Farm Tours

Sweetwater Valley Farm's
Red Cow Tour

Come to our farm and see the latest technology in the dairy industry as we show you how we are milking our cows with robots. Sweetwater Valley Farm is home to Tennessee’s first Lely XL robotic facility. This means we are using 8 robots to milk 500 of our Holstein cows. Take a guided tour of our robotic facility and while on the tour also learn more about our entire dairy operation and cheese make process. Before or after your tour, make sure to visit our cheese shop and enjoy a complimentary tasting of all of our cheeses. You can also see where we make our cheese through windows in our shop. We hope you plan a visit soon! 

HAVE A QUESTION? CALL US AT (865) 458-9192

Cost

  • Adults: $12 
  • Children 3-11: $8
  • 2 and under: FREE
*Due to the demand of tours and availability we do not do refunds. Thanks for understanding!
 

DURATION:
Estimated 1 hour. Tours start on the hour please arrive 30 minutes prior to the tour you wish to go on.

Tour Details

Our tours run Tuesdays-Saturdays on the hours of 10, 11, 12, 1, 2 and 3pm. To sign up for a tour , please visit our store or click the link to book a tour. Please note you need to plan on being here 30 minutes before the tour you would like to take begins. This insures we have time to get you signed up and ready before the start of the tour.

Also please note tours can fill up for the hour and to ensure you get the best quality tour, we only allow 20 people on each tour hour. If you are making a special trip to take a tour, we recommend scheduling in advance to make sure you get the tour time you want. If you have a group larger than 20, please click the “large group tours” button and fill out the form. 

Tours last approximately an hour but once your guide has concluded,  you are welcome to stay in our tour facility and explore more educational exhibits and videos we have available. Some walking is required but it all done in a confined area so it isn’t a lot of walking. Benches are provided along the way.  

Tours are $12 for adults and $8 for children 3-11 (under 12). 2 and under are free and no ticket required. 

To Know before your tour:

  • All tours are accompanied by a guide 
  • What is included in the tour? A 45 minute guided viewing of our robotic milking facility 
  • Tours are limited to 20 people per tour hour
  • Our tour is mostly indoors with the exceptional of a brief walk to the robotic milking parlor. Tours will continue even with rain
  • We recommend tennis shoes or comfortable shoes for the tour
  • Please arrive no later than 30 minutes before the tour time you want to take in order to get signed up and prepared for the tour
  • Pets of any kind are not allowed in the tour facility (service dogs only see below) 
  • We do not schedule tours over the phone
  • With the exception of the walk down to our tour facility, the duration of the tour is in a climate controlled environment. The tour is handicap accessible 
  • We do not do refunds or credits for tours unless we have to cancel it on our end
  • If you show up late for your tour, you will have to wait to go on the next tour time we have available. 
  • We are located in the Eastern Time Zone
  • For groups over 20 people, please fill out our form on this page to see about scheduling. If you have 20 people or less, you can book your own tour directly on here. We do not schedule tours for groups 20 people or less
  • For large groups, we do require a preorder if your group wants to eat lunch in our cafe. Our cafe is very small though so we cannot always accommodate all groups. It depends on the size of your group
  • We do not recommend our tour for really young children. It is an educational experience that dives into great detail about our milking and other detailed aspects of the farm
  • If at anytime anyone becomes disruptive to the guide and others by yelling, screaming, running, talking loudly over others, etc. they will be asked to leave the tour. We want to ensure everyone has the best experience and can hear our guide speak at all times. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated. 
  • Petting or milking of cows does not happen on the tour

PET POLICY

We welcome all service dogs as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and they are permitted inside the Visitor’s Center buildings. Dogs whose sole function is to provide assistance or emotional support are not defined as service animals by the ADA. For full guidelines, please see the ADA website by Clicking Here.

Hours of Operation

Tours begin on the top of each hour 10-3pm EST. Remember Arrive 30 minutes prior to tour.

Monday CLOSED
Tuesday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday Closed

** We will not be open and will not have tours the week of Christmas.