Central Experimental Farm
Central Experimental Farm
4.5
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This 500-hectare working farm serves as an experimental station for both farmers and food manufacturers.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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4.5
119 reviews
Excellent
61
Very good
45
Average
6
Poor
5
Terrible
2
Holly B
Ottawa, Canada348 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
An expansive green space in central Ottawa featuring a variety of trees, flowers, lush gardens & greenery along the canal system.
We walked through the paths scouting out all the marked trees to see the variety of species, strolled along the pathways & enjoyed nature -
Parking is limited so transit is best or by bike. It was quiet after a rain storm so perfect for a leisurely stroll -
We walked through the paths scouting out all the marked trees to see the variety of species, strolled along the pathways & enjoyed nature -
Parking is limited so transit is best or by bike. It was quiet after a rain storm so perfect for a leisurely stroll -
Written 12 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cdngal44
Nova Scotia, Canada969 contributions
They have special activities for kids best suited to apx 10 and under. Petting zoo and baby chicks are a big draw as well as cow milking. On all long weekends they put on special programming..i.e. easter egg hunt at easter. Spring is fantastic here....lots of "babies" to see and pet.
Written 8 May 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jaydani2018
Woodbridge, VA121 contributions
June 2019 • Family
This place is beautiful and it has so many wonderful exhibits. There were many opportunities to learn about different parts of the farm Bbbuuuuuut unless you were part of a school group you were invisible.
Because we make agro tourism type places regular parts of our vacation I remembered enough from our visit last summer to a dairy farm and historical sight in Vermont to play guide to the kids. There were employees around but they only talked to school groups with chaperones. Other than the young lady walking a rabbit and a donkey no other employees looked up or said hi to us in the different animal sheds.
Unfortunately we also witnessed a group of older students who I thought at first were foreign students but turned out to be locals abusing the animals. They were yelling and rough housing in the room with the baby cows. They were flicking and prodding the calves through the pens. At one point I told them to knock it off and my 6 year old and 5 year old told them to Sshhhhhhh. In the larger room where the dairy cows are chained in their stalls the same boys were again annoying and poking the cows and being loud. Employees were giving a presentation in the room and others were cleaning. They seemed to look the other way at the behaviors. My older 2 kids commented to the boys again that the sign says dont touch the cows. They stopped until we passed and then I looked back to see they were again annoying the animals.
There are some neat presentations geared to the school groups at scheduled times. We loved the soil lab. However it would be so much more fun if there was someone in there full time to guide the kids with different activites. The tractors and discovery area about canola oil also could use guides. The art area has an amazing young lady who explained the pieces and made that area more interesting for young visitors. The food preservation area provided so many opportunities for kids to learn. Because we can at home it was easy to talk about some of the things we saw. It is another area that would benefit from a guide. Most of the hands on canning /cooking items for the kids in that area were missing. Maybe a staff member in that area would help keep items from disappearing.
The arboretum is wonderful. The number and variety of plants is great. The walk was beautiful. I wish there had been more chance to also see the fields and things growing there... maybe even learn about some of the different agricultural engineering techniques they are employing.
Because we make agro tourism type places regular parts of our vacation I remembered enough from our visit last summer to a dairy farm and historical sight in Vermont to play guide to the kids. There were employees around but they only talked to school groups with chaperones. Other than the young lady walking a rabbit and a donkey no other employees looked up or said hi to us in the different animal sheds.
Unfortunately we also witnessed a group of older students who I thought at first were foreign students but turned out to be locals abusing the animals. They were yelling and rough housing in the room with the baby cows. They were flicking and prodding the calves through the pens. At one point I told them to knock it off and my 6 year old and 5 year old told them to Sshhhhhhh. In the larger room where the dairy cows are chained in their stalls the same boys were again annoying and poking the cows and being loud. Employees were giving a presentation in the room and others were cleaning. They seemed to look the other way at the behaviors. My older 2 kids commented to the boys again that the sign says dont touch the cows. They stopped until we passed and then I looked back to see they were again annoying the animals.
There are some neat presentations geared to the school groups at scheduled times. We loved the soil lab. However it would be so much more fun if there was someone in there full time to guide the kids with different activites. The tractors and discovery area about canola oil also could use guides. The art area has an amazing young lady who explained the pieces and made that area more interesting for young visitors. The food preservation area provided so many opportunities for kids to learn. Because we can at home it was easy to talk about some of the things we saw. It is another area that would benefit from a guide. Most of the hands on canning /cooking items for the kids in that area were missing. Maybe a staff member in that area would help keep items from disappearing.
The arboretum is wonderful. The number and variety of plants is great. The walk was beautiful. I wish there had been more chance to also see the fields and things growing there... maybe even learn about some of the different agricultural engineering techniques they are employing.
