I went back and asked for a more fresh bag. I think Mr Goebbert himself was there and actually gave me a hard time about asking for a fresh bag! He told me that they were made this am and I was wrong. He asked what I wanted; when I said a fresh bag he said if I wanted it that fresh I could wait an hour till they make new batches. I'm sorry but I'm not spending about hour which would be another 50.00 in activities for my kids. I pointed to a stack of bags that I saw being stocked when I bought my old bag and he begrudgingly gave me a fresh bag. And guess what??? It was fresh and warm!! Spent 150.00 for 1.5 of activities - I wish I would of made the drive to royal oaks farm or stades market. I would of at least gotten apples for half that price PLUS the kids would of had activities as well!!! Shame on you Goebbert's for taking advantage of you distance to families in the area with your price gouging. I'll never recommend this place again and you have lost our family' business.
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August 2019 by Jerome N.
This place is always expensive. They do have a great variety of plants and flowers. They also have fruit trees and flowering trees. I would say their succulent collection isn't as extensive as other nurseries I've seen. They have everything you would expect in a nursery. If you need pits, it's there. If you need already arranged flowers, it's there. They also have vegetables and fruits. Everyone is really friendly except when I was there last, there was a guy staring at us like a hawk. Made me feel uncomfortable and i welcomed.
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November 2018 by Harkiran K.
Nice because it's close and convenient. The petting zoo gave us mixed feelings, plus it was very crowded. The magic show was entertaining and kept my kids' interest for the entire (40- minute?) duration.
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November 2018 by Jami S.
We had a great time at Goebberts with my 18 month old. Went on a Monday and had the place practically to ourselves. She really enjoyed all the small animals. The place is very clean, organized and the workers are friendly. The apple donuts were tasty! I do agree with many other people about the more exotic animals not needing to be there. You can't help feeling sorry for Ernie the giraffe and the camels giving rides. Overall we had a great time and I would recommend going here for families.
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November 2018 by Gerry T.
Are you in the Chicagoland area and want to create a fun, memory filled tradition? If so, come to Goebbert's in the Fall! It's really not too far away but you'll feel like you're in Wisconsin (well, just a little bit). You'll see that it's a pretty huge place to wander around and it has plenty of parking - there's always a parade of cars entering and leaving. But don't be concerned, S. Barrington 5-0 is there onsite to direct traffic. It's hard to believe that Goebbert's was even bigger before they sold their land to give way to the huge mansions that are at the edge of their property. Once inside, there are a ton of foodie favorites for me - the cider donuts (glazed or sugared), the cider and my all time Fall craving - thee freshly grilled corn with butter. The buttery, sweet and smokey hot bites of corn, mixed with Autumn air, you just can't replicate that. There's an abundance of pies (no sweet potato though), jellies and jams. Check out the map (it's a huge place), pick out a pumpkin or two, visit the haunted house, ride a camel or go for a hay ride - there's a lot to do. Fyi, you have to pay an extra fee to go into the kids area now, this wasn't the case before. And there you go, everlasting memories, thank you Goebbert's!!!
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October 2018 by Angela N.
There were things that were very nice about Goebberts but then there were things that bothered me too. For one, my kids and mother in law did enjoy their time today. My kids really loved seeing a giaraffe so up close, however his quarters are very small, and you could only feed him if your willing to pay $4 for carrot slivers (yes not even a whole carrot). I think I should be able to buy a bunch of carrots with $4! Your paying for the experiece of feeding a wild African animal I suppose. Some of the attractions were cute like the pumpkin eating dragon. Yes, its a little silly but the kids eat it up! The pig race was also fun to watch. They knew they would get a treat at the end so they do run fast! The usual hay ride and corn maze is all in good fun. What I did not love was seeing so many exotic animals from other parts of the world locked in tiny pens. They are not meant for this climate and to stay in a small space all day and night. There is no need to have these animals at a family farm on the midwest for display. Please let these animals go back to their natural habitat and keep bringing good clean fun to the area. It just made me feel that they are in this for profits instead of having a meaningful family experiece at the end of the day.
