Whitehouse Farm or Hall Hill Farm - Which is Best?

  This is a question that regularly pops up in our Facebook Group so I thought I would try and figure the answer out.  I have visited both on several locations and although they are not a cheap day out, both are fantastic places where you can spend a full day whatever the weather. I'd recommend them both and would probably say if you've been to neither, start with the one that's closest to you.  But which is best? This post will hopefully help us figure this out........ All information checked via the Whitehouse Farm and Hall Hill Farm websites in May 2023. Information can / may change so always re-check with the venues direct before visiting.  Price  Hall Hill Farm is £39 for a family ticket (for 4) and ages 1 and under go free Whitehouse Farm is £50.45 for a family ticket (for 4) and ages 1 and under go free Hall Hill Farm is over £10 cheaper for the average family so a clear winner when it comes to price.  Location & Getting There  Hall Hill Farm is located in County Durham with free onsite parking. Hall Hill Farm is accessible by public transport (bus 756) Whitehouse Farm is located in Northumberland with free onsite parking. It is accessible by public transport (bus 436)  I would say in terms of location / getting there, they are both pretty similar and I'm calling this one a draw.  Rainy Day / Indoor Facilities  Whitehouse Farm:  Indoor Petting Barns & Animal Handling / Feeding  Indoor Pig Sty / Cattle Barns  Indoor Farmer's Den Soft Play Area  Indoor Picnic Barn  Indoor Activity Barn  Indoor Cafe  Indoor Racing Cars (additional charge) Bottle Feed Lambs (seasonal) Bottle Feed Calves (seasonal) Groom a Goat / Pony  Critter Encounters  Hall Hill Farm:  Indoor Petting Barns & Animal Handling / Feeding  Playbarn Soft Play  Indoor Picnic Barn  Indoor Tearoom  Bottle Feed Lambs (seasonal) Both have plenty of options for a rainy day. Personally, I do prefer the indoor play barn at Hall Hill Farm as it's bigger and I the fact that it has proper table and chairs in the playbarn (Whitehouse Farm is just benches and can be hard to keep kids in your eyeline) gives it the edge I think.  Outdoor Activities  Whitehouse Farm  Tractor Rides  Feed the Animals  Hoglets Adventure Playground  Castle Catapult  Jumping Pillows Additional Adventure Playground  Trampolines  Pedal Go Karts  Pedal Tractors  Willow Maze  Panning for Gold  Interactive Meerkat Talk  Bird of Prey Meet & Greet / Flying (currently on hold due to Avian Flu restrictions) Hall Hill Farm  Tractor Rides  Feed the Animals  Adventure Play Area  Wonky Donky Crazy Golf  Water Wars in the Summer  Bouncy Pillows  Sledge Rides Barrel Train (extra cost) Jeep Safari (extra cost)  This is a really tough one to decide. I think that both offer excellent outdoor facilities and have brilliant adventure playgrounds. I think the fact that Crazy Golf and Water Wars is included at Hall Hill Farm is excellent and the Sledge Rides are always super popular.  The Adventure Playgrounds at Whitehouse Farm are outstanding (in my opinion anyway) and I like that there are lots of different little activities dotted about the whole farm.  I'm calling this one a draw !  Animals  Hall Hill Farm  Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Alpacas, Deer, Llamas, Wallabies, Donkeys, Ponies, Goats, Highland Cows & more.  Whitehouse Farm Mini Beasts including Tarantula, Giant Hissing Cockroach and Giant Africal Milipede Reptiles including Tortoise, Blue Tongued Skink, Bearded Dragons, Geckos and Pythons  Small animals including Rats, Mice, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs and Skinny Pigs  Birds including Parrots and Cockatiels  Birds of Prey including Owls, Hawks and Kestrels  Large animals including Goats, Cows, Pygmy Goats, Horses, Ponies, Donkeys, Sheep & Pigs  Exotic animals including Fallow Deer, Meerkats, Wallabies, Llamas, Alpacas, Emu, Marmaset Monkeys & Emu Hall Hill Farm is definitely more of a traditional farm and Whitehouse Farm does seem to have quite a larger variety of animals. I do have a big soft spot for the Highland Cows at Hall Hill but do think that in terms of animals, Whitehouse Farm wins this one.  Additional Costs  Hall Hill Farm  Barrel Train  Jeep Safari Animal Feed  Whitehouse Farm  Indoor Racing Cars  Animal Feed  From what I can see on their websites, there are more options to pay extra for activities at Hall Hill Farm (only just!) so Whitehouse Farm wins this one.  Upcoming Events  Hall Hill Farm  27 - 29 May - Sheep Shearing ( see more events at Hall Hill here )  Whitehouse Farm  27 May - 4 June - Superheros and Princesses ( see more events at Whitehouse Farm here ) Both farms offer additional school holiday activities, seasonal events, one off events and fantastic Christmas events so I would say this one is a draw.  