Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Old Town Hall Bank Museum And Exhibit Hall
The Old Town Hall Bank Museum and Exhibit Hall
Der Mensch bezwingt den Kosmos (The Potsdam Mosaic)
De Tijdtrap
Qadian rooftop, Minaratul Masih, and Masjid Mubarak.
Aqsa Mosque
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Solo travel can be challenging and sometimes lonely, but it also often leads to the greatest adventures.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?
about 18 hours ago
Museum of Friends
The Art in This Museum Was Donated for Free
about 19 hours ago
Grasshopper Chapel and grounds.
How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief
1 day ago
The Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo in Everglades National Park.
America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada Ontario Ottawa Central Experimental Farm

Central Experimental Farm

A sprawling Victorian farm that has been surrounded by a capital city is one of Canada's greatest treasures.

Ottawa, Ontario

Added By
Mark Shainblum
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Central Experimental Farm with the city of Ottawa in the background.   Wikipedia
Central Experimental Farm with the city of Ottawa in the background.   Wikipedia
The Agricultural Museum   Wikipedia
The Dominion Observatory   Wikipedia
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Paris has l'Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, London has Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, Washington has the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Smithsonian Institution, and Ottawa has... a farm.

Yes, Canada is the only country in the world to have a working farm at the heart of its capital city, mere minutes away from Parliament Hill, the Supreme Court, the Canadian War Museum, and the National Gallery of Canada, among other, more traditional attractions.

However, this national landmark is not simply a normal farm. The vast Central Experimental Farm was established in the 19th century as the central research station for the federal Department of Agriculture (now called Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada). When it was founded in 1886, the CEF was on the far outskirts of Canada's capital; however, with urban growth, the city encompassed and swallowed it, and it's now a truly unique feature of downtown Ottawa used as both a research complex and public park space. And despite its longevity and earning the status of a National Heritage Site, the CEF is still a working scientific institution on the cutting edge of agricultural research.

The various sections of the CEF are open to the public year-round and feature such attractions as an arboretum, the Ornamental Gardens, the Fletcher Wildlife Garden, and numerous heritage buildings. The CEF also hosts the Canadian Museum of Agriculture and the Dominion Observatory making it a strangely rural center of urban intellectualism.  

Related Tags

Farms Science Public

Know Before You Go

The Central Experimental Farms are located on a huge tract of land adjacent to Carling Avenue near downtown Ottawa, and are virtually impossible to miss.

Community Contributors

Added By

MarkShainblum

Edited By

Rachel, Martin, EricGrundhauser

  • Rachel
  • Martin
  • EricGrundhauser

Published

December 29, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Experimental_Farm
Central Experimental Farm
960 Carling Ave
Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y
Canada
45.387253, -75.717688
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Civic Pharmacy Sign

Ottawa, Ontario

miles away

World of Maps

Ottawa, Ontario

miles away

Vietnamese Commemorative Monument

Ottawa, Ontario

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ottawa

Ottawa

Ontario

Places 16
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Civic Pharmacy Sign

Ottawa, Ontario

miles away

World of Maps

Ottawa, Ontario

miles away

Vietnamese Commemorative Monument

Ottawa, Ontario

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ottawa

Ottawa

Ontario

Places 16
Stories 2

Related Places

  • Salinas de Fuencaliente

    La Palma, Spain

    Fuencaliente Saltworks

    The largest salt farm in the Canary Islands is located at the foot of an active volcano.

  • Aerial view of Algae farm at the Natural Energy Lab of Hawai’i.

    Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

    Algae Growing Ponds

    Football field-sized microalgae production tanks on the Hawaiian coast create a stunning view from space.

  • The Forensic Anthropology Research Facility.

    San Marcos, Texas

    Freeman Ranch Body Farm

    Human remains in varying states of decay are strewn about this Texas State facility for scientific study.

  • The Morrow Plots

    Urbana, Illinois

    The Morrow Plots

    The oldest experimental corn field in America is still creating better ways to grow crops.

  • Land of Legends

    Lejre, Denmark

    Land of Legends

    This Denmark theme park is part family attraction, part experimental archaeology project.

  • Coimbra, Portugal

    Cabinet of Curiosities at the University of Coimbra

    One of the oldest universities in the world exhibits thousands of specimens from its 700-year-old collection.

  • Taichung City, Taiwan

    Wufeng Mushroom Museum

    An unassuming museum offers a deep dive into everything about mushrooms, from cultivation innovations to fungi that "talk."

  • Rotterdam, Netherlands

    Street Posts Museum

    An unexpected public exhibit showcases the diversity of Dutch street posts.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.