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October 2018 by Anastasia B.
Overpriced. WAY overpriced. Went there with my husband, 2 kids, mom, and sister and we walked outta there spending over 200 dollars ($90 just to get in!) And an extra $6 PER PERSON for the haunted house, rides, etc. $4 per carrot cup to feed the animals, and you definitely don't go through just one cup. We've been to Didier, Bengtson, and others and we don't remember ever spending this much. Never coming back here again. On top of it all, no military discount. What? Bengtson offers free entry for military families. THANK YOU BENGTSON for that. Shame on you, Goebbert's.
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October 2018 by Artemis B.
Had a great time with my 3 year old! The pony ride, camel ride and feeding the giraffe was so much fun! They had s Tom of photo opportunities and cute little cut outs. The pig race was fun to watch! The pumpkin eating dinosaur was also enjoyable. Definite take your kids. There are a ton of animals. The apple cider donuts are so delicious and paired with a Carmel apple cider with whipped cream, a fall must do!
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October 2018 by Ashley T.
This place is disgusting. Wild African animals in tiny cages. Giraffes left out in the cold. New mama kangaroos in tiny cages laid out on her side. Disgusting. Appalling. Will be contacting PETA. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
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September 2018 by James B.
Goebbert's is a nostalgic and family-friendly pumpkin farm that I've been to many times myself as a kid, on school field trips and with my family, and have now taken my own son and extended family to for the last few years. When I was a kid, I would look forward to our Halloween-time annual visit to pick out a huge pumpkin and go for a tractor-pulled wagon ride around the perimeter of Goebbert's farm. The farm has grown considerably since I was little -- it now includes pony and camel rides, a corn maze, a haunted house and the store itself has expanded much larger than it used to be. You can now buy all kinds of fresh fruit, apple cider and apple donuts, sweet corn, jellies and preserves, popcorn and an assortment of pies and other baked goods, in addition to any variety of pumpkin large and small, gourds and flint corn. There's also a huge outdoor seating area with food vendors and shelter from the rain. Recommended.
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September 2018 by Lana C.
I honestly have much affection for this pumpkin farm. I went here as a child all the time and it brings back warm fuzzies. I recently took my nephew there for he first time. About 6 years ago I also went to goebberts with my church. I remember being appalled by seeing exotic African animals out the in the rain and the cold. I was hoping it would be different this time around. Sadly it is not. The giraffe was horrified it wouldn't come anywhere near the fence. Many of these animals need room to run and roam freely. The watusi for example is a large cow from Africa. It should have a lot more space than the pen they are in. These animals also love sun i found them in corner of the pen literally searching for sunlight. Ultimately they need more space. I still love the other attractions here but i do not think African animals have a place at Goebbert's farm.
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November 2017 by Melissa K.
I normally buy a large assortment of pumpkins from Goebberts, and they pretty much last forever! .. or until some animal eats them. I'm normally in and out of here relatively quick as I do not have children so most of the activities are of little interest to me. I will say it is fun to walk around and see the different things around the farm and what has changed in the past year. As other reviews have stated, it is a little pricey, but not by a lot. If you're someone who wants to get fall produce or fall decorations, this is definitely the place to go.
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November 2017 by Kinga S.
Super fun family outing spot (pack a secret lunch - I say secret because I don't think outside food is allowed - food is pretty pricey and mediocre cafeteria food at best ). Lots of fun activities, petting zoo, corn maze etc for the kids and only $12 (includes hayride) for kids over 3 and adults during the week with free parking, $15 on weekends! You can easily spend a whole day here... Great fall photo ops with the pumpkins but save your money and buy it elsewhere as the pumpkins are way overpriced here! All in all we look forward to going back next year!
