Fox Valley Park District Readies for Reopening of Blackberry Farm

Posted on 03/01/2021 by  Fox Valley Park District

Blackberry Farm – the Fox Valley Park District’s living history museum – is set to reawaken in 2021, after the entirety of the 2020 season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Season passes are available for purchase, beginning Monday, March 1. District officials announced early-bird rates from March 1 through May 14, when a resident season pass for a family of four costs $100, compared to the $120 regular rate.  

“We’re really excited to open for the 2021 season and provide all the wonderful amenities that our community loves at Blackberry Farm – and we’ll continue to follow all COVID guidelines to keep the public safe,” said Becky Harling, facility manager at Blackberry Farm. “Guests will see some changes to the park, including capacity limits at museum sites, mask requirements and additional cleaning, but everything will be available to our guests.”

Per CDC guidelines, high-touch surfaces are required to be cleaned every two hours, Harling said, and park staff will adhere to all regulations set forth by state and local health organizations.

“People can’t wait to get back into the park, which I definitely understand,” Harling said. “We’ve gotten a lot of Facebook inquiries and phone calls about our plans for opening this season. We’re looking forward to getting back to our normal season, and being able to interact with our great public again.”

On average and under normal circumstances, the 52-year-old park welcomes around 120,000 visitors per season, which this year runs from May 1 to September 26.

Season passes are good for general daily admission, and are not redeemable at special events, such as Live and Uncorked and Holiday Express. For those wishing to purchase season passes as gifts, Harling encourages the purchase of gift cards, rather than buying a season pass in someone else’s name.

Season passes can be purchased at blackberryfarm.info/memberships-season-passes, or at the Vaughan Athletic Center, Prisco and Eola community centers, and Cole Center Administrative Office.

For more information about Blackberry Farm, visit blackberryfarm.info or call 630-892-1550.

Blackberry Farm is also an ideal destination for weddings — learn more at blackberryfarm.info/weddings-at-the-farm.