Story Time

Kline Creek Farm presents 19th-century farm activities such as baking, canning, planting, harvesting, sheep shearing and ice cutting through programs designed for individuals, families, and school groups.

The farmhouse contains original artifacts and reproductions that enhance its homelike atmosphere. Depending on the time of year, staff and volunteers plant heirloom vegetables in the kitchen garden, milk the cows, tend to the orchard, work in the wagon shed, or harvest ice from Timber Lake.

Percheron work horses help plant and harvest crops of corn, oats, and potatoes. Kline Creek Farm manages a heritage livestock conservation breeding program, maintaining a flock of Cotswold sheep and Heritage Milking Shorthorn cattle. Eggs from our heritage-breed chickens are sold in the visitor center.

Beekeeping is also a longstanding tradition at Kline Creek Farm. Volunteer beekeepers manage the apiary by caring for the bees, extracting and processing honey, and leading educational programs and tours that focus on the honeybee’s role as primary pollinator for two-thirds of all U.S. crops.

Inside the Timber Ridge Visitor Center, seasonal exhibits present elements of the 1890s and the agricultural heritage of DuPage County. The center has modern restrooms, a drinking fountain, general forest preserve information, and a center store where visitors can purchase beverages, snacks, and farm-fresh eggs. Unique gifts are also available, such as locally-produced honey and soaps, Victoriana, children’s toys and games.