The Ark Open Farm — Bottle-feed lambs, meet alpacas and let the kids loose on pedal tractors all day.
What you’ll see: Around 200 animals — cattle, sheep, pigs, donkeys, ponies, reindeer, llamas, alpacas, pygmy goats, guinea pigs, rabbits, chicks and a reptile room.
Cost: Adult £11.50, child 3–17 £11, toddler 1–2 £4, under-1 free, concession £10, registered carer free. Family of 4 £44, family of 5 £52, family of 6 £60.….
Best for: Toddlers through to about age 10.
Food: Cottage Café on site — homemade meals, coffee and snacks (vegetarian and vegan options). Horse Box Coffee Truck and Ice Cream Hut on select peak week….
Opening: 7 days a week, 10am to 5pm, from early February. Check the farm's website before travelling — special event periods have different terms.
Dogs: No pet dogs — farm keeps livestock. Assistance and guide dogs are welcome; contact the farm ahead of your visit.
Plan your visit
Hands-on with 200 animals
This is a get-stuck-in farm, not a look-from-a-distance one. The smaller residents — guinea pigs, rabbits, chicks and pygmy goats — are there for little hands to feed and pet. Bigger animals across the 100 acres include cattle, sheep, pigs, donkeys, ponies, llamas and alpacas, plus a reptile room for the brave. In lambing season kids can bottle-feed lambs, and seasonal handling sessions add even more close encounters. The farm also keeps reindeer — rare for NI.
200 animals across 100 acresBottle-feed lambs in seasonAlpacas, llamas and reptile roomPedal tractors and jumping pillowsFairytale Forest and Jurassic ArkCottage Café with hot food
Good to know before you go:
Many farms are seasonal and busiest in spring lambing and the school holidays, so it’s worth checking opening times before you travel. These are working livestock farms, so pet dogs usually aren’t allowed (assistance dogs excepted), and a few take cash only — so bring a little with you.
Before you set off
What to bring
👢Wellies or sturdy shoesFarmyards and paddocks get muddy, especially after rain.
🥪Snacks or a picnicThere’s usually a café, but little ones get peckish between the animals.
📷A cameraBottle-feeding a lamb and the pedal-tractor grins are worth keeping.
💷A bit of cashSome farms are cash only, and animal-feed cups are pocket-money priced.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Adult £11.50, child 3–17 £11, toddler 1–2 £4, under-1 free, concession £10, registered carer free. Family of 4 £44, family of 5 £52, family of 6 £60. Book online to save up to £1 per head. Special events (Easter, Halloween, Christmas) are priced separately.
Opening / season
7 days a week, 10am to 5pm, from early February. Check the farm's website before travelling — special event periods have different terms.
Best for ages
Toddlers through to about age 10.
What you'll see
Around 200 animals — cattle, sheep, pigs, donkeys, ponies, reindeer, llamas, alpacas, pygmy goats, guinea pigs, rabbits, chicks and a reptile room.
Food
Cottage Café on site — homemade meals, coffee and snacks (vegetarian and vegan options). Horse Box Coffee Truck and Ice Cream Hut on select peak weekends.
Toilets
On-site toilets including baby changing facilities.
Parking
Free on-site parking. Disabled parking next to the entrance.
Dogs
No pet dogs — farm keeps livestock. Assistance and guide dogs are welcome; contact the farm ahead of your visit.
Accessibility
Main farmyard is tarmac and concrete; outer paths are unsealed gravel (larger-wheeled buggies cope better). One wheelchair space on the tractor ride, accessible by ramp with staff help. Sloping pathway in places — manual wheelchair users may need assistance. All areas are pushchair-friendly.
How long to allow
Half a day to a full day. Your ticket covers the whole day.
Address
The Ark Open Farm, 296 Bangor Road, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 7PH
Questions
Before you go
How much does it cost?
Adult £11.50, child 3–17 £11, toddler 1–2 £4, under-1 free, concession £10, registered carer free. Family of 4 £44, family of 5 £52, family of 6 £60. Book online to save up to £1 per head. Special events (Easter, Halloween, Christmas) are priced separately.
What ages is it good for?
Toddlers through to about age 10.
When is it open?
7 days a week, 10am to 5pm, from early February. Check the farm's website before travelling — special event periods have different terms.
Can we bring the dog?
No pet dogs — farm keeps livestock. Assistance and guide dogs are welcome; contact the farm ahead of your visit.
Is there anywhere to eat?
Cottage Café on site — homemade meals, coffee and snacks (vegetarian and vegan options). Horse Box Coffee Truck and Ice Cream Hut on select peak weekends.
Getting there
The Ark Open Farm is at The Ark Open Farm, 296 Bangor Road, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 7PH. Free on-site parking. Disabled parking next to the entrance. Tap below for directions.
The Ark Open Farm sits on the Bangor Road between Newtownards and Bangor, on the edge of the Ards Peninsula. It spreads across 100 acres of countryside and is home to around 200 animals — from farm livestock to alpacas, llamas and a reptile room.
It's a well-established family attraction built around hands-on animal contact: bottle-feeding, petting and feeding alongside play areas, pedal tractors and tractor rides. The farm also hosts school trips and birthday parties, and puts on seasonal events at Easter, Halloween and Christmas.
A refurbished Cottage Café opened for the 2025 season, and a new bespoke playpark — described as unique to Northern Ireland — has been added to the grounds.