Excelsior Springs · Missouri
Christmas Ranch Tree Farm
A family-run farm in the rolling hills near Excelsior Springs where staff meet you at the car with a saw, send you to the field to cut your own pine, spruce or fir or walk you to rows of pre-cut firs, then shake, bale and load your tree while you warm up in the barn with free hot chocolate, cider, coffee and cookies, hand-made wreaths and, last season, a visit from Santa on opening weekend.
At a glance
Your tree visit.
- Tree choices
- Cut your own · Pre-cut trees
- Trees by the foot (last season’s rates)
- Last season $8–$15 a foot
Trees are priced per foot of height, and last season’s rates ran from $8 per foot for Virginia pine to $15 per foot for Canaan fir, Concolor fir and self-cut Douglas fir. Hot chocolate, cider, coffee and cookies are free. Ask the farm for this season’s prices.
Prices & conditions ↓ - Visit times
Opens the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 27, and is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 9am–5pm. Last season the fields closed on December 11, so come early for the best choice.
Full schedule ↓
Find your tree
Choose your Christmas tree.
You can cut your own from the farm’s fields: Scotch pine, white pine, Virginia pine, Canaan fir, Douglas fir and Norway spruce, with Norway spruce cut only about two weeks before Christmas. Last season the white pine and Canaan fir were still growing early in the season and sold out, and Scotch pine sold out as well.
Some trees cannot grow here, so each year the farm brings in pre-cut firs from places like North Carolina or Michigan: Fraser fir, Concolor fir and Douglas fir. Staff will walk with you to the rows of pre-cut trees.
Published varieties
- Scotch pine
- White pine
- Virginia pine
- Norway spruce
- Canaan fir
- Douglas fir
- Fraser fir (pre-cut)
- Concolor fir (pre-cut)
Which variety suits your decorations?
General tree guidance; the farm’s selection, sizes and services are described above.
- Fraser fir
- Upward branches and good needle retention; firmer branches can suit heavier ornaments.
- Concolor fir
- Longer, silver-blue needles with a citrus scent when crushed.
- Canaan fir
- Dark green needles with white undersides and firmer branches for decorations.
- Douglas fir
- Soft needles and more flexible branches, suited to lighter ornaments.
- White pine
- Long, soft needles and flexible branches; choose lighter decorations.
Learn more: University of Wisconsin Extension ↗ · National Christmas Tree Association ↗
Compare the options
Trees & prices.
Tree rates are per foot of height, except the small Fraser fir on a stand, which is priced each. All rates here are last season’s.
| Selection & size | Price |
|---|---|
| Virginia pine, cut your own, 4.5 to 7 ft | $8.00 per foot Last season’s rate. |
| Scotch pine, cut your own, 4.5 to 6 ft | $10.00 per foot Last season’s rate; sold out last season. |
| Norway spruce, cut your own, 4.5 to 7 ft | $10.00 per foot Last season’s rate; cut about two weeks before Christmas. |
| White pine, cut your own, 5 to 6.5 ft | $12.00 per foot Last season’s rate; sold out last season. Also sold pre-cut. |
| Douglas fir, cut your own, 4 to 5 ft | $15.00 per foot Last season’s rate. |
| Canaan fir, cut your own, 4.5 to 6 ft | $15.00 per foot Last season’s rate; sold out last season. |
| Fraser fir, pre-cut, 6 to 8.5 ft and 9 ft and up | $10.00 per foot Last season’s late-season rate. |
| Fraser fir, pre-cut, 3 to 4 ft on a stand | $40.00 each Last season’s rate. |
| Douglas fir, pre-cut, 6 to 8 ft, and 8.5 ft and up (limited) | $10.00 per foot Last season’s late-season rate. |
| Concolor fir, pre-cut, 6 to 8 ft | $15.00 per foot Last season’s rate; unavailable last season. |
| This season’s prices, wreaths, centerpieces, swags, ornaments and grave blankets | Ask the farm Tree rates here are last season’s; barn items are for purchase. |
How a visit works: saw, field, barn and baling
A visit here is built around help from the staff. They meet you at the car with a saw and give you directions, then send you to a field to cut your own tree or walk with you to the rows of pre-cut trees. If you cut a tree and start dragging it toward the barn, staff meet you and take it off your hands.