Facilities  Hall Hill Farm  Sadly I couldn't find much info on their website. I know they have a tearoom, picnic barn, picnic tables and toilets from previous visits.  Whitehouse Farm  Baby changing  Cafe with baby food warming facilities  Heated indoor picnic barn & outdoor picnic tables  Toilets including accessible toilets  I think they're both pretty much the same so I'm calling this one another draw.  Accessibility  Hall Hill Farm  I could not find a link to any access information on their website.  Whitehouse Farm  Whitehouse Farm have quite a bit of pre-visit info on their website for visitors with access needs ( you can read it all here ). Facilities include:  Fully accessible farm with tarmac paths and ramps where required  Wheelchair accessible roundabout  Wheelchair accessible slide  Wheelchair accessible tractor ride  Mobility scooter and wheelchair hire  Inclusive animal encounter experiences  Animal pens designed so wheelchair users can see / access feeding  Accessible toilets  Although Hall Hill Farm is probably accessible, the fact that the info is not readily available means that Whitehouse Farm wins hands down for me in this area. Neither venues have a Changing Places toilet.  Who Wins?  Price - Hall Hill Farm wins  Location - Draw  Indoor Facilities - Hall Hill Farm wins  Outdoor Activities - Draw  Additional Costs - Whitehouse Farm wins  Animals - Whitehouse Farm wins  Events - Draw  Visitor Facilities - Draw  Accessibility - Whitehouse Farm wins  Hall Hill Farm gets 2 wins and Whitehouse Farm gets 3 wins so although both are fab days out (and I would definitely recommend them both), Whitehouse Farm is the winner.  Personally, if I had to choose one based on my own visits, Whitehouse Farm has the edge for me. I think it feels bigger and there is more going on. A lot of people say Hall Hill Farm is brilliant for younger kids and Whitehouse Farm ideal for when kids are a little older and I would probably agree with this too. Hall Hill Farm has a smaller / less busy vibe and I think would be less overwhelming and easier for little legs (but there is still with lots to do).   You can continue reading for some of our reader opinions too.  Alternative Places to Visit Whenever this question pops up in our Facebook group, Down at the Farm receives lots of recommendations as an alternative. If booked in advance, 2A and 2C is £34.80 which is quite a bit cheaper than Whitehouse Farm but not much less than Hall Hill Farm.  Check out the blog post before which features over 30 Animal Attractions & Farms to visit across the North East (including free farms):  30+ North East Farms & Animal Attractions in North East England What Do Our Readers Think?  Read this thread asking about the best farm for 1 year olds Read this thread asking for the best farm in Durham / Sunderland area  Read this thread asking for the best farm for toddlers What do you think?  Find out more about both venues below:  Whitehouse Farm Website  Hall Hill Farm Website  Whitehouse Farm or Hall Hill Farm which is best?  Let's take a look........  Price - Hall Hill Farm is over £10 cheaper for a family ticket Location - Both accessible by car and bus  Indoor Facilities - Both suitable for a rainy day but I do think that Hall Hill Farm has a better indoor soft play  Outdoor Activities - Both offer loads to choose from including fantastic adventure playgrounds  Additional Costs - There are less options to spend more at Whitehouse Farm  Animals - Whitehouse Farm has a much wider selection of animals whereas Hall Hill Farm is more of a traditional farm (they do have the cutest Highland Cows though) Events - Both offer excellent school holiday and seasonal events  Visitor Facilities - Both have picnic areas, toilets, cafes etc....  Accessibility - Whitehouse Farm has much more info available, is fully accessible, offers wheelchair hire and has some accessible play equipment and tractor rides  Although both are fantastic days out and I have visited and would recommend them both, Whitehouse Farm does have the edge for me as I feel like it's a 'bigger' day out with more to see and do.  Many people say that Hall Hill Farm is excellent for little ones and to save Whitehouse Farm for when kids are a little bit older and I think this makes sense.  Read our full analysis and see more photos / read reviews from both farms here:  https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2023/05/whitehouse-farm-hall-hill-farm-which-is-best.html