Norristown Farm Park

One of the most unique parks in the Pennsylvania state park system, Norristown Farm Park is a working farm in continuous use since colonial times. The 690-acre park is home to 71 species of wildlife, fish, reptiles and amphibians; 173 species of birds; 89 species of trees; and 216 species of wildflowers. Here you will find hiking trails, a trout nursery, picnic areas, separate forest areas of mixed oak and other deciduous trees, flood plain, old farm fields, working fields, wetlands and two streams. There are 15 historic buildings on the property, the earliest dating from 1764. One of the last undeveloped areas in Montgomery County, Norristown Farm Park is actively farmed. Sitting quietly in the midst of a population of over 65,000 people, eighty percent of the park is dedicated to growing farm crops.

Under a 1992 lease agreement with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Montgomery County is responsible for the development, operation, maintenance, and administration of the park. Visit the Montgomery County Web site for Norristown Farm Park.

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Directions - Weather  - Recreation  - Hiking  - Winter Activities  - Environmental Education  - Accessibility  - History  - Bird Watching  - Rules and Regs  - Contact Us  - Downloadables and Maps

Park Advisories

Directions

Norristown Farm Park is located in Montgomery County just north of Norristown. There is currently one vehicle entrance into the park, located at the intersection of Germantown Pike and North Wales Road. Take the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Exit 333 (Norristown). Follow signs for Germantown Pike, West. Go west on Germantown Pike, approximately 4 miles to North Wales Road (first light after railroad tracks). Turn left at light heading into The Barley Sheaf apartment complex. Stay to the right, go through the main gate and follow signs to the park office/visitor center.

Recreational Opportunities

Trails  - Biking  - Nature Trail  - Picnicking  - Fishing  - Bird Watching  - Winter Activities 

A volleyball court and a horseshoe pit are located in the Picnic Pavilion Area adjacent to Parking Lot #3. Chess, checkers, and volleyball sets may be checked out at the park office. Restrooms are available here and at the park office.

The Kevin W. Walsh Memorial baseball field is leased to the West Norriton Little League, which has first priority in its use. If the field is vacant, park visitors may use it on a first-come, first-served basis.

Picnicking: There are several picnic areas throughout the park and two ADA accessible picnic pavilions. Each pavilion contains 14 picnic tables and accommodates up to 84 people for a total of 168 people. There are five charcoal grills at each pavilion. Groups, organizations and individuals wishing to reserve these pavilions for their function need to contact the park office for dates and availability. The picnic area is slated for expansion soon. One large picnic pavilion, four smaller picnic pavilions and two restrooms will be added and available for use. Check with the park office concerning availability.

The free "Concert in the Park" series is held on selected Saturdays from June through August, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the picnic pavilion area. Check the Norristown Farm Park Web site for information on musical acts and dates. www.parks.montcopa.org/parks

Trails: There are eight miles of trails throughout the park. Most trails are paved and used for walking, rollerblading and bicycling. NOTICE: There are no park roads or trails open to equestrian use.

All paved trails can be accessed by wheelchairs. Some trails have hills that could impact wheelchair use. Check the contours on the map to determine changes in elevation and your ability to maneuver these grades. Several rustic nature trails are available for the adventuresome.

CAUTION: Any of the roads and trails could potentially be used by either park vehicles or farm equipment. Users will need to pay attention to other users of the roads and trails.

Public motor vehicles are restricted to the Upper Farm Road for access to the picnic pavilions and parking lots.

Bicycle and Rollerblade Trails: The paved trails are open to bicyclists and rollerbladers. Please use caution as you share the trail with pedestrians, and obey all posted speed limits.

Interpretive Nature Trail: Just outside the park office is The Millennium Grove, one of two sites in Pennsylvania selected by the American Forest Foundation and the White House Millennium Council to promote the planting of historic tree groves in each state.

These trees have been propagated to continue the lineage of trees touched by important figures in our nation’s history. The Millennium Grove is a national program sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture, American Society of Landscape Architects, White House Millennium Council, and the American Forest Foundation. The groves are part of Millennium Green, the White House Millennium Council’s project which encourages people and businesses to plant and adopt trees, establish gardens, or care for a special natural resource treasure in honor of the new millennium.

The American Forest Foundation provided the initial 100 seedlings to SmithKline Beecham for donation to the Millennium Grove project at the park. These seedlings are from 21 parent trees of historic significance, including: the Johnny Appleseed tree; Hermitage Tulip Poplar; Trail of Tears Redbud; Minuteman Red Maple; John F. Kennedy Post Oak; Charter White Oak; Mark Twain Cave Bur Oak; Abraham Lincoln White Oak; Franklin D. Roosevelt Redbud; Ft. Atkinson Black Locust; Harriet Beecher Stowe White Ash; the Frederick Douglass White Oak and others.

Fishing: Visitors may fish at the Farm Pond or at either of the two trout-stocked streams, Stony Creek and Kepner Creek. A Pennsylvania fishing license and a trout stamp are required for persons age 16 and over and may be obtained by contacting the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

For complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Bird Watching: Because of the park’s diverse habitats, over 170 species of birds have been recorded. Area bird watchers are continually drawn to the park in hopes of catching a glimpse of a new or rare species to add to their own personal list. Each year volunteers monitor and maintain 118 bluebird boxes located throughout the park on 13 separate trails. These same volunteers also participate in Cornell University’s Christmas Bird Count, a bird feeder survey/census that records fluctuations in bird diversity and population densities.