At the barn the staff shake out dead needles and old nests with a shaker machine, and you can watch or go inside for treats and browsing. They bale the tree wrapped tight enough to fit through your door at home, then load it and tie it on when needed or set it in a truck bed. Twine is on hand, so there’s no need to bring your own rope. You pay for your tree and any other items at the end. Staff may even remember your tree preference from year to year, along with the car it goes to.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. At your car | Staff meet you with a saw and give you directions |
| 2. To the trees | Staff direct you to a field to cut your own, or walk with you to the pre-cut rows |
| 3. Out of the field | If you drag your cut tree toward the barn, staff meet you and take it |
| 4. Shaking | Staff shake out dead needles and nests; you may watch or visit the barn |
| 5. Baling | Staff bale the tree tight enough to fit through your door at home |
| 6. Loading | Staff load and tie it on, or place it in a truck bed; twine is provided |
| 7. Paying | You pay for your tree and any other items |
Choosing your tree: local pines and firs, and pre-cut Fraser, Concolor and Douglas fir
The farm sits on forty acres, and twenty-five are now planted, with Scotch and white pine and other varieties including blue spruce, Norway spruce and Canaan fir. A wooded area borders the land on two sides. You cut your own from the local fields, or you choose from firs brought in from out of state.
The pre-cut firs are cut off-site because the local climate does not suit them. Fraser fir is the newer addition, Concolor fir has a light green color, and Douglas fir is sold both ways: self-cut in the field in the smaller sizes, or pre-cut in the taller ones. Last season the fields were closed from December 11, and the farm still had pre-cut Fraser and Douglas firs from 6 to 9 feet at the marked-down rate of $10 a foot.
Tree prices by species and size
Trees here are priced per foot of height, so a tree’s price is its height times the rate for its kind. The rates below are last season’s. They ran from $8 per foot for Virginia pine to $15 per foot for Canaan fir, Concolor fir and self-cut Douglas fir, and a small 3-to-4-foot Fraser fir on a stand was $40 each.
Scotch pine, white pine and Canaan fir sold out last season and Concolor fir was unavailable, while Norway spruce and Virginia pine were listed as still growing. The early weeks of the season give the widest choice.
| Selection & size | How you get it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia pine, 4.5 to 7 ft | Cut your own | $8.00 per foot |
| Scotch pine, 4.5 to 6 ft | Cut your own | $10.00 per foot |
| Norway spruce, 4.5 to 7 ft | Cut your own | $10.00 per foot |
| White pine, 5 to 6.5 ft | Cut your own (also sold pre-cut) | $12.00 per foot |
| Douglas fir, 4 to 5 ft | Cut your own | $15.00 per foot |
| Canaan fir, 4.5 to 6 ft | Cut your own | $15.00 per foot |
| Fraser fir, 6 to 8.5 ft and 9 ft and up | Pre-cut | $10.00 per foot (late-season rate) |
| Fraser fir, 3 to 4 ft on a stand | Pre-cut | $40.00 each |
| Douglas fir, 6 to 8 ft, and 8.5 ft and up (limited) | Pre-cut | $10.00 per foot (late-season rate) |
| Concolor fir, 6 to 8 ft | Pre-cut | $15.00 per foot |
Opening day, hours and when the fields close
The farm welcomes everyone each year starting on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which this season is Friday, November 27. It is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 9am to 5pm.
Last season, on December 11, the fields were closed for the season, but beautiful 6-to-9-foot Fraser and Douglas firs were still available at the marked-down price of $10 a foot. The earlier you come, the wider the choice.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 9am–5pm |
| Monday | 9am–5pm |
The barn: free treats, wreaths, centerpieces, swags, ornaments and grave blankets
The barn is the heart of the farm and the hub of the visit. Hot chocolate, hot apple cider, coffee and fresh-baked cookies are free, and while your tree is being shaken and baled you can warm up and browse.
