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Updates Regarding COVID-19: Property Impacts

November 18, 2020
Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally a very busy day at Duke Farms, with many large groups of families and friends visiting the property. As the COVID-19 infection rate continues to rapidly increase, we have made the difficult decision to close during the extended holiday weekend to prioritize community safety.  

Out of concern for our staff, volunteer, and visitor health, Duke Farms will be closed for the duration of the Thanksgiving weekend.
We will close to the public at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, November 25, and reopen at 8:30 am on Monday, November 30, 2020.
All buildings, trails, and gates will be closed. 

In this season of thanks, we are grateful for your understanding and support as we make all efforts to ensure that we get through these challenging times together. We wish you a peaceful and healthy holiday.

November 3, 2020
We continue to uphold our commitment to ensure the safety of the community. In response to the increase of Covid infection rates in New Jersey, along with the need to protect our staff, volunteers, and visitors, we are adjusting our hours.

The new winter operational hours are: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. CLOSED WEEKENDS. 

As we navigate through this pandemic, our operations are subject to change – please continue to refer to this page to receive the latest updates. Let’s prioritize community safety together. Thank you for your understanding.

November 2, 2020
As of November 1st, we have transitioned to Fall/Winter hours. The updated hours are:
Monday to Saturday, 8:340 am - 4:30 pm.

Please note that in anticipation of the dropping temperatures, the Café and Orchid Range are closed for the season.
We are not currently offering indoor dining at this time. Both amenities are anticipated to reopen Spring 2021.

September 26, 2020
Starting September 26, 2020, the Orchid Range will reopen on Saturdays ONLY with the following guidelines:

  • Only 20 visitors may be in the building at the same time. 20 is 25% of the occupancy set by the Hillsborough Fire Department.
  • Masks are required by visitors in the Orchid Range at all times. No Exceptions.
  • There will be one dedicated entrance and one dedicated exit to the building.
  • Visitors are to keep 6ft of social distance at all times.
  • Visitors should not touch orchid displays.
  • Once a visitor exits another visitor will be allowed to enter. Entrance will be based on capacity not party/family size.
  • Any visitor without a mask will be provided one before entering the Orchid Range.
  • Any visitor refusing to wear a mask will be denied entrance.

September 19, 2020
Starting September 19, 2020, Duke Farms will resume Saturday operational hours, from 8:30 am - 6:00 pm. 

Details:

  • The Farm Barn, Orchid Range, and Coach Barn will continue to be closed to the public. 
  • The Cafe is open for outdoor service only. 
  • Restrooms are available at the Farm Barn, Orchid Range, and trail composting toilets. 
  • Limited parking will be in effect. We no longer permit overflow meadow parking and will shut down access to Duke Farms if we are at capacity. Visitors are urged to have a backup destination in mind when visiting on busy days/times. 
  • Carry in/carry out: we have no trash cans. Please bring any refuse back with you and we kindly ask you to not litter. 
  • When physical distancing isn't possible, wear a mask. This is especially important for high-traffic, people-centric areas like parking lots, gates, crosswalks, entryways, in bathrooms, etc. 
  • The Farm Market continues to only operate on Sundays from 11 am - 3 pm. 

July 7, 2020
Modifications and guidelines listed on the June 15 update still apply. 

New this week: the Cafe is now open between Monday to Friday from 9 am - 4 pm and operating on the side and back patio of the Farm Barn. The menus can be found here. 

Guidelines:

  • Outside dining/take out only.
  • Groups must be 8 people or less.
  • Visitors are not to move tables. No exceptions.
  • All tables and chairs are sanitized between uses.
  • All utensils, plates, condiments, etc. will be single-use to avoid multiple points of contact.
  • NO outside food or picnicking will be allowed in the Farm Barn area.
  • Restrooms can only be accessed from the front Farm Barn entrance.
  • Visitors are not to enter the building at any time to place orders, ask questions, or dispose of garbage.
    Your orders will take place outside on the side of the building, and trash cans will be located in the back, near seating area.

June 23, 2020
Modifications listed on the June 15 update still apply. 

New this week: the Arboretum and Coach Barn gates are now unlocked and open when we are open (8:30am - 6:00pm).

June 15, 2020
GREAT NEWS! Duke Farms is reopening as of June 15, 2020, with COVID-19 operational modifications in place. Please read these as you prepare for your visit, and come back to this page as temporary guidelines and hours of operation change over time. 

