70 Years of Farming: The Story Behind Hidden Valley Orchards
Some places are more than a stop on the map. They’re where families come back year after year, where kids grow up and bring kids of their own, and where the smell of warm cider donuts can pull you straight back to childhood. For a lot of families across Southwest Ohio, that place is Hidden Valley Orchards in Lebanon, Ohio.
Behind the apple trees, the petting zoo, and the laughter echoing across the Apple Play Yard is a story seven decades in the making. This is the story behind Hidden Valley Orchards, the Hidden Valley Orchards history that started with a single farm market in 1956 and grew, one season at a time, into a beloved family destination.
In short: Hidden Valley Orchards has welcomed families since 1956 about 70 years on land where records suggest farming dates back more than 150 years. Three families have stewarded the farm over the decades, growing it from a roadside market into the full-day destination it is today.
A Look Back at Hidden Valley Orchards History
The story is rooted in the rolling farmland of Clearcreek Township, in Warren County, Ohio. According to records from the Warren County Atlas, farming on this land began well over 150 years ago long before the orchard carried the Hidden Valley name. That deep agricultural history is part of what makes the place feel special. When you walk the grounds, you’re standing on soil that has been worked for generations.
But the chapter most families know began in 1956.
Where It All Began (1956)
In 1956, the Rothman family opened the first farm market at Hidden Valley Orchards with a straightforward goal: to sell "the finest fruits and vegetables that can be grown." Back then, the farm included 15 acres of peaches and 10 acres of apples, along with strawberries, cherries, plums, blueberries, and raspberries.
It was, in many ways, the classic Ohio family farm, a roadside market, a few crops, and a commitment to quality that would outlast every season to come. That founding promise still echoes in the way the farm talks about its fruit today.
At the time, a farm market like this was the heart of local life. It was where neighbors picked up peaches at their peak, filled baskets with berries, and got to know the people who actually grew their food. That simple, direct relationship between a farm and its community became the foundation everything else would be built on.
A Family Tradition Passed Through Generations
If there’s one thread that ties the whole Hidden Valley Orchards history together, it’s stewardship. The farm has passed through the hands of three families, each one caring for the land and then handing it on not just as a business, but as a tradition worth protecting.
The Rothman Family (1956)
The Rothmans planted the seed, quite literally. Their farm market established Hidden Valley as a place where the community could come for fresh, homegrown produce, setting the tone for everything that followed.
The Ullrich Family (1974)
In 1974, the Ullrich family took over Hidden Valley Orchards and kept the tradition alive, continuing both farming and agritourism. This is the era when the farm began to lean into the idea that a visit could be an experience not just a shopping trip, but a day spent connecting with the land. That shift, from selling fruit to sharing the farm, set Hidden Valley on the path toward the destination it is today.
The Lane Family (2017 to Today)
In 2017, the Lane family became the newest stewards of Hidden Valley. Under their care, the farm opened dedicated event spaces and expanded what a day at the orchard could look like. This is the chapter still being written today, one focused on welcoming families, growing new attractions, and honoring the decades that came before.
Three families. Seventy years. One shared belief that a farm can be a gathering place for the whole community.
From U-Pick Apples to a Full Farm Destination
Hidden Valley didn’t become a full-day family destination overnight. It grew the way an orchard does slowly, season by season, with each generation adding something new. A few milestones tell the story:
● 1982 The first apple U-pick season. Hidden Valley celebrated its first official apple U-pick, turning the harvest into a hands-on family tradition.
● 2009 The first Donut Barn. The farm opened its first Donut Barn, and the now-famous connection between fresh apples and warm cider donuts was cemented.
● 2017 Dedicated event spaces. With the Lane family’s stewardship came purpose-built spaces for gatherings, celebrations, and private events.
● 2025 A major expansion. Hidden Valley added more than 4,000 new apple trees, a corn maze, and a sunflower field, while the Apple Play Yard continued welcoming families to the farm.
Each addition built on the last, transforming a simple farm market into a place where families can spend an entire day picking, playing, eating, and making memories.
Rooted in Tradition, Growing New Memories: The Farm Today
Walk the grounds now and you’ll see how far the story has come without ever losing sight of where it started. Apples are still at the heart of everything. Fresh-picked fruit still flows into the on-site cidery, where it becomes the crisp cider that shows up in donuts, slushies, and jugs to take home.
From there, the day opens up. The Apple Play Yard packs in more than 30 family-friendly attractions, from Sproutsville Tiny Town to the Apple Crate Crawl and Grain Bin Basketball. Little ones can meet goats, sheep, and other friends at the Petting Zoo, or explore the observation hives and exhibition garden at the Bee Barn.