Written 14 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
retireeVancouver
Vancouver, Canada1,828 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
We entered the Central Experimental Farm grounds from Dow's Lake Park Pavilion. If you want to see the Ornamental Gardens, those lakeside paths are not the best route to take, although they are in a picturesque area with tall deciduous trees and flowering crabapple trees. These paths are not labelled and we got temporarily lost having to cut across lawn, a parking lot, an area where Rhodos and azaleas were supposed to bloom, and then more lawn before seeing the traffic circle that led to the Ornamental Gardens.
Early May is not a time to visit those beds of perennials - daylilies, peonies - and roses and lilacs. These plants were just emerging or leafing out. Volunteers were busy cutting back spent snowdrop foliage and weeding the beds. I guess the nearby building with animals would be the draw in early May at this part of the Farm.
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It was about a 10 minute walk from there to the bus stop at Carling/Maple Drive only to see that it was closed off due to street construction. So we walked towards Dow's Lake to the next bus stop for bus 85. Our visit ended up being a long walk with nothing we enjoyed seeing.
Early May is not a time to visit those beds of perennials - daylilies, peonies - and roses and lilacs. These plants were just emerging or leafing out. Volunteers were busy cutting back spent snowdrop foliage and weeding the beds. I guess the nearby building with animals would be the draw in early May at this part of the Farm.
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It was about a 10 minute walk from there to the bus stop at Carling/Maple Drive only to see that it was closed off due to street construction. So we walked towards Dow's Lake to the next bus stop for bus 85. Our visit ended up being a long walk with nothing we enjoyed seeing.
Written 21 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Megan h
1 contribution
Aug 2014 • Family
Do not bring your children here, it was the most depressing sight for my family to see all the piglets up against a cage trying to be close to their mother that was on the other side of the cage. Each pig was clearly TOO BIG to fit in the little pens they were in and looked like they were so depressed. Why not put them outside to wonder around like they are meant too for at least an hour a day? Same with the dairy cows, i walked in & walked right out because of how disgusting it was to see them unable to even turn around. I then see a donkey being dragged by a worker there into a little pen. It was terrible. I saw a beautiful young cow trying to jump around and wanted to play, yet he was in a tiny little area like ALL OF THE COWS. Make sure you go after 4 so you are not wasting 10$ contributing to there abuse. I'm traumatized & disgusted after being there. I do not understand why with ALL the land the experimental farm owns, they can't at least let the animals have more room to walk around.
Written 7 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reg W
Ottawa, Canada166 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
Perfect place to go with the kids - and free !
Tons of child friendly farm-type activities.
And absolutely do not miss the Ornamental Garden..
All paid for by the Canadian taxpayer !
Tons of child friendly farm-type activities.
And absolutely do not miss the Ornamental Garden..
All paid for by the Canadian taxpayer !
Written 22 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike B
Ottawa, Canada28 contributions
staff are knowledgeable and friendly. children tours available. parking is @ roadside. popular place for wedding pictures. Quiet in hubub of the city.
Written 22 January 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WItraveler2000
Wisconsin543 contributions
Aug 2019
Nice place to visit if you want to see some Canadian agriculture in practice. Nice grounds to visit but little kids might get bored.
Written 27 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rosannekguns
Ottawa, Canada44 contributions
May 2017 • Family
Great place to take the kids to learn about the barn yard animals they always read about.
Watch the cows being fed and miked, see the chicken's being fed and laying eggs, learn how the chicks are put into incubators to keep warm until they hatch, watch the ducks in the ponds and maybe watch the sheep get their wool shorn. Then you can go for a walk in the gardens and see the birds and the bee's helping to pollinate the followers. See how many flowers you can name. It can be a great day for young and old alike.
Watch the cows being fed and miked, see the chicken's being fed and laying eggs, learn how the chicks are put into incubators to keep warm until they hatch, watch the ducks in the ponds and maybe watch the sheep get their wool shorn. Then you can go for a walk in the gardens and see the birds and the bee's helping to pollinate the followers. See how many flowers you can name. It can be a great day for young and old alike.
Written 23 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SheilaK01
Ottawa, Canada32 contributions
Nov 2016 • Friends
This is a great space for anyone looking for a bit of fresh air in the heart of the city. Some gorgeous old greenhouses if you walk a little off the beaten track through some of the older back roads. Also has the wonderful Canada Agricultural and Food Museum, and great roads through the farm for biking or slow driving. The road leading off the traffic circle either leads into the gorgeous Arboretum (with view of Dow's Lake), or down a beautiful tree-lined boulevard to Fisher Avenue. Also nearby (and perhaps on the Farm's land) is the Fletcher Wildlife Garden, with lovely trails and wildflowers and, in the spring, a spectacular Magnolia grove.
Written 14 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kaleena S
Ottawa, Canada
Are the gates open on the weekends to tour the agricultural fields?
Written 12 July 2015
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