Rosepark spreads across eighty acres just outside Ballymoney, and it packs a whole day into them. Start in the petting barn, where children can hold rabbits and reptiles with staff right beside them, then head out to meet the alpacas roaming free across the fields in summer, and the ducks, geese and swans down on the pond.
The showstopper is the beach. The old lagoon has been turned into what the farm calls Northern Ireland's first inland beach — real white sand and clear water, made for sandcastles and a paddle on a warm day. Beyond it the fun keeps coming: a zip line, bouncy castles, ride-on tractors, an enchanted forest and a fairy trail winding through the trees, plus an indoor play area for when the weather turns.
When everyone flags, Ruby's Tea Room has homemade scones and traybakes, and there are picnic tables dotted about if you've brought your own. It's the kind of simple, happy, run-around day that sends the little ones home glowing — and sleeping well.
Plan your visit
Can I just turn up? Yes — no booking needed.
For a normal visit you just arrive and pay at the gate — £7 a head, adults and children the same, under-2s free. The one catch: it's cash only, no cards on site, so come with notes and coins. Last entry is 3:30pm. It runs Easter to Halloween, on different days through the season, so check before a spring or autumn trip.
It's cash only — leave the card at home. And it's seasonal: weekends in spring and autumn, daily in July and August, then pre-booked Halloween events through October. Closed over winter.
Before you set off
What to bring
💷CashThe farm doesn't take cards — bring notes and coins for entry, the quad train and feed bags.
🏖️Swimwear, a towel and a changeThe inland beach is real sand and water — paddling and sandcastles on a warm day.
👢Wellies or old shoesIt's a working farm and a beach, so feet will get grubby and sandy.
🪣Buckets and spadesThere's a proper sandy beach to build on.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
£7 per person, adults and children the same rate; under-2s free. Cash only — no card payments on site. The quad train is £2 extra and animal-feed bags are 50p.
Season & hours
Weekends and bank holidays in April, May and June; daily through July and August (11am–5pm, from 12pm Sundays); weekends only in September; pre-booked Halloween events in October. Last entry 3:30pm. Closed over winter.
Ages
Best for toddlers up to around age 10. Under-16s must be with a responsible adult.
What you'll see
Rabbits, reptiles and small petting animals; free-roaming alpacas in summer; ducks, geese and swans; the inland sand beach, an enchanted forest, a fairy trail, play parks, a zip line and bouncy castles.
Food
Ruby's Tea Room (open 12–5pm) does homemade scones, shortbread and traybakes. Picnic areas dotted around too.
Toilets
Facilities throughout, including accessible toilets at the Tea Room and the beach.
Dogs
No dogs — it's a working farm with livestock.
Getting around
Wheelchair and mobility-scooter friendly, with landscaped paths, ramps and benches. Some play areas have age or height limits.
How long
Allow at least two hours; most families make a half-day of it. Arrive before 3:30pm.
Questions
Before you go
Do I really need cash?
Yes — the farm doesn't take cards at all, so bring notes and coins for the £7 entry, the quad train (£2) and feed bags (50p). Easy to get caught out on, so it's the one thing not to forget.
Do I need to book?
Not for a normal visit — just turn up and pay at the gate. The only exception is the Halloween events in October, which are pre-booked.
What ages is it best for?
Toddlers up to about ten get the most from it — the petting animals, the beach, the fairy trail and the play parks. Under-16s need to be with a grown-up.
Can the kids paddle at the beach?
Yes — it's real sand and clear water, made for sandcastles and a splash on a warm day. Bring swimwear, a towel and a change of clothes.
Can I bring the dog?
Afraid not — it's a working farm with livestock, so dogs aren't allowed.
Is there food?
Ruby's Tea Room does homemade scones and traybakes from noon, and there are picnic areas if you'd rather bring your own.
Getting there
98 Bravallen Road, Ballymoney, County Antrim, BT53 7DU — about four miles outside Ballymoney, with free parking on site.
Rosepark is a family-run farm on the edge of Ballymoney that turned its land over to families — eighty acres of animals, woodland and play, open through the warm half of the year from Easter to Halloween.
Its boldest stroke was the water: an old lagoon reworked into a white-sand beach with clear, clean water, which the farm bills as Northern Ireland's first inland beach. Add the free-roaming alpacas, the fairy trail and the zip line, and a simple day on the farm turned into something families come back to year after year.