Clark’s Elioak Farm is located on Rte 108 in Ellicott City, Maryland. We stopped in for a visit to their petting farm, and discovered that they are the dedicated folks relocating and restoring The Enchanted Forest figures that I had read about in a newspaper article some time ago. Basically, The Enchanted Forest was a nearby park in Ellicott City from 1955 until 1980. It contained cement structures depicting many of the characters in Mother Goose stories, such as this one of the Old Woman who lived in a shoe:
Since the park never reopened, in 2004 the good folks at Clark’s Farm received permission to relocate and restore as many figures as they could from the original park. Here is the full story. The farm includes hayrides, pony rides, a farm animal petting and feeding area, a wonderful maze to explore and find more Enchanted Forest figures, and plenty of room to run around. Looks like they had pumpkins growing too. There is a small museum of farm historical pieces, and agriculture education. You can even sit down on a stool by a plastic cow and “milk” it–its udder is full of water which shoots into a bucket from its rubber teats when you milk the cow. I am sure there will be much change and growth to watch for at this farm. It is worth a drive to explore, just as The Enchanted Forest had been for families decades ago.
My kids love to visit farms with animals, here’s Jonah visiting with a goat:
Great photo opps here, even my kids were motivated to pose for photos:
Aww, don’t they look sweet. This one is definitely going to the grandparents.
Asleep with Little Boy Blue:
The Merry Miller’s House:
There was a Crooked Man…and they all lived together in a little crooked house. Here it is:
The three bears house:
And here is Papa Bear:
Take a trip and enjoy exploring yourself! There are tons more of these figures, beyond the ones I documented.