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US Capitol Visitors Center - 8:30 AM
The White House - 9:30 AM
Ford's Theatre - 9:00 AM
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall - various times Pick
George Washington's Mount Vernon - 9:00 AM
National Museum of the United States Army - 9:00 AM
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Old MacDonald's Farm: Petting Zoo, Pony Rides, and More Farm Fun
Old MacDonald's Farm near Houston is a great place to spend half a day outdoors interacting with farm animals and running around. Although it's fun all year, Old MacDonald's has one of the Top Pumpkin Patches in Houston until the end of October, which makes it an ideal Fall Day Trip from Houston. Year-round attractions include pony rides, train rides, tether ball, multiple playgrounds, volleyball, petting zoo barns with everything from goats to bunnies, a hay barn, the duck pond, and Sand Mountain.
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Tips for Old MacDonald's Farm Houston
1. Get there early
Old MacDonald's Farm is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily, with closures for bad weather and on several holidays a year. Getting there when the farm opens means shorter lines for the train and pony rides.
2. Bring bug spray and sunscreen
Old MacDonald's Farm does not have much shade, and has lots of water and grass. It's also worth checking the weather forecast to make sure your trip doesn't get rained out.
A pony ride at Old MacDonald's Farm. Photo by Rachael Cherry
3. Dress to get dirty
There's a large barn filled with hay that the kids can run around in, stalls full of farm animals that you can feed and pet, pony rides that circle around a dirt track, and Sand Mountain that just screams to be climbed.
4. Pack a picnic
Although you can buy food and drinks at the concessions stand by the front entrance, you're allowed to bring your own refreshments. There are picnic tables throughout the farm with some situated under pavilions and others out in the open.
5. Bring cash (and bread!)
There are tip jars by the train stop and pony stables for the employees who work those stations. You can also buy bags of animal feed to hand feed the farm animals, but you can bring your own bread to feed the ducks!
Toddlers and preschoolers love the train at Old MacDonald's Farm. Photo courtesy of the farm
6. Don't miss the special events
Old MacDonald's Pumpkin Patch runs for 6 weeks each fall, and each child gets a free small pumpkin with admission. Plus, the patch is great for photo ops. The farm also has a summer swimming pool and a Winter Wonderland.
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