The Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead drew nearly 395,000 paid visits in 2024 and recorded 18,719 volunteer hours, staff told the Overland Park Parks and Recreation Committee on Wednesday.

Scott Gammeral, manager of the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, told the committee the farmstead’s total paid admission for 2024 was 394,891 and that volunteer hours — valued at $33.49 per hour by the Independent Sector — amounted to more than $621,000 in in-kind value. "Our total admission this year was 394,891," Gammeral said.

The report indicated several revenue and program trends: concession and activity sales reached multi-year highs, membership use accounted for about 16% of admissions, and free or special-admission days made up roughly 11.7% of visits. Gammeral said concessions and program revenue increases have helped offset rising costs, and that the farmstead has not raised fees since a 2023 change (from $3 to $5) that the department plans to evaluate again in 2026.

Why it matters: The farmstead is a city-operated amenity that combines education, animal care and community programming; changes in visitation, revenue and volunteer support affect the city’s parks budget and outreach planning.

Committee members and residents highlighted program growth and community value. Gammeral said public programming — including goat yoga, special events such as movie nights and safety day, and a heritage arts series — has expanded in the last three to four years and contributed to the visitor increase. The farmstead served 69 schools with 99 guided tours in 2024 and reported more than 10,000 hours of history education and interpretation."We will be adding more in 2025, as well as some signage," Gammeral said, describing the new building that opened in 2024 and noting a 27% increase in ridership after that addition.

The presentation included animal-care statistics: staff reported taking care of more than 300 animals during the year and nine piglets born on the farmstead in 2024. Gammeral also described a new heritage arts program that will bring period artists to teach wool work, candle making and leather working.

Looking ahead, staff said the farmstead plans to open for the season on April 1, 2025, begin monthly sensory-friendly hours for visitors with sensory needs, replace an asphalt loop with concrete that will connect the Amanda Edmond building and install a new tube play slide and play features. Gammeral said accessibility and interpretive signage — including wayfinding and historical interpretation — are part of the 2025 work plan.

Committee members asked about pricing and whether the admission increases reflected fee changes; Jeremy Myers, assistant parks and recreation director, clarified the most recent fee change was in 2023 and that the department has no immediate plans to raise fees through 2026. Residents at the meeting praised the farmstead’s family-oriented programs and volunteer corps.

The committee did not take a formal action on the farmstead report; the presentation was received for information.