Howell Living History Farm is a Mercer County Park Commission farm that recreates rural New Jersey life around 1900. Visitors can watch and often join in real farm chores done with horses and hand tools, and meet the animals up close. Admission is free and the open fields give families room to roam. (70 Woodens Lane, Lambertville, NJ 08530) With a little planning, a visit can be a calm, joyful day for an autistic child. Here is a sensory-friendly guide from our BCBA-led team — what to expect, the quietest times to go, and how to prepare.
The best time to visit
Ask the venue about quieter days or low-sensory hours, and aim for weekday visits or right at opening on program Saturdays when crowds are thinnest. Confirm hours on the official site before you go.
What to expect
This is an outdoor, sensory-rich setting with farm smells, animal sounds, and uneven ground, which delights some children and overwhelms others. Saturdays feature special programs that draw crowds, while weekdays are calm and self-guided. Bring sturdy shoes and plan for sun and weather exposure.
A few things your child may enjoy:
- Working early-1900s farm with horses, oxen, sheep, and chickens
- Seasonal hands-on programs like plowing and sheep shearing
- Trails and a farmstead to explore on foot
How to prepare your child
- Preview it. Look at photos or a map together beforehand so the visit feels predictable (a simple “social story”).
- Use “first–then.” “First we look around, then we get a snack.”
- Pack comfort items — noise-canceling headphones, a favorite fidget, water, and a familiar snack.
- Plan a quiet exit — pick a calm spot for a break if your child gets overwhelmed.
How ABA therapy makes outings like this easier
Community trips are exactly where ABA skills pay off. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) can help your child practice the very skills a visit to Howell Living History Farm demands — waiting, transitioning between activities, asking for a break, staying close in crowds, and tolerating new sights and sounds. At Autumn ABA, our community-based and natural-environment sessions build these skills in the real settings where they matter. Many Mercer County families work on exactly these goals so days out become something to look forward to. Learn more about our in-home, school, community, and telehealth ABA programs.
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