The September Sunflower Experience
and Dahlia Days 2024
will be open September 14-20!
Please note: We are closing the sunflower field a day earlier than originally listed. The heat this week is pushing the blooms, and we want our visitors to have a good experience.
Our cutting garden and u-pick strawberry field WILL be open Saturday, 9/21,
from 9a – noon.
What:
5 Acres of Blooming Sunflowers
Open September 14-20**If the weather forces us to close, we will post it on our website. Please check here if you have any questions about whether we will be open.
Hours:
4 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
No entry after 7:00 p.m. all days.
Cost:
$7 per person (includes one sunflower)
Ages 3 and younger are free
Cash, cards, or Venmo accepted.
Where:
7306 13th Avenue, Belle Plaine, Iowa 52208
The junction of US Hwy 30 and Hwy V40/13th Avenue
between Keystone and Belle Plaine in Benton County.
We are right along Hwy 30—you can’t miss us!
If you are coming from the east/Cedar Rapids, you will see the sunflowers on the left hand side of the road.
If you are coming from the west/central Iowa, you will see the sunflowers to your right.
If you are coming from the north, please use Hwy 21 or Hwy 218 to avoid Hwy 30 construction detours.
Do NOT go to the Van Horne address—that’s our house, and you won’t see anything there except our unmowed yard because we’ve been busy getting the sunflowers ready for you!
Parking: Provided adjacent to the field.
Note: Please use extreme care in exiting or entering Hwy 30.
The Details:
Paths have been mown into the sunflowers, so you can wander through them at your leisure to enjoy their beauty
Cut-Your-Own Sunflower Bouquet (additional cost of $2/stem)
A cutting garden of our favorite cut flowers – you can cut approximately 15-25 stems into our handy “cutting cup” for $25 (see the Cutting Garden tab for more information)
"Photo stations" that feature rustic farm equipment on which kids and adults alike
can play and pose.An elevated platform that will provide a different vantage point for looking at and photographing the sunflowers
Several kid-friendly activities:
The Sunflower Forest—a special, kid-sized path cut in the sunflowers for the whippersnappers to explore. Parents are welcome to accompany their children.
The Corn Box is back this year—instead of sand, we’ve filled the box with corn for a delightful sensory experience. (We won’t judge if you bring a few beach toys!)
What to Wear: Sturdy walking shoes—this is a field, after all!—and comfortable clothing appropriate for being out in the sun.
What to bring: Your camera, sunscreen, water, and a folding chair if you think you'll want to sit for a while. You are welcome to bring a picnic breakfast, lunch, or supper and blanket, if you wish.
No alcoholic beverages.
Sunflower/Cut Flower Bouquet: For an additional $2 per stem, you can cut as many additional stems as you like beyond the sunflower included in your admission or blooms in our cutting garden.
If you plan to cut a bouquet: Bring your favorite pair of garden clippers. We will also have cutting utensils available for you to borrow. When you're done cutting, we’ve got a wrapping station where you can prepare your cut sunflower(s) or bouquet for the journey home.
Facilities: Porta-potties and hand-washing stations will be on-site.
Walking: Terrain is gently rolling. You will need to walk from the parking area and, if you walk all the paths through the sunflowers, you might walk a little over a mile. We've done our best to smooth out the pathways, but be advised that this is a field and terrain will not be like walking on a sidewalk!
Photographers:
We encourage both professional and amateur photographers to come out and take advantage of our beautiful setting in a manner that allows everyone to enjoy the sunflowers.
Everyone pays the $7 entry fee, except tots 3 years and younger.
Everyone must walk into the field—keep that in mind as you plan props that you would like to use.
You must be patient with other visitors as they enjoy the sunflowers—you cannot commandeer a section, area, or piece of equipment for extended periods of time.
Tag our farm—#PheasantRunFarmIowa or #PRFIowa—on any photos you post on social media.
Handicap Accessibility: We have some reserved parking close to the entrance and will have a golf cart available to help transport people with mobility challenges into the center area of the sunflowers. Be advised that you will probably need to do some walking to fully enjoy the flowers, and you must climb stairs to access the viewing platform.
Dogs: We love dogs! If they are visiting with you, they need to be leashed, well-behaved (that’s why our dog won’t be on site!), and you will need to clean up after them. If your dog is interfering with the other visitors’ enjoyment of the Sunflower Experience, we may ask you to remove them.
Concessions: We’ll have ice cream bars, lemonade,iced Vietnamese coffee and water available for purchase. You can also bring home one of our classic “Sunflower Experience” t-shirts.
Places to Eat in the Area:
Make a day trip out of it!
Main Street Bakery and Cafe, Keystone—a cute specialty coffee shop serving delicious pastries and baked goods, breakfast and lunch! Cute gifts, too!
The Crooked Antler, Van Horne—serving yummy lunches and dinners; check out their Facebook page for daily specials!
Recharge Coffee, Van Horne—grab a specialty coffee and a pastry or two, breakfast and lunch!
El Catrin Mexican Cuisine, Belle Plaine—authentic Mexican food and to-die-for margaritas!
Fire Box On Main, Belle Plaine—offering Texas-style smoked meat BBQ with all the fixins’ for lunch and dinner!
The Lincoln Cafe, Belle Plaine—hearty cafe fare served in a friendly atmosphere; breakfast served all day!
Shelley’s Sweets, Newhall—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and homemade tasty treats; the best cinnamon rolls, hands down!
Turner Hall, Keystone—kick back and watch a sporting event on one of their large-screen TVs while enjoying this bar and grill for lunch or dinner!
Benton County Brewing Company, Belle Plaine—enjoy a locally brewed draft and delicious pizza!
We look forward to seeing you in the flowers!
Support Local Flower Production
We partnered with Iowa Valley RC & D to create this video about our farm’s local cut flower production, featuring Sunflower Experience 2021.