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Central experimental farm national historic site of canada.

• 1886 to 1980 (Construction)
• Thomas Fuller  (Person)
• James Fletcher  (Person)
• William Saunders  (Person)
• Sir John Carling  (Person)
• Central Experimental Farm  (Designation Name)

A rare example of a farm within a city, this outstanding cultural landscape brings together two strong 19th century interests: agricultural improvement and picturesque design. Established by the federal government in 1886, the Farm has supported Canadian agriculture by undertaking critical scientific research and by developing and demonstrating good farming methods. Its 426 hectares are organized into three distinct areas: a central core of science and administration buildings, an arboretum and ornamental gardens, and the experimental fields and plots. The Main Dairy Barn, with its attached stables laid out around a barnyard, was at the heart of the model farm. The individual parts of the landscape are orchestrated into an organic whole intended to enhance nature's inherent beauty. Adopting picturesque features of the British country estate, the Farm combines large stretches of lawn and field, winding paths and pleasing water vistas. This site is a symbol of the crucial role agriculture has played in shaping Canada.

Description of Historic Place

The Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site of Canada, located in urban Ottawa, Ontario, is comprised of various structures and buildings embedded within a large rural landscape. Flanked by broad expanses of farmland, its central area consists of the administrative core, housed in a variety of eclectic and picturesque structures, and encompasses an arboretum, specimen plantings, and intricate ornamental gardens. Official recognition refers to the cultural landscape with its natural, built, and landscaped components at the time of designation.

Heritage Value

The Central Experimental Farm was designated a national historic site of Canada because: as a cultural landscape, the more than 400-hectare farm in the heart of the Nation's Capital reflects the 19th-century philosophy of agriculture and carefully integrates an administrative core and a range of other buildings with arboretum, ornamental gardens, display beds and experimental fields in a picturesque composition; since its establishment in 1886, the farm has made significant scientific contributions to agriculture in Canada by uniting scientific experimentation with practical verification, as exemplified by the development of the hardy strains of wheat that were so influential in expanding Western Canadian agriculture; a rare example of a farm within a city, the Central Experimental Farm has become a symbol of the central role agriculture has played in shaping the country. Eager to introduce profitable new agricultural methods and products, the federal government created the Central Experimental Farm in 1886. The Department of Agriculture selected a rectangular parcel of land, over 400 hectares in area, approximately 3 kilometres from Parliament Hill. Located on a desirable site, due to its variety of soil types and access to land, water, and rail transport, the farm would serve both Ontario and Québec. As the city of Ottawa grew, the Farm was gradually absorbed into the urban environment and is now situated well within the city limits. The plan of the Farm is based on three clearly defined zones: a central core of administrative, scientific, and functional farm buildings and spaces; the experimental fields, plots, and shelterbelts; and the arboretum, ornamental gardens and experimental hedges. The Farm’s Picturesque landscape is the result of a movement promulgated by a 18th-century English aesthetic theorists and practitioners who sought to bring landscape design closer to an idealized nature. One convention of this movement was the adoption of certain standard features of the British country estate, including large stretches of lawn and fields, use of water, masses of trees and shrubbery, and winding pathways. These features, designed to enhance nature’s inherent beauty by emphasizing its irregularity, variety, and intricacy in form, colour, and texture, integrate harmoniously with the administrative, scientific, and functional farm buildings. The Picturesque qualities of the Farm are a significant aspect of the 19th-century philosophy of agriculture. This philosophy also recommended the use of chemistry and genetics to make farm life more productive and appealing. Its proponents sought to develop better farming methods by applying a new scientific methodology to farming. Since its establishment, the Central Experimental Farm has contributed substantially to the development of Canadian agriculture through scientific research, experimentation, and practical verification. The Farm has addressed issues such as human and animal health, the importation of plants and livestock, the identification and control of imported insect pests, and soil fertility. It also contributed to the expansion of agriculture in western Canada through the development of hardy strains of wheat, and in eastern Canada through research on forages and grasses. The Farm soon became the headquarters of a national system of experimental farms, as its central location and administration served to address a range of national agricultural issues. Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, June 1997.