A one-acre farm pond sits quietly atop a gentle rise just off Upper Farm Road, overlooking much of the park. The area is surrounded by wooded fence rows and farm fields. Its remote location makes the site a bird watchers’ paradise. This tranquil setting features a viewing blind built in 2004 by a local Boy Scout and his troop as an Eagle Scout project. The enclosed structure allows for the close-up observation of a wide variety of birds, both resident and migratory. This picturesque area abounds year-round with waders and common waterfowl, and is also home to a wide variety of warblers and other songbirds. A bird checklist specific to the park is available upon request at the park office/visitor center. Please note that, while much of the park is open for exploration, the farm fields (particularly during the growing season) are not.

Winter Activities: During the winter, any part of the park may be used for sledding, skiing (downhill or cross-country) or snowshoeing. The users assume all risk and liability when participating in these sports on park land.

Environmental Education and Interpretation

Naturalists from the Montgomery County Nature Center conduct various educational classes and activities at the site throughout the year. Information on upcoming programs and events can be found on the Parks and Heritage Services website, in brochures at park kiosks or by visiting the park office. Most of the programs are free; however, some carry a nominal fee to help cover the cost of materials or supplies used for a particular project or craft.

History

The American Indian Lenni Lenape (Delaware) tribe occupied the land for generations. Women farmed, while the men hunted game for food. The Lenape believed it was their duty to share what they had with everyone, and the Native people welcomed early European visitors graciously. They expected that the Europeans would respond in kind, but prior to the arrival of William Penn and the Quakers in 1682, the Lenape were ill-treated—first by the Dutch, and then by the Swedes. The Lenape response was usually swift and violent, often involving destruction of livestock and property, and the death of the settlers.

Relations with European settlers changed for a time after Penn arrived. When King Charles II deeded the land called “Penn’s Sylvania” to Penn in payment of a debt, Penn laid the groundwork for a friendly relationship with the Lenape.

He wrote to them to explain the Quaker faith and guiding principles, and asked their permission to settle on the land. Penn quickly became a beloved friend of the Lenape through his willingness to learn their language, and his participation in their festivals and games. He spent only five years on the land, from 1682 to 1684, and from 1699 to 1701.

While Penn was gone, relations with the American Indians soured.

In 1704 when Penn was away in England, his son William Penn, Jr., sold the land to Isaac Norris, after whom present day Norristown was named. In 1744, the land was sold to James Shannon, who built the Shannon Mansion in 1764.

That building still stands near the entrance to the park. A nearby springhouse was also built around 1764. The Getty Cottage, situated directly behind the Shannon Mansion, was built in 1802.

In 1777, the British marched through the town and burned several areas in the park, including a gunpowder mill and several homes.

Other historic buildings in the park include the Castner House, built in 1802. On the south side of the house built by shoemaker (cordwainer) John Castner, is a date stone and a boot symbol.

Happy Hollow Cottage was inhabited by the Norris family, and was built in 1800. The Sheetz House was built in 1870, and Doctor’s House dates from 1900.

In 1876, the Pennsylvania legislature passed a law giving the state permission to buy land on which to build hospitals.

Norristown State Hospital was built as one of the mandated facilities. Until 1975, patients at the hospital worked the farm growing crops and raising animals as part of their treatment program. Further, the hospital farm served as a program to train farm managers, and also as an “Alternative Service Program” for conscientious objectors who could not, because of their beliefs, participate in military actions.

It was believed that patients who worked the farm recovered more quickly. After 1975, the state changed its policy, stating that the farm work did not, in fact, help the patients to recover more quickly, and that it was less expensive to buy food than to grow it themselves.

The Department of Agriculture took responsibility for the land when farming operations ceased. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of State Parks, then took over the property in 1987 through the legislative efforts of Senator Edwin G. Holl. In 1992, Montgomery County leased 690 acres of the land from DCNR and created the Norristown Farm Park. Montgomery County operates the park for DCNR.

Four hundred and fifty acres of the land are still farmed by a tenant farmer, allowing visitors to see an unusual site in this urban area—a working farm.

Access for People with Disabilities

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan to visit.

Nearby Attractions

For information on nearby attractions,contact the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau. www.valleyforge.org

In an Emergency

Dial 911 or contact the park office. Directions to the nearest hospital are given below, and are also posted on kiosks and at the park office.

Nearest Hospitals:
Mercy Suburban Hospital
2701 DeKalb Pike
Norristown, PA 19401
610-278-2000

From the park’s main exit (intersection of Germantown Pike /North Wales Avenue) turn right, heading east on Germantown Pike. Travel 1.2 miles toward Dekalb Pike ( US 202 ). At the intersection of Germantown Pike and Dekalb Pike turn right and travel 0.2 mile. Mercy Suburban Hospital is on the right; follow signs to the emergency room.

For More Information Contact:

Montgomery County Department of Parks and Heritage Services
Norristown Farm Park
2500 Upper Farm Road
Norristown, PA 19403
610-270-0215
e-mail: norristownfarmpark@montcopa.org