White Post Farms in Melville: Pony Rides, Petting Zoo, and Much More

White Post Farms in Melville has been owned by the Brigati family for more than a century. It got its name in 1971 from the popularity of its farm stand. Each generation of Brigatis slightly evolved the farm to what it is today--an incredible property that includes:

• A working crop farm, which has grown everything from potatoes to flowers
• A petting zoo, which features exotic animals and birds, as well as farm classics
• A large selection of playgrounds and a giant sandbox, often filled with bouncy inflatables
• A market where you can purchase fresh produce and delicious cakes and breads
• An annual Fall Farm Festival, the farm’s most celebrated event each year

Playgrounds at White Post Farms

We started at the playgrounds. It was impressive to see all the variations of play areas available at White Post Farms. My favorite was the lane of miniature houses. Some kids were running in and out of each one while others were busy pretending to be a shop owner or living in one of the homes. Next to the lane of tiny houses is a big wooden boat with lots of things for climbing and sliding.

If you keep walking you come upon a huge sandbox. During our visit the sandbox had about seven giant inflatable bouncers, including bouncy houses and obstacle courses. Friendly staff managed each station to ensure the children’s safety. Past the sandbox area are two additional playgrounds, one with larger playhouse and another with smaller toddler-sized climbing and sliding structures. My daughter liked the bouncy houses and slides best. My friend’s daughter loved the little houses.

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Petting Zoo and Pony Rides at White Post Farms

After the playground we headed to the impressive petting zoo. This interactive area is included with admission. But we wanted to feed the animals, so for an additional fee we bought buckets for the kids, which included: several cones filled with animal food, a bottle of milk for feeding baby animals, a token for a train ride, and a token for a pony ride.

The petting zoo was absolutely adorable and my favorite part of the day. I loved feeding the baby goats with bottles of milk. The girls loved this too and also enjoyed the cones filled with animal food, as the bigger goats seemed to prefer this over the bottles.

The farm has a lot of exotic animals, too, including a zebra, camels, and a giraffe. The monkeys were super playful to watch. You are also able to enter a bird atrium that is really unique. For an additional fee we purchased food with which to feed the birds. You have a choice between two atriums--one with smaller birds you feed with sticks, the other with larger birds you feed with cups of nectar. We picked the side with nectar and larger birds. You could bring the food right up to birds and they would feed from it.  My daughter had the thrill of her life when a bird decided to land in her hair. My special moment was when I got a splash on my head with, yes, bird poop.