  • Parking capacity is reduced by 50%. Please be mindful of this when planning your visit and have a backup park to visit just in case you aren’t able to get in. Additionally, please limit your visit to 2 hours so others can enjoy the property. 
  • Most trails are open. Occasionally you will find a few remote areas closed and signed for trail maintenance. 
  • All buildings are closed. Bathrooms are only available at the Orchid Range and Farm Barn Orientation Center. However, ONLY the bathrooms will be open at those indoor locations. Wear masks while in the bathrooms. 
  • When physical distancing isn't possible, wear a mask. This is especially important for high-traffic, people-centric areas like parking lots, gates, entryways, in bathrooms, etc. 
  • Our bike rental program is closed until further notice. Bike rentals are a high-touch, high-volume operation. For visitor and staff safety, we will be pausing the rental program. 
  • For trail maps and audio tours, download the Duke Farms App for iPhone and Android devices.
  • At this time, hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm, closed weekends. These temporary hours reduce the extraordinarily high demands we typically have on Saturdays and Sundays.

Thank you very much for your patient support while we put together a plan to operate in a safe function for our visitors, employees, and the community. We are so happy to have visitors back on the property and we look forward to your visit! 

June 8, 2020
Duke Farms continues to be closed to the public. On June 7, 2020 we held our first successful Farm Market of the 2020 season. This gradual, phased opening allowed us to further prepare to re-open to the public. 

When we do re-open to the public (not just yet), your visits will be a little different when you come back. Just like the rest of the world, we are dealing with constraints due to COVID-19. And, just like the rest of the world - this will change over time. The situation, as they say, is "fluid". Please continue to visit this page for updates. 

Some changes that you may see after we re-open:

  • 50% reduction in parking lot capacity and we may kindly ask you to limit your stay to 2 hours so others can enjoy the property 
  • Bring your masks to wear when in close proximity to others (parking areas, bathrooms, crossing through the gates)
  • Buildings may be closed
  • Certain bathrooms will be open 
  • We will pause our bicycle rental program as it is a high touch / high volume operation
  • Not all entrance gates may be open, to control the number of visitors at any one time. 

We continue to monitor the changes in state and local guidelines while we make strides to re-open. Your cooperation and understanding are greatly appreciated! 

June 4, 2020
Duke Farms continues to be closed to the public, with exceptions for the private community garden, and the weekly Farm Market (running Sundays from 11am - 3 pm, starting this weekend!).

Good news though! We are getting closer to re-opening and going through a very long list of tasks and adaptations to bring us back online in a Covid-19 world. There are plenty of preparations we need to make - including creating signage, obtaining PPE for staff, retraining staff, and maintaining the trails after several months slumber.

Very soon we should be able to provide a more concrete date, as well as share some operational changes we need to implement to operate safely - for both you and our employees. 

We can't get back to inspiring our visitors. We know you're excited too.

From our Duke Farms Family, we thank you so very much for being patient and understanding. 

May 26, 2020
At this point, Duke Farms continues to be closed to the public. We are currently working to bring the property back online. The first two Duke Farms programs that will come back online are:

The Duke Farms Community Garden (a private garden, not open to the general public) will start their season on June 1. 

Our Farm to Table Market will reopen on Sundays starting June 7 from 11am - 3 pm. Guidelines will be posted here. Again, all trails and buildings will continue to be closed while the market operates. 

May 20, 2020
Duke Farms is a private, nonprofit, private property and is not included in the reopening of State and County managed parks. 

We will continue to be closed until further notice and look forward to an eventual, and cautious reopening. When we do reopen, the information will be posted here, the front page of our website, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Please follow us on our platforms to receive updates when they happen. 

March 13, 2020
The health and safety of Duke Farms’ employees, volunteers, visitors, and community members is our top priority. Staff has been working with state and local health officials throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to implement measures to make sure Duke Farms does everything possible to help address this public health crisis.

Out of an abundance of caution, combined with our commitment to ensure the safety of our community, Duke Farms has made the decision to close to the public starting March 14 until further notice.

This a full closure, which includes but is not limited to the Farm Barn Orientation Center, Café, Orchid Range, Community Garden, Arboretum, the bicycle rental program, and all trails. All gates will be closed to the public, as well as the entrance to the Farm Barn parking lots. All programs and events will be canceled or rescheduled to a later date.

We look forward to that time when we can reopen and provide each visitor, employee, and volunteer with a positive, safe, and healthy experience at Duke Farms.