Spring Grove’s Octagon Barn Finds New Life at Richardson Adventure Farm

"The farm that I bought had buildings that were just junk – other than the octagon barn. It is so unique. I wanted to find somebody who wanted it."

Jack Pease of Super Aggregates said that to Shaw Local this spring. He was talking about the eight-sided barn that stood on the south end of Spring Grove for well over a century. The somebody turned out to be the Richardson family, whose corn maze has brought Spring Grove's name to people all over the region. The barn didn't leave town. It moved to Richardson Adventure Farm at 909 English Prairie Road, and it's going back up there piece by numbered piece.

The move saved the building, and it also changed what kind of place it will be. The barn now belongs to a working agritourism farm, so you'll see it on the farm's schedule. That means tulips in spring, private events in summer, the maze in fall, and maybe a look during Christmas tree season. Below is the barn's history and the calendar you'll need to see it.

A barn that came after the silos

The barn's story starts with the silo. In the 1870s, Lewis Hatch built what are believed to be the first silo towers in the U.S. on his Spring Grove farm, as a way to keep silage fresh longer. George Richardson told Shaw Local that "every dairy farm in the U.S." uses silo towers now. The octagon barn went up three years after those silos, around 1876.

The Kattner family bought the farmland later, and the buildings sat unused. The silos are gone. By the time the land went up for sale, about three years before this spring's rebuild, Richardson said the barn was "on its last legs."

How rare is it? From his own research, Richardson puts the number of multi-sided or round barns left in the entire Midwest at about 200. Most rural roads have a dozen rectangular barns, so one of roughly 200 across a whole region is unusual. Spring Grove has one, and it's tied to the farm credited with the first silo towers.

Why it went to a corn maze

Some local groups hoped to preserve the Hatch farm site, and one idea was to donate the barn to the McHenry County Conservation District, Richardson said. He also explained why old barns are hard to keep: "Historic buildings and barns ... it costs a lot to maintain those."

Pease offered the barn to the Richardsons. He also paid for the crane time to take it apart and for storage until reassembly could start. Richardson "got all excited about a feature building" for the farm, Pease said. "Now they are able to put it back up, forever."

That fits the Richardsons' history. The family planted its first Christmas trees in 1982 and opened the maze in 2001, and it still raises corn and soybeans alongside the tourist seasons. An old building on a farm that earns money in three seasons has a way to pay for its own upkeep. Ryan Richardson runs the farm with Kristen Richardson, George and Wendy Richardson, and Robert and Carol Richardson.

What "70% original" means

When it's finished, the barn will be about 70% original and 30% new. Here's how the rebuild divides, based on Shaw Local's May reporting:

• Kept: the main structure, beams, and posts, reassembled with the original wood pegs, plus most of the cathedral-like ceiling.
• Reused where possible: old siding, which George Richardson showed reporters being turned into interior paneling.
• Replaced: the outer wood cladding, which was rotting.
• Added: a catering kitchen, plus changes needed to meet commercial safety codes.

Every piece was numbered before it went into storage. A barn-building crew that includes timber smith Alex Anderson started putting it back together earlier this year.

The code changes come with a trade-off. Richardson said the barn won't qualify for historic designation because of the work required to make it safe for commercial use. So the history will be told on signs. The Richardsons plan interpretive signage explaining the Hatch farm and the barn's past.

Where the rebuild stands this October

The May article said the work was expected to wrap up in September. Shaw Local's season preview, published Sept. 5, said reconstruction was "well under way." No public report since then confirms the barn is finished or open to visitors. If seeing it is the main reason for your trip, check with the farm first.

You can see the planned uses in the kitchen design. It's meant to serve food during the spring Tulip Festival and the fall Corn Maze. In summer, Richardson expects to rent the barn for weddings, reunions, and other events, and he estimates capacity at up to 120 guests. He said he doesn't have a firm number yet. That means the barn will be open to the public when the farm is open, and summer access will mostly mean a booked event.

The farm calendar is now the barn's calendar

If you want to see the barn's first fall on the property, here's the rest of the farm's posted schedule, taken from Richardson's own pages:

Last admission is two hours before closing, and parking is free. For the Oct. 1 to Nov. 1 stretch, Monday through Thursday admission is $22 for ages 3 to 12 and $26 for ages 13 and up. On Fridays and Saturdays it's $26 and $32. A family of two adults and two kids saves $20 by going on a Thursday afternoon. Tickets are sold online in advance and at the gate. The farm's pricing page says Zorbing and eXtreme Air aren't running this season.

The weekday discount matters more here than at most fall farms. Shaw Local puts annual attendance at roughly 100,000 visitors, all coming to one 28-acre maze. The farm doesn't publish crowd guidance. The higher Friday and Saturday prices are the only public clue to when it's busiest.

This year's maze celebrates America's 250th anniversary, with signers of the Declaration of Independence, a Betsy Ross flag, and an American eagle cut into the corn. New this season are a fourth jumping pillow, improved kids' play areas, and a refreshed menu in the concession barn. The low ropes course added last year has been expanded. The 50-foot observation tower is still there too, along with the antique carousel, pig races, the Barrel House for craft beer, and campfire sites you can rent.

After the maze closes

Christmas tree season gives you a quieter look at the property. Visiting the tree farm is free. The Richardsons grow more than 50,000 trees across 75 acres and offer free wagon rides to the fields, tree shaking and baling, and a heated sales barn. They sell both cut-your-own and pre-cut trees, and wreaths, garland, donuts, fudge, and gifts are available every day of the season.

Next spring the Tulip Festival returns. The 2026 festival is over, and its bloom window usually runs from about mid-April to mid-May, depending on weather. The barn's catering kitchen was built with that festival in mind, so spring 2027 may be the first tulip season served from the Hatch farm's octagon.

If you're making a Saturday of it, the Village of Spring Grove holds its Farmers Market on Oct. 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Main Street Park, 8013 Blivin Street. It will have produce, handmade goods, live entertainment, and Erika's Odd Coffee. Erika's Odd Coffee is also expected at the village's free Trunk or Treat on Oct. 24, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Horse Fair Park. That afternoon fits before Maze 'Til Midnight on English Prairie Road.

Farmland like the old Hatch-Kattner parcel often comes with history that isn't in the listing. If you own land or an older home around Spring Grove and want a straight answer on what it's worth and what a buyer will ask about, Bradley Fox knows these roads well. Let's Connect.