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements contributing to the heritage value of this site include: its location in the urban centre of Ottawa, encompassing a variety of soil types, cleared fields, and various buildings; its pastoral appearance, as well as the orderliness and neatness critical to the Farm’s scientific pursuits; its plan, made up of three clearly defined zones: the central core of the functional farm, science and administration buildings; the experimental fields and plots with their bordering shelterbelts; and the arboretum, ornamental gardens and experimental hedges; the buildings, which illustrate the Picturesque character with their compatible scale, varied volumes and silhouettes. Key elements contributing to the heritage value of the central core include: the intimate scale of the interior of the zone, and the campus-like atmosphere; the compatible scale and design of both Prince of Wales Drive and the Driveway, which have evolved from the main north-south and east-west roads in the original 1880s plan and link the Farm to the city; the placement and design of the core administration buildings with their wood-clad exteriors, and their relationships to each other and to their landscape setting, which reveal their original functions and the orderly development of the original 1880s Picturesque plan; the associations of the buildings with key figures in the development of Canadian agriculture, such as William Saunders, Charles Saunders, and Sir John Carling; the buildings’ small, single-storey board and batten style, conveying their continued role as part of a complex of support buildings; the model farm, intended to demonstrate the most efficient and orderly layout of farm buildings. Key elements contributing to the heritage value of the experimental fields, plots, and shelterbelts include: the orderly organization of the fields based on a grid system reinforced by a regular system of roadways and access lanes, and distinctive internal fencing of red “pencil posts” with white tops; the open cultivated fields, with their variable sizes, colours, textures and seasonal variations; the relationship between the open fields and the heavily screened Driveway with its parkway characteristics of curbs and streetlights, which emphasize the integration of a farm within a city; the shelterbelts, made up of hardy trees which protect the fields; the core brick-clad science and administration buildings; the viewscapes including the view from the corner of Baseline and Fisher, the view southwest from Carling Avenue across the fields, the framed view looking east from Fisher along Cow Lane; and the view from any point along the periphery into the open fields. Key elements contributing to the heritage value of the arboretum and ornamental gardens include: the Picturesque nature of the site, evidenced in the skillful use of topography and water, and the incorporation of the shoreline of the Rideau Canal, Dow’s Lake, and the lagoons into the visual composition; the circulation pattern in the arboretum, laid out in a typically Picturesque design of curving promenades and constantly changing views; the glass and metal frames of the greenhouses; the arboretum itself, including a wide variety of specimen trees and shrubs, planted to test and demonstrate suitable tree species for various hardiness zones of Canada.

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Central Experimental Farm Self-Guided Tour

Visit the Central Experimental Farm which includes the Dominion Arboretum, the Ornamental Gardens, and the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. You will see colourful beds of annuals and perennials, and several species of trees and shrubs.

The Central Experimental Farm (CEF) was established in 1886 by the Canadian government. It was the centrepiece of five experimental stations set up across Canada at a time when a large proportion of the country’s population made its living from the land.

In 1886, 465 acres were acquired (in the township of Nepean) for the CEF; 64 of these were allocated for an arboretum. A further 361 acres were obtained in 1929 from lumber baron J.R. Booth. Today the Farm occupies over 1,000 acres.

A. Ornamental Gardens

Address: 75 National Capital Commission Scenic Driveway, Ottawa, ON K1A 0Z2

Services for Visitors: parking – washrooms nearby – partially wheelchair accessible – child-friendly

Description: An 8-acre showcase of hardy perennials and shrubs developed in Canada and collected from around the world. Many of the lilacs and roses are proudly Canadian bred. Gardens include the Saunders peony collection, annual, rock, hosta, and sunken gardens.

