Furry Family Fun Defines Trip to Purina Farms

Purina Farms is fun day trip for dog-loving families, especially those with young children. The demonstration farm is run by Nestle-Purina, which has its North American headquarters in St. Louis. It’s a great place to take little ones to learn about pets and farm animals.

The 300-acre farm is located in Gray Summit, about 14 miles west of Eureka.

There are two distinct areas of the farm: the visitors' center and the new event center, which opened in 2010. Purina Farms has been offering tours since 1926, and it attracts an average of 135,000 visitors a year.

The farm is open Tuesday through Sunday March through November and is a destination all of its own. The event center is on the same property and hosts indoor and outdoor competitive dog shows. Most shows are free and open to the public. Check out the event calendar here if you want to attend a show.

The visitors' center is what most people think of when they plan to visit Purina Farm. It was created to showcase Purina products while teaching families about all the animals who can be fed Purina Chow. (Yes, there’s pony chow, poultry chow and pig chow—they don’t just sell food for Kitty and Spot.)

You’ll need to call ahead, but there is no charge to visit or to park. Call 314-982-3232 or 888-688-PETS to plan your visit. You can call ahead the same day, but if you want to arrive in the morning, you’ll need to call at least a day before.

When you arrive, check in at the welcome desk and get a schedule. The farm holds different demonstrations throughout the day and you don’t want to miss your chance to milk a cow or see the Frisbee dogs in action.

Head to your left from the welcome desk to start your tour. Here, you’ll find an interesting room with a wall-to-wall timeline of all things Purina that local history buffs will enjoy. It’s a little too much detail for most kids, but parents can distract their children with the giant “pet food factory” in the middle of the room while they read. Kids can spin a few wheels, tumble “ingredients” and pretend to make pet chow.

Next, cut through the theater (or stop to watch the show if it’s running) and head to the main attraction: the barn. There’s a covered walkway that will take your right to the hay loft where kids can crawl through hay tunnels, play with rope swings and push around toy tractors. Small kids can even drive pedal tractors up here.

The ground floor of the barn is home to farm animals that kids can see up close. There are horse, cows, pigs, bunnies and flocks of chickens. There are small animals to pet and a cow to milk. Check the schedule for times—kids are given a chance to milk the cow by hand, then a farmhand will finish the job with a milking machine. You’ll be amazed at how much milk old Betsy can give, which is collected in a glass container for all to see.

Kids might also enjoy a tour of the pet center, located next to the barn, where different breeds of dogs and cats are kept. Animal handlers are on duty to tell everyone about the pets and sometimes bring the dogs out for petting. The center of the building is a two-story cat house with miniature furnishing just for the resident kitties.

Be sure to sit down for a dog agility show put on in the side yard. Here, you can see demonstrations of talented dogs running through obstacle courses, catching Frisbees in midair or leaping after them into a special 50-foot canine swimming pool. Dog diving is now a professional sport that started at Purina Farms. Shows are at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. during the summer.

After the show, you might want to head back into the visitors' center for a peek at the gift shop with its unique offerings and a stop at the concession stand. The farm doesn’t allow outside food, but there’s a pleasant courtyard to sit and enjoy a snack such ice cream, hot pretzels, burger or hot dogs. The concession stand now accepts debit cards, so don’t worry about having cash on hand.

Finish off the trip with a tour of the farm grounds by tractor. There’s really not much to see—most of the ride is through the show grounds--but what kid can resist a wagon ride?

Gray Summit is a small town with few services. If you need gas or fast food, plan to stop in Pacific, about 6 miles east of Purina Farms. (Gas is always cheaper in Franklin County, so plan ahead!) If you’re interested in a fabulous picnic spot or nature hike, extend your stay in Gray Summit with a visit to nearby Shaw Nature Reserve, only two miles away on the opposite side of Highway 44. Shaw is run by the Missouri Botanical Garden, and there is a $3 admission for adults, while kids younger than 12 are free. Garden members get in free.