Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead

The Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead is a 12-acre living-history park operated by the City of Overland Park, Kansas. Opened to visitors over Memorial Day weekend 1978 as a small children’s farm — drawing about 11,000 visitors that first year — it was renamed on May 27, 1985 to honor Officer Deanna Rose, the first Overland Park Police Department officer killed in the line of duty. Today it presents farm animals, birds of prey, a one-room schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, and a Kanza Native-American encampment.¹

Overview

Location	13800 Switzer Rd, Overland Park, KS
Size	12 acres1
Opened	Memorial Day weekend 1978 (~11,000 first-year visitors)1
Renamed	May 27, 1985 — to honor Officer Deanna Rose, OPPD’s first line-of-duty death1
Operator	City of Overland Park1
Admission	Free before 2010; paid for certain dates and times thereafter1

History

The farmstead opened to visitors on Memorial Day weekend in 1978, drawing approximately 11,000 visitors its inaugural year. On May 27, 1985 it was renamed to honor Deanna Rose, an Overland Park Police Department officer and the department’s first officer to die in the line of duty.¹

Facilities have expanded steadily since. A new entrance building opened in 2009; the Ben Craig administration building followed in 2018; Mackenzie’s Island debuted in 2021; and a mining shack was added in 2023.¹ Beginning in 2010, the farmstead began charging admission for certain dates and times, ending its historic policy of universal free admission.¹

Exhibits and programming

Visitors encounter farm animals, birds of prey, and educational displays, including a one-room schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, and a Native American encampment representing the Kanza people. Seasonal programming includes Pumpkin Hollow in October, and an elaborate Christmas light display that began in 2014.¹

Sources

See also

• overland-park
• johnson-county-ks
• native-american
• Wiki

Footnotes

1. Wikipedia — “Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead.” — asserts: 12-acre size in Overland Park, KS; opened Memorial Day weekend 1978 with ~11,000 first-year visitors; renamed May 27, 1985 to honor OPPD Officer Deanna Rose, first officer to die in the line of duty; operated by the City of Overland Park; farm animals, birds of prey, one-room schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, and Kanza Native American encampment; admission introduced 2010 for certain dates/times; new entrance building 2009; Ben Craig administration building 2018; Mackenzie’s Island 2021; mining shack 2023; Pumpkin Hollow in October; Christmas light display starting 2014. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