5 things to do when you visit the Newbury, MA sunflower field

The sunflowers are in full bloom a little early this year. And to say they’re beautiful is an understatement. But are you afraid that your family will drive out to Colby Farm and only enjoy the sunflowers for a few minutes and then drive back? Here are a few other things to do in the area to make a great day trip!

A few Boston area Sunflower FAQs

• What’s the actual address of the sunflower field near Boston?  It’s at Colby Farmstand 50 Scotland Rd, Newbury, MA 01951.
  
• How much does it cost to park? It’s $10 cash per vehicle.
• How long does it take to get there from Boston? Your family will be on the road approximately for one hour each way to get to the sunflower field.
• Can I go inside of the sunflower field? It’s pretty dense, but there are some notches and a couple of small, shallow paths that kids especially can enjoy.
  
• Can I pick the sunflowers? That’s a hard no. But you can buy some from their produce stand.
• Can I bring a wagon or stroller? Yep, just be aware that there are a couple of gravel patches between the parking lot and field, but they’re small.
• Is this a good place to take pictures? Of course! Plan for the Christmas cards 😉
• Is there anything else to do there? Very little. HOWEVER, they do have some livestock such as a couple of goats, some ducks, and some chickens. There’s also a small concession area if you’re hungry, but no place to sit. The produce stand is a great place to pick up local food and grab a sunflower souvenir. We even got a show from the goats as they head-butted each other.
  

Fun family attractions in Newbury, Newburyport, and Amesbury

We personally made a whole day of the sunflower trip to also see a local farm, go into Newbury Port, and more. And it’s all easy enough to do several things all in the same day.

1. Cider Hill Farm – just a short drive to Amesbury and you can go pick your own fruit and visit Cider Hill Farm. It’s a beautiful, picturesque place to even just sit at their picnic tables and enjoy a meal. Ask what they have ripe to pick your own and make it an experience!
   
2. Stroll Newburyport town center. We like to grab food at Lexie’s (a local fun and tasty burger place) and then walk the streets. Now is such a beautiful time of year to do it too!
3. Get some Ice Cream – There’s a really fantastic gelato shop in Newburyport near the waterfront that we love called Dolce Freddo Gelato. Grab a cup and sit on one of the benches outside! Or you can also grab some Ice Cream in Amesbury near the farm at Hodgie’s Ice Cream.
4. Head out to Plum Island and have a fun beach day. Just make sure the greenheads aren’t out. But don’t worry, they will have a sign posted if they are.
5. Walk the Clipper City Rail Trail or go on a Harbor walk in Newburyport – the rail trail is 4 miles and in general you can do almost all of the walking on a paved path.

More Boston Area guides for August, September, and October.