Meadow Farm Museum & Crump Park: A Glen Allen Hidden Gem
Discover more than 200 years of local history, farm life, trails, recreation, and open space at one of Glen Allen's most interesting — and sometimes overlooked — destinations.
Discovering Meadow Farm Museum & Crump Park
When people think about things to do in Glen Allen, shopping, restaurants, and the Short Pump area often come to mind first. But travel a little farther east along Mountain Road and you'll discover a very different side of Glen Allen.
Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park combines local history, outdoor recreation, farm animals, walking trails, a fishing pond, playgrounds, picnic areas, and community events in one destination.
Located at 3400 Mountain Road, the property offers something increasingly unusual in the Richmond area — an opportunity to experience the history of the land while also enjoying it as a modern community park.
Whether you're interested in local history, looking for somewhere to take the family, or simply want a quiet place to spend an afternoon outdoors, Meadow Farm and Crump Park are well worth discovering.
Meadow Farm & Crump Park at a Glance
FeatureInformationLocation3400 Mountain Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060Attraction TypeHistoric site, museum, farm & public parkHistoric FarmhouseDates to approximately 1810Park FeaturesTrails, fishing pond, playgrounds, picnic areas & open spaceOther HighlightsFarm animals, exhibits, historic buildings & community programsPark HoursGrounds open daily from dawn to duskBest ForLocal history, families, walking, picnics, fishing & outdoor recreation
More Than Just a Park
At first glance, Crump Park may look like another of Henrico County's many public parks.
Spend a little more time there, however, and you'll quickly realize there's much more to the property.
Crump Park provides the recreational side, with:
Walking and nature trails
A fishing pond
Playgrounds
Picnic shelters
Open green space
Areas to relax and enjoy the outdoors
Meadow Farm Museum provides the historical side, preserving and interpreting a property whose story reaches back centuries.
That combination is what makes this particular park different.
You can spend part of the afternoon exploring Glen Allen's past and the rest walking the trails, visiting the animals, fishing, enjoying a picnic, or simply relaxing outside.
A Glimpse Into Glen Allen's Past
The historic farmhouse at Meadow Farm dates to approximately 1810, with later additions expanding the home during the 19th century.
The property remained connected to generations of the Sheppard family before eventually coming into the ownership of Major General Sheppard Crump and his wife, Elizabeth Adam Crump.
In 1975, Elizabeth donated Meadow Farm to Henrico County in memory of her husband. The museum opened to the public in 1981.
Today, Meadow Farm is listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places.
But the story told at Meadow Farm extends far beyond one family.
Henrico County's interpretation of the property also explores:
Native Americans who traveled through and used the land
Enslaved African Americans who lived and worked on the property
The Sheppard family
The Parsons family
The property's connection to Gabriel's Rebellion of 1800
Together, those stories provide a much broader look at the people and events connected to this part of Henrico County.
Exploring Meadow Farm Museum
The historic farmhouse is one of the centerpieces of Meadow Farm.
Rather than learning about Glen Allen's past entirely through photographs or displays, visitors have an opportunity to experience the landscape where generations of people lived and worked.
Tours of the historic farmhouse are available throughout the year by appointment.
The museum grounds and exhibits help visitors see just how different this part of Glen Allen once was — long before today's neighborhoods, shopping centers, highways, and suburban development.
The Parsons Community Center
Another important stop is the Parsons Community Center.
Henrico County renamed the building in 2021 in recognition of the Parsons family, whose history was intertwined with the Sheppard family for generations.
Inside, permanent exhibits explore several important parts of the property's history, including:
Native American history
Gabriel's Rebellion
The Parsons family
The people who inhabited and worked on the land
The exhibits are part of Henrico County's effort to present a more complete history of the property and the people connected to it.
Don't Forget the Farm Animals
For younger visitors — and plenty of adults — one of the most memorable parts of Meadow Farm may be the animals.