The Ornamental Gardens are composed of several different areas:

• the perennial collection,
• the rock garden,
• the Heritage rose garden and the Explorer rose garden
• the annuals garden,
• the Macoun Memorial Garden
• the lilac gardens and the Preston Heritage lilac collection
• the peony collection
• the daylily and iris collection

Features of the Gardens include:

• 100 types of irises.
• 125 different lilac varieties, including several “Preston lilacs” developed by Ottawa researcher, Isabella Preston.
• The Explorer series of roses developed at the CEF by Felicitas Svejda and renowned for its winter hardiness
• The largest collection of peonies bred by A.P. Saunders, son of William Saunders, the first director of the Farm
• A collection of the early introductions of daylilies hybridized by Douglas Lycett and Henry Lorrain

B. The Dominion Arboretum

Address: Arboretum, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6

Services for Visitors: parking $ – washrooms – partially wheelchair accessible – child-friendly – dog-friendly (on leash) – picnic areas

Description: Located on 64-acres of rolling land between Prince of Wales Drive and the historical Rideau Canal system, the arboretum was developed to test the hardiness of woody plants in the Canadian climate. With a variety of micro-climates and showcasing a range of woody plants, the collection contains around 4000 specimens. The Arboretum displays a wide range of well-established trees and shrubs, some dating back to 1889.  Because it is north of the 45-degree latitude, it is the most northerly Arboretum on the continent. A unique space in the heart of Ottawa, with its open space, beautiful views over the North and South lookouts, as well as a nice Hosta garden in between the lookouts. Lots of different growing environments and tree and shrub specimens to go with them. Rosybloom crab apples, developed by Isabella Preston, line the Prince of Wales roadway. Other features include a Magnolia Grove, lots of Weeping Willows, and beautiful specimens of Oak and Maple – significant trees over 100 years old.

C. Fletcher Wildlife Garden

Address: near 865, Prince of Wales Dr, Ottawa, ON K2C 3K1 (Prince of Wales at Cow Lane)

Services for Visitors: parking – washrooms – partially wheelchair accessible – child-friendly – dog-friendly (on leash)

Description: A beautiful organic garden with two distinct sections including wildlife-friendly native plant displays, perennial beds, water features, rock garden, a managed woodland, a ravine with a pond, and a wildflower meadow offering wildlife habitat and food.

Features of the Fletcher Wildlife Garden:

• Amphibian Pond
• Evergreen Woods
• The Hedgerow
• Butterfly Meadow
• Old Woodlot
• FWG Resource Centre
• Backyard Garden

D. Canadensis: Beyond the Edge: Artists’ Gardens

Address: Experimental Farm, Prince of Wales Dr, Ottawa, ON

Services for Visitors: parking – child-friendly – dog-friendly (on leash)

Description: Canadensis, The Garden of Canada: Master Plan

​The Master Plan design intends to transform the 34-acre piece of fallow Central Experimental Farm land just south of the National Arboretum, into a modern meaningful botanical masterpiece of international standing: The Garden of Canada

Currently, Canadensis presents Beyond the Edge: Artists’ Gardens – a land art exhibition. The exhibition explored the notion of a rural oasis in the heart of an urban centre. There is a total of 6 unique experiences. An attractive, modern sun shelter has also been constructed at the site designed by graduate students from Carleton University’s Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism students. The site is a wonderful picnicking venue set in an inspiring, urban, pastoral landscape.

E. Tropical Greenhouse – CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO COVID-19

Address: Maple Dr, Ottawa, ON

Services for Visitors: Parking – Bicycle Racks – Washrooms nearby – partially Wheelchair Accessible -Picnic Areas nearby

Description: This 1,600 sq ft tropical garden is found in a heritage building, built in 1928, notable for its beautiful lines and traditional design. The elegant octagonal structure was originally situated at Major’s Hill Park in downtown Ottawa and moved to the Farm in 1938 to be used for horticultural research. Now a heritage building, it became a tropical garden open to the public in the 1970s. Raised beds frame the circular path featuring a variety of heat-loving plants, tropical rainforest natives, Cacti, and succulents.

F. Canada Agriculture and Food Museum Garden – TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS. CHECK WEBSITE FOR UPDATES.  

