Inside The Roloff Family's Farm

Little people face big challenges when it comes to navigating the world: Everything from grocery shelves to elevator buttons are unreachable, and typical adult tasks such as driving a regular-sized car or doing business at a bank teller window become major challenges. And then there's the humiliation of constant stares and double takes, along with people who can't resist patting you on the head.

But if anyone knows how to turn the bitter lemons of dwarfism into lemonade, it's "Little People, Big World" stars Matt and Amy Roloff and their children. According to the The New York Times, when Matt spied a run-down farm in Oregon while on a job-hunting trip in 1989, he immediately recognized its potential. He and Amy bought it for a song, and he set to work creating a playground for the childhood he never had (joint deformities associated with his form of dwarfism meant he spent a large part of his childhood in a body cast rather than on the playground). He originally built his creations — a tree house, castle, western town, and more — just for the enjoyment of his family. But today, the Roloffs' quirky farm has become their livelihood and is open for everyone to enjoy — either in person through guided tours, their fall pumpkin patch festivities, or virtually through their hit show.

Like most parents, Matt and Amy Roloff built their home life around their children. At the time they purchased their farm, they had just bought a new home in Silicon Valley, where Matt was working in software, according to the The New York Times. But space was at a premium in the pricy area and Amy was pregnant with twins, and both she and Matt decided they wanted more room for their growing family. The farm also offered Matt the opportunity to give his children the kind of childhood he missed because of his medical challenges. He designed and built all his fantasy structures for the enjoyment of his children, and initially had no intention of monetizing his creations. As The New York Times observed, "It was not a commercial venture; just an idea that got seriously out of hand."

If his intention was to give his children a memorable way to exercise their imaginations, Matt succeeded wildly. Growing up, the Roloff children rarely watched television. And as Jeremy Roloff told The New York Times, their friends were "always bugging us about wanting to come over and play." Today, as viewers of "Little People, Big World" know, the next generation of Roloffs — Matt and Amy's grandchildren — are regular visitors and experience the same delight in the castle, Western town, and other attractions that their parents once did.

As the old saying goes, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." And nowhere is this more true that at the Roloff Farm: according to the The New York Times, much of distinctive character of the farm's attractions comes from the fact they are made largely from reclaimed materials. For reasons of both frugality and aesthetics, Roloff sought out interesting and distinctive materials that otherwise would have been discarded, such as timbers from old barns, old telephone poles, and old fence posts. His creative scavenging, plus a lot of sweat equity, allowed Roloff to build his extravagant fantasy playland with a relatively small budget.

But in a sparsely populated rural community, it was impossible for a new arrival — and a dwarf no less — to roam around asking for scrap wood without piquing the neighbors' curiosity. Once they found out what Roloff was doing, they were all in. Soon, neighbors took to leaving unwanted wood and other materials — including a used fire truck — on the property. And according to The New York Times, after Roloff announced plans to construct hills on the property for a possible water slide and waterfall, contractors began donating dirt excavated for their construction sites

If you can't get to the Roloff Farm during pumpkin season, don't worry — you can still book a private tour at other times of the year. According to the Roloff Farm website, the family offers tours year-round, seven days a week during daylight hours. Each 30-minute tour is led by a member of the family (Matt, Amy, Jeremy, or Zachary Roloff) and includes "fun stories and current tidbits" about goings-on at the farm. During the tour, you will ride in an open-air vehicle while viewing many of the sites featured in "Little People, Big World," such as the Western town, castle, and Tower of Terror. Not only will you have the opportunity to chat with the Roloff family about their adventures and future plans, you will also have plenty of photo opportunities with them.

Sound like fun? If you're a fan of the show, it could be a memorable experience. But like a lot of special events, it won't come cheap. A tour for up to three people will cost you $300, and if you bring a bigger group, there will be an additional $25 charge for each extra person. And unless you already live in or near Portland, Oregon, you'll have to budget in travel and hotel costs. But for the special superfan in your life, a private tour of the farm could make an unforgettable gift.

After several decades on the farm, Matt Roloff has not lost his appetite for designing and building new structures. Following his divorce from his longtime wife Amy Roloff — and Amy's departure from the farm — Matt decided it was time for a fresh start. His newest creation, which he revealed in an Instagram post, is a rustic and cozy log cabin adorned with a sign above the front door reading "Grandpa's Cabin." In a video posted on Instagram, Matt Roloff offers a quick guided tour of the cabin, which features a cozy front porch, a wood-burning stove, a little-person-scaled table and chairs, and bunk beds. While rustic compared to the sprawling farmhouse that he and Amy called home since 1990, according to The Sun, Matt calls the cabin his "dream home." "Now ready to spend some cozy nights with the grands!" he posted on Instagram.

But while Matt envisions his Grandpa's Cabin as a spot for regular family slumber parties, it's not going to be his permanent home, according to The Sun. Around the same time he built the cabin, Matt built a larger — but still rustic — home on the farm to share with his girlfriend Caryn Chandler, who has refused to live in the home formerly occupied by Amy.