If spring brings to mind pretty windmills and tulip fields abroad, then take a trip to Holland, where you don’t need a passport. Capture a bit of the Dutch culture and beautiful tulip fields at Holland Ridge Farms, only a quick trip down the Turnpike in Cream Ridge, NJ. With a new 100-foot windmill visible from the highway, Holland Ridge Farms’ rows of 18 million colorful tulips will make you feel like you dropped into a tulip farm in Holland. Yet the trip isn’t just about tulips—there are also farm animals, delicious food options, and insta-worthy spots for memorable photos all over the farm. Scroll down for more on what you can do there, and keep in mind the season is short (opening day is weather-dependent, but tickets go on sale in early April). Want more blooms? Check out where to see spring flowers in NJ. (feature photo credit: NJ MOM)
The story of Holland Ridge Farms
The Jansen Family, the owners of Holland Ridge, have been growing and selling tulips for over 100 years, starting with Great Opa Casey, who cultivated and sold bulbs back in Holland. He passed down his knowledge to his son, Casey Sr., who came to America as a teenager and started his own tulip-growing venture in New Jersey. Eventually, Casey Sr. found the land that’s now Holland Ridge Farms, where the whole Jansen clan helped bring a piece of Holland to New Jersey. These days, the 300-acre farm is filled with beautiful tulips in the spring and bright sunflowers in the fall, and it turns into a cozy winter wonderland each winter.
Explore a tulip haven
Once you enter the farm, you can walk the fields on foot or hop on the complimentary shuttle that picks up and drops you off at different points around the farm (it’s first-come, first-serve). Some tulips bloom early, and others may bloom later, so you will surely see plenty of flowers no matter when you go. There are 3,000 types of tulips in 15 varieties, all from trusted bulb farmers in Holland. And you can see tulips in every color of the rainbow, including candy cane tulips and more unique combinations. The dip-dyed-looking two-toned tulips are worth taking a few photos of while walking through all the pretty blooms. And new for 2025—a working Dutch windmill that has been 5 years in the making. Standing over 100 feet tall, you can enter inside (tickets are $10 and first come, first serve) and climb to the top, where you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic farm views and stunning colors from the flower fields.
There are so many beautiful photo opportunities at Holland Ridge Farms. Photo Credit: NJ MOM
Snap gram-worthy photos at Holland Ridge Farms
At Holland Ridge Farms, you can bring your phone, camera, or even a professional photographer to record memories in the picturesque fields. Everywhere you turn, there’s a brilliant and eye-catching backdrop for a photo. Capture snaps running through the tulip beds, a mother-daughter hug against the vibrant flower wall, or hop on a bike to take selfies. It’s easy to spread out to get your photos, but you may experience a few lines at popular photo stops like the wings and flower wall. You will leave with a bunch of pictures to fill up frames (and give to the grandparents), and they encourage you to post your photos using the hashtag #hollandridgefarms.
Eat treats from delish food trucks and the Bakery Barn
When it’s time for a food break, Holland Ridge Farms has plenty of opportunities to sample delicious treats. With up to 30 food trucks on the weekends and up to 10 during the week, you can try empanadas, Maine lobster, BBQ, Thai food, and even their famous Dutch Poffertjes Stroopies, which look and taste amazing. And don’t miss the delicious Bakery Barn with cookies, cakes, and tasty treats. Once you get your food, sit at a picnic table surrounded by tulips—several are all over the property. Going during the week? You can bring food and non-alcoholic beverages to picnic and admire the fields.
Pick a bouquet (or two)
There are flower buckets at several locations throughout the farm, and once you have your bucket, get ready to collect some beautiful flowers. When picking a tulip, they recommend reaching down to the bottom of the stem by the soil and then twisting and pulling to snap it off the bulb. Try picking some closed tulips and some open ones to enjoy the blooms at various stages when you get home. After you pick your tulips, you hand over your bucket, and at the checkout, they will count and put your tulips in a sleeve. And if you get home and decide you want even more fresh blooms, you can order a surprise box online.
See animals and other Dutch delights at Holland Ridge Farms
Kids will want to stop by the petting zoo with adorable mini-farm animals, where they meet and greet with cows, ponies, and goats. You can also visit with rescue animals, and riding a pony in the flower field is one of those unforgettable experiences you can’t miss (as well as the photo op). Also, look for hints of Holland throughout the farm, including a nod to traditional Dutch tulip farmers who would wear wooden clogs to plant the bulbs. The clogs were durable, cheap, and water-resistant, and now you can see the clogs sprinkled around the farms purely for photo purposes. You can also take a piece of Holland home when you shop for onsite Dutch souvenirs and Holland Ridge Farm merch.
Holland Ridge is expected to open in April, and tickets will go on sale at the beginning of April. Tickets are $17 per person on weekdays and $20 per person on weekends. Windmill tickets are additional $10 per person and are first come, first serve. You can change your General Admission tickets to another day and/or arrival time up to 9 AM on the day of your visit for free. The farm is open 7 days a week during the tulip season, and time slots are available, and the entrance closes at 5 PM sharp. As you drive through the rural area of Cream Ridge, you will see signs for Holland Ridge Farms and the parking lot, where parking is free. After parking, enter through one of six entrances and grab a brochure as you scan your tickets. Parking and the front entrance close at 5 PM, all purchases must be made by 5:45 PM, and the farm closes at 6 PM. Not driving? There is a bus from NYC to the farms on Saturdays and Sundays.
Once there, you can wander the flower fields for as long as you want, take photos, and pick as many tulips as you like for just $1 per stem (50 cents per stem on weekdays). Strollers and wagons are welcome, and the Bakery Barn has a changing table in the restroom should you need it. The farm is open, rain or shine, and they only close in extreme weather. And if you are looking for more floral fun, u-pick sunflowers are available at Holland Ridge Farms in the fall, and the farm transforms into a winter wonderland in November and December.
To learn more about Holland Ridge Farms, check out their website, Facebook, and Instagram
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