Address: 901 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa ON K2C 3K1

Services for Visitors: Admission $ – Parking $ – Bicycle Racks – Washrooms – Wheelchair Accessible – Child-Friendly – Picnic Areas nearby.

Description: Come explore the outdoor exhibition Discovery Park at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum. Discover various crops grown to produce energy as well as plants that benefit pollinators. Interpretive panels and hands-on activities are also part of the experience

The garden, which is within the grounds of the Museum itself is about 1000 sq feet. The garden itself has some perennial grasses and other herbaceous plant materials.

G. Commissioners Park Gardens 

Commissioners Park is adjacent to the Central Experimental Farm, not part of it. It is definitely worth adding to your tour.

Address: Queen Elizabeth Dr & Preston Street, Ottawa ON K1P 1B1

Services for Visitors: parking $ (available across from the Dows Lake Pavilion, at the corner of Preston St. and Queen Elizabeth Driveway) – washrooms (available in Dows Lake Pavilion) –  wheelchair accessible – child-friendly – dog-friendly (on leash)

Description: Follow the winding pathways and take in the explosion of colour in gardens filled with over 250,000 tulips in the spring. In summer, the tulips are replaced by thousands of annual flowers, which create beautiful scenic views with Dows Lake in the background. Located at the corner of Preston Street and the Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Commissioners Park extends over 8.95 hectares. It was built from the 1920s to 1950s on the site of a former lumberyard owned by J.R. Booth.

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• Head Office: Garden Promenade c/o 211 Russell Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 7X6
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About the Central Experimental Farm

Related links.

• Photo gallery
• Ottawa Research and Development Centre
• Central Experimental Farm Advisory Council
• Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site Management Plan
• Maps of the Central Experimental Farm

The Central Experimental Farm is 427 hectares (1,055 acres) of open space in downtown Ottawa, the capital of Canada, and borders the historic Rideau Canal.

History of the Farm

The Central Experimental Farm dates from 1886. Its original mandate was to be the central or focal point for a Canada-wide system of experimental farms to help resolve farm production questions. From an initial 5 sites, this national network has grown into a partnership of 19 and now includes multiple locations, sub stations and field sites in every Canadian province.

The Central Experimental Farm cropping fields and plot areas have played an essential part in many research and development successes. These include new cereal grains such as wheat varieties which have proven to be highly adapted to Canadian soils and weather. These varieties have demonstrated their value as they helped open up the Canadian prairies to agricultural production during the 20th century.

The Central Experimental Farm Advisory Council was established in 1999 to ensure public participation in the Farm’s management and to help ensure the continuing historic site designation. The Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site Management Plan provides the Farm's long-term management framework to balance the Farm's dual role as National Historic Site and an active research centre though the Ottawa Research and Development Centre .

The Central Experimental Farm has housed many diverse research programs including:

• soils and Canadian land inventory;
• food and dairy products processing technology;
• horticulture and ornamental plant breeding;
• agriculture engineering and farm mechanical systems;
• animal and poultry breeding and production;
• agricultural and forest insect identification and control methods;
• agricultural chemistry analysis methodology;
• plant and animal pathology;
• bacteriology and plant health;
• cereal and forage crop production utilization;
• bee research.

Frequently the research subject ranged from the whole organism down to the cellular or more recently the molecular level.

On the Farm

As an active research centre, the Central Experimental Farm is home to the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes and field plots devoted to plant breeding and agronomy studies.

Major attractions on the Farm include the Arboretum and the adjacent Ornamental Gardens, the Tropical Greenhouse.

The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum is a tourist destination on the Central Experimental Farm. Visit the museum to see exhibitions, artifacts and collections, learn about Canada’s scientific and technological heritage and experience the petting zoo and Farm.

The Fletcher Wildlife Garden - The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club and Friends of the Farm are two organizations who use the grounds and facilities of the Central Experimental Farm for public outreach programs.

Into its second century, the Central Experimental Farm continues its scientific focus as the location for laboratories and research plots. More than an active