The farm maintains domesticated birds and mammals representing breeds historically kept on the property.
Visitors may see:
Gulf Coast Native sheep
Jersey cows
Ossabaw Island hogs
Dominique chickens
Golden Campine chickens
Standard Bronze turkeys
The animals aren't simply there as an attraction. They help visitors understand Meadow Farm's agricultural history and what life on a working farm once looked like.
Exploring Crump Park
Once you've finished exploring Meadow Farm, there's no need to leave.
Crump Park surrounds the historic site and offers plenty of opportunities to spend additional time outdoors.
Visitors can enjoy:
Walking and nature trails
Fishing
Playgrounds
Picnic areas and shelters
Large open fields
Restrooms
Quiet areas around the pond
It's an easy place to bring lunch, take a walk, let the kids enjoy the playground, or spend a quiet afternoon outside.
And unlike an attraction where your visit ends once you've seen the exhibits, Crump Park gives you a reason to stay awhile.
A Gathering Place for the Glen Allen Community
Meadow Farm and Crump Park aren't simply places preserved from Glen Allen's past.
They remain active parts of the community today.
Henrico Recreation & Parks hosts programs and special events at the property throughout the year. In 2026, the calendar has included events such as Farm Field Day, Glen Allen Day, outdoor movies, history programming, and seasonal activities.
Because programming changes throughout the year, checking Henrico County's current Recreation & Parks calendar before visiting is a good way to see what's happening.
Why Meadow Farm & Crump Park Are Worth Visiting
There are plenty of larger and better-known attractions throughout the Richmond region.
But that's part of what makes Meadow Farm special.
It doesn't feel like a tourist attraction.
It feels like Glen Allen.
You can learn about the area's history without spending an entire day inside a museum. You can take the kids to see the animals, walk a trail, fish, have a picnic, attend a community event, or simply find a quiet spot outdoors.
And perhaps most importantly, Meadow Farm preserves a piece of the Glen Allen that existed long before today's subdivisions, shopping centers, interstates, and commercial development.
Planning a Visit
Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park
3400 Mountain Road
Glen Allen, VA 23060
The park and Meadow Farm grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk.
Farmhouse tours are available by appointment, and the Parsons Community Center operates on seasonal hours. Because indoor hours, tours, programs, and special events can change, check Henrico County Recreation & Parks before your visit.
Discover Another Side of Glen Allen
One of the things that makes Glen Allen interesting is just how different one part of the area can feel from another.
There are newer communities, established neighborhoods, busy commercial areas, quiet residential streets, parks, historic properties, and pieces of Henrico County's rural past — sometimes only a few miles apart.
Meadow Farm Museum and Crump Park capture that contrast particularly well.
You can stand beside a farmhouse dating to the early 1800s, walk past farm animals, follow a trail through the park, and then be back among modern Glen Allen neighborhoods within minutes.
It's the kind of place that's easy to overlook when you're focused on everything newer happening around the Richmond area.
Sometimes, however, the places that tell you the most about a community are the ones that have been there all along.
Thinking About Moving to Glen Allen?
If you're considering a move to Glen Allen, exploring places like Meadow Farm Museum and Crump Park can help you discover much more about the area than you'll learn from looking at houses alone.
Glen Allen includes a wide variety of neighborhoods, communities, parks, recreation, shopping, history, and local attractions — and finding the right part of the area depends on the lifestyle you're looking for.
As a local REALTOR® with Long & Foster Real Estate, I help buyers and sellers navigate Glen Allen and the surrounding Richmond communities with local knowledge, market insight, and personalized service.
If you'd like to learn more about living in Glen Allen, explore its different neighborhoods, or discuss buying or selling a home in the Richmond area, I'd be happy to help.
Matthew Cooper, REALTOR®
Long & Foster Real Estate – Grove Ave Office
Serving Glen Allen, Henrico County, and the Greater Richmond Region
