What to expect at the Whimsical Woods Flip Flopped at Burritt on the Mountain
“Should I stay or should I go?” It’s what every parent is asking themselves before they head to something fun to do outside of the house. As attractions and businesses are reopening, my family felt the most comfortable going to an outdoor location. We decided to adventure to the new Whimsical Woods exhibit at Burritt on the Mountain. It was perfect for my three-year-old and thanks to the precautions the living history museum made, we felt comfortable to enjoy ourselves.
Arriving at Burritt
You can’t purchase tickets online, but guests are encouraged to wear face masks as they enter Josie’s Gift shop as you show your membership information or buy tickets. All of the staff wore masks and they even held the door open for us so there would not be as many touch-points.
Read the Burritt COVID Guidelines here
About Whimsical Woods
Your trip to Burritt will be fun just by going, but you can make it even more incredible by doing a little homework beforehand. Several of the classic 30+ Whimsical Wood Characters are already known to children. My daughter knew Humpty Dumpty, Rapunzel, Three Billy Goats Gruff, etc., but they have even more folk stories that I had never heard. Each with a lesson and moral. They used these stories (that can be found online) to help promote eco-awareness.
Burritt on the Mountain worked with Ocean Sole Africa to bring some of their huge sculptures to the area. Ocean Sole Africa takes old flip flops people have thrown away into the ocean and turns them into incredible pieces of art. I think my favorite was the Giraffe. I was only slightly jealous of the eyelashes!
My kiddo had a blast looking at all of the different characters and telling me their stories. I was able to take that and tell her Goldilocks needed to leave things where they are, and that we should never disturb animal homes. Each story had the main protagonist out and usually some fun activity for the kids. She wasn’t sure what to do with Charlotte’s Web, but older kids will love it.
Explore & Stay Sanitized
What I loved as a parent was seeing hand sanitizer easily accessible and even a washing station by the farm animals. You can find Sweet Pea the pig, a mule, sheep, goats, and chickens at Burritt on the Mountain. One of the staff members even let my daughter help feed the sheep and she talked about those “hungry sheeps” all the way home.
While there are interactive games for kids to play, it seems like Burritt did a great job of trying to place sanitizer in the right places and put signage up to keep the number of kids doing an activity at a time. They also have a beautiful exhibit inside the Burritt home, but my child saw Peter Rabbit and had to go say hi to him. I guess I’ll just have to go back!
Parent Pro-Tip: There are restrooms available, but if you have one that is potty training, do you best to go beforehand or take a break. It takes a good few minutes to leave the Whimsical Woods area to reach the restrooms. Being outdoors, mostly shaded from huge trees, and on the mountain for cooler temperatures makes Burritt on the Mountain a winner in my book.
The View at Burritt
One of my favorite places in Huntsville is at Burritt on the Mountain. You can go out to their incredible view and be in the past and feel like you are looking to the future with seeing Redstone Arsenal – home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center – and our Saturn V at the US Space and Rocket Center. If you love the view during the day, make sure you grab a babysitter and take your loved one up there on Wednesday nights for Cocktails at the View and hopefully soon, Dinner at the View.
You can keep up with all of Burritt On the Mountain’s special events, classes, concerts, and more on their website.
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