When it’s time to refuel, The Great Barn serves up cider donuts, caramel apples, and Big Barn Buns, while the Orchard Kitchen, Pizza Barn, Farm Stand, and Crate Room round out the farm’s food and drink. Throughout the year, seasonal events like Peach Days, Honey Weekend, Toddler Farm Adventures, and Learn & Play Thursdays give families a fresh reason to return.
Weekends bring the farm to life with story time, animal encounters, live music, happy hour, and fresh treats, the kind of fun-filled days that turn a first visit into a family habit. Grown-ups can even sip a "Croptail," a local craft beer, or an apple cider slushie at The Crate Room while the kids play.
Entry to the farm itself is free; you only need a ticket for the Apple Play Yard which keeps Hidden Valley true to its roots as a welcoming community space. That approach has clearly resonated: the farm has earned a 4.3-star rating from more than 1,400 guests, many of whom describe it as having more to do than any other farm in the area.
Why 70 Years of Farming Still Matters
In an age of quick trips and screen time, a working family farm offers something increasingly rare: a real, hands-on connection to where food comes from. That’s the quiet value behind 70 years of farming at Hidden Valley.
When kids climb through the Apple Play Yard, meet a farm animal for the first time, or watch fresh apples pressed into cider, they’re not just having fun, they're learning where their food begins. Field trips, the outdoor classroom, and the observation hives turn a day at the farm into a genuine learning experience. And for parents and grandparents, returning each season becomes a tradition all its own.
A farm that has lasted seven decades isn’t just old, it's trusted. It has weathered changing seasons, changing tastes, and changing times, and it’s still here, still growing, still opening its gates to the next generation.
There’s also something meaningful about supporting a farm that plants for the long term. The 4,000 apple trees added in 2025 won’t reach their full stride for years, a quiet reminder that a farm like this is always working for harvests still to come. When you visit, you’re not just enjoying seven decades of history; you’re helping write the decades ahead.
Plan Your Own Visit to Hidden Valley Orchards
The best way to understand 70 years of tradition is to experience it in person. Hidden Valley Orchards sits at 5474 North State Route 48 in Lebanon, Ohio, an easy trip for families across the region. Hours and offerings shift with the seasons, so it’s worth checking what’s fresh and what’s happening before you head out.
For families across Lebanon and the greater Southwest Ohio area, the farm has become a go-to for exactly this kind of unhurried day out. It works just as well for a school field trip, a private celebration in one of the historic barns, or a low-key weekend with the kids as it does for a fall visit built around apples and cider.
Whether you’re coming for the apples, the cider donuts, a birthday, a field trip, or simply a day outdoors together, there’s a place for you in the next chapter of the story.
FAQ
How old is Hidden Valley Orchards?
Hidden Valley Orchards has welcomed families since 1956, making it roughly 70 years old as a family farm and market. Records from the Warren County Atlas suggest farming on the land itself dates back more than 150 years.
Who owns Hidden Valley Orchards?
The farm has been cared for by three families over the decades. The Rothman family opened the first farm market in 1956, the Ullrich family took over in 1974, and the Lane family became the current stewards in 2017.
When did Hidden Valley Orchards open?
The first farm market opened in 1956. The farm celebrated its first official apple U-pick season in 1982 and has continued to grow ever since, adding a Donut Barn in 2009 and a major expansion in 2025.
Where is Hidden Valley Orchards located?
Hidden Valley Orchards is located at 5474 North State Route 48, Lebanon, Ohio 45036, in Clearcreek Township, Warren County. (Spell out "North" in your GPS to avoid being routed to South Lebanon.)
What is there to do at Hidden Valley Orchards?
Visitors can explore the Apple Play Yard’s 30+ attractions, visit the Petting Zoo, tour the Bee Barn & Exhibition Garden, enjoy farm-fresh food and cider, and take part in seasonal events. Entry to the farm is free, with tickets required only for the Apple Play Yard.
Does Hidden Valley Orchards still grow its own apples?
Yes. Apples remain at the heart of the farm, which grows some of the finest apples in Ohio and added more than 4,000 new apple trees in 2025. Fresh-picked fruit is also pressed into cider at the on-site cidery.
Is it free to visit Hidden Valley Orchards?
Yes, entry to the farm is free you can explore the grounds, shop, and enjoy food and drinks at no charge. A ticket is only required to access the Apple Play Yard activity area.
Conclusion
Seven decades. Three stewarding families. More than 150 years of farming history in the soil. Yet the most important thing about Hidden Valley Orchards isn’t what it has done, it's what it still does every week: open its gates, welcome families in, and give people a reason to slow down and connect with each other and the land.
That’s what 70 years of farming looks like from the inside. Not a plaque on a wall, but a living farm that keeps adding new chapters every season without ever losing the thread of what it has always been about. Whether Hidden Valley Orchards has been part of your family for generations or you’re just discovering the story, you’re welcome here and the next chapter has room for you in it.
