Petting Farm, Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides & Trackless Train at Lyman Orchards

A donkey, a pair of draft horses and a small train, all within about a hundred yards of each other.

Lyman Orchards runs three fall attractions together at the Apple Barrel Farm Market through the autumn weekends. They are ticketed separately rather than as one admission, so you can do all three or pick the one your group actually wants.

Petting Farm. A corral of pygmy goats, sheep, rabbits, alpacas and a donkey, open 10am to 4pm. Admission is $5 per person and includes hay for feeding, with under-twos free. Pay by card at the Apple Barrel register or cash at the petting farm entrance. It is run by Circle K Animal Attractions.

Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides. A rustic farm wagon out past the historic Lyman Homestead and along the hayride trail, running 10am to 3:30pm. Admission is $6 for ages 13 and up and $4 for ages 4 to 12, with under-fours free, and it is cash only at the wagon pickup spot. Run by Ron Collins.

Trackless Train. A loop around the pond and back, 10am to 4pm, $5 per person, tickets sold at the train entrance. Run by Roaming Railroad.

Check the date before you drive. The orchard's calendar lists these as weekend attractions, and the posted dates are Saturday and Sunday the 26th and 27th of September, then the 3rd and 4th, 10th and 11th, 17th and 18th, 24th and 25th and 31st of October, and the 1st of November. Columbus Day, Monday 12 October, is the one weekday they run. Nothing is listed beyond the first weekend of November.

Good to know. Tickets for all three are sold on the day only, so there is nothing to book ahead. Dates can change and everything is weather permitting, so call 860-349-6000 before a long drive.

Where to go. Apple Barrel Farm Market, 32 Reeds Gap Road in Middlefield.