Two agritourism farms top North Carolina’s most-visited field trip sites

by | Sep 28, 2009

Last week, Triangle Business Journal highlighted the 2008-09 list of North Carolina’s top field trip destinations, and two N.C. agritourism farms made the cut. Carolina Field Trips Magazine puts together the annual list and also includes the number of students that visit each of the top 10 places.

The two farms, Lazy Five Ranch of Mooresville and Patterson Farm and Market Tours of Mount Ulla, are both included in the NCDA&CS’ agritourism marketing directory. Agritourism refers to value-added agricultural activities on a farm, ranch or vineyard that provide entertaining and recreational experiences. In addition to the directory, we also have a new full-color map that pinpoints 213 farms and vineyards across the state with barnyard animal exhibits, pond fishing, pick-your-own opportunities, vacation retreats, weddings, unique meeting spaces for business retreats and more.

Check out the list below and then head over to our listing of other agritourism adventures at our online directory or stop by any of the nine state Welcome Centers, county extension offices and state farmers markets to get a agritourism map of your own.

1. North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, Raleigh, 132,906

2. Lazy Five Ranch, Mooresville, 119,383

3. North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, 111,698

4. Dan Nicholas Park, Salisbury, 106,528

5. Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, Chapel Hill, 78,306

6. Natural Science Center of Greensboro, 75,047

7. Discovery Place, Charlotte, 72,750

8. North Carolina Aquariums, Fort Fisher, Roanoke Island, Pine Knoll Shoes, 61,189

9. Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, 57,880

10. N.C. Museum of History, Raleigh, 50,626

11. N.C. State Capitol, Raleigh

12. Old Salem Museum and Gardens, Winston-Salem

13. Catawba Science Center, Hickory

14. Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education, Raleigh

15. Sci-Works, Winston-Salem

16. Museum of Life and Science, Durham

17. Biltmore, Asheville

18. Schiele Museum of Natural History, Gastonia

19. Linville Caverns, Marion

20. Patterson Farm and Market Tours, Mount Ulla

21. Neuseway Planetarium Park Nature Center, Kinston

22. The Mint Museum, Charlotte

23. N.C. Museum of Art, Raleigh

24. Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, Wilmington

25. Greensboro Children’s Museum, Greensboro

Learn more about North Carolina agritourism farms in these previous In the Field posts: