Down on the Farm

Pamela Palongue
4 days ago
2 min read

The lives of our ancestors were connected to the land in a delicate dance between nature and the changing seasons. We can rekindle that connection at Round Hill Park.

Two large horses, one white and one chestnut with a white blaze and blonde mane, stand together in a dirt barnyard paddock. A rustic red barn and a wooden fence are directly behind them, with green trees and a hillside in the background under daylight. Both horses wear leather halters.

Very few of us are farmers these days. But those who make their living from the land have a wonderful opportunity to be outdoors, working with plants and animals.

Round Hill Park is perhaps one of the most unique areas in the Allegheny County Parks system. It is an actual working farm, complete with cows, goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, rabbits and horses. The horses are “retired county workers” who have served with the Allegheny County Mounted Patrol and in other helpful roles.

This working exhibition farm gives people of all ages the opportunity to see how farming and animal husbandry is done as the farmers bale hay, milk cows and make apple cider. Thousands of children visit each year on field trips with their schools. But you don’t have to wait for a field trip to visit.

The farm is open every day, and you can get “up close and personal” with all the farm animals. But please don’t feed them!

On nice days, the park has hundreds of visitors and they are often tempted to pick up apples that have fallen from the trees to feed the horses. But if any animals eat things from so many people, it’s unhealthy for them.

When summer rolls around, the Round Hill Spray Park is a popular place to be! This area gives kids a fun and safe way to enjoy the sun and water without having any swimming skills, and is a chance to cool off from the summer heat.

The spray park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from June through Labor Day weekend (weather conditions permitting). Located at 351 Hereford Drive, it is free to the public and is also ADA accessible.

Round Hill Park has more than 1,000 acres, with 14 miles of walking trails and bridle paths for horses. The walking trails include a 1-mile path for those who are looking for a leisurely stroll, rather than a workout.

The structures at the park are historic buildings. Barns on the property were constructed in 1864, and they are all original wood except for the roofs. The barns were built using wooden pegs rather than nails, which was the method used in that time period.

The red brick house was once the home of the original farm family who lived there.

To visit Round Hill Park, go to alleghenycounty.us/Parks-and-Events/Parks/Round-Hill-Park.