The barn also has hand-made wreaths, centerpieces, door swags and ornaments for purchase, including one-of-a-kind decorated wreaths and centerpieces from the farm’s designers. Grave blankets need to be pre-ordered.
| Item | What to know | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hot chocolate, hot apple cider and coffee | In the barn during farm hours | Free |
| Fresh-baked cookies | In the barn during farm hours | Free |
| Hand-made wreaths, centerpieces and door swags | Decorated pieces by the farm’s designers | For purchase |
| Ornaments | Browse in the barn | For purchase |
| Grave blankets | Need to be pre-ordered | For purchase |
Santa on opening weekend, last season
Each year the owners bring in special guests. Last season Santa visited on the Saturday and Sunday of opening weekend after Thanksgiving, on Saturday from 10am to 1:45pm and on Sunday from noon to 4pm.
The times are last season’s, so check with the farm about this season’s Santa visit before you plan around it.
| Day | Santa’s hours last season |
|---|---|
| Saturday of opening weekend | 10am–1:45pm |
| Sunday of opening weekend | Noon–4pm |
The farm, its story and contacts
Roy and Carol, with their dog Hudson, bought this land in the rolling hills of Clay County decades ago. No evergreens grew there then, and the barn is what drew them to the property; it became the focal point of the tree farm. The farm has since been the location for a Lifetime Christmas movie, My Sweet Holiday, and it is a Trees for Troops participant.
Call 816-630-5086 for directions or questions about trees; the farm invites you to call before you come if you are unsure how to get here. The farm’s email address is treefarm@sbcglobal.net.
Pick your day
Dates & hours.
Tree season: Opens the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 27; open Friday through Monday
The farm welcomes visitors each year starting on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which this season is Friday, November 27. Hours are Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 9am–5pm. Last season the fields closed for the season on December 11 and some varieties had sold out before then, so the best choice is early.
| Christmas tree season | Hours |
|---|---|
| Friday, November 27 (the Friday after Thanksgiving) | 9am–5pm; opening day |
| Saturday–Sunday, November 28–29 | 9am–5pm; Santa visited this weekend last season |
| Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday after opening weekend | 9am–5pm |
Last season the fields closed on December 11, so come early for the best choice.
Before you go.
- Opens the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 27; open Friday through Monday, 9am–5pm.
- Cut your own pine, spruce or fir, or choose a pre-cut fir; staff meet you at the car with a saw, then shake, bale and load your tree.
- Last season’s rates ran $8–$15 per foot.
- Hot chocolate, cider, coffee and cookies in the barn are free; wreaths, centerpieces, swags, ornaments and grave blankets are for purchase.
- Santa visited on opening weekend last season.
- Call 816-630-5086 or email treefarm@sbcglobal.net.
24818 NE 148th Street, Excelsior Springs, MO 64024
Keep exploring
Other farms to compare.
Independence, Missouri
Fort Osage Christmas TreesCut your own tagged field tree with a farm bow saw, or choose an imported fir. Last season’s prices: $12–$14 a foot for field trees, $100–$200 for imported firs, and $10 for loading and tie-down. Open on listed days, 9am–5pm, from Saturday, November 21 through Sunday, December 6; no admission or parking charge.
Knob Noster, Missouri
Spring Branch AcresChoose and cut a Scotch pine up to 10 feet, or pick a pre-cut Michigan Fraser fir, balsam fir or white pine; hand saws and carts on hand, shaking and netting available. Open Saturdays and Sundays, 9am–5pm, plus Friday, November 27, from Saturday, November 21 through Sunday, December 13.
Festus, Missouri
Meert Tree FarmCut your own Scotch pine, white pine or Norway spruce at $9–$10 a foot, or choose a pre-cut Fraser fir from $16+ a foot; handsaw, shaking and netting provided, with free wagon and train rides on weekends. Open seven days a week from Friday, November 27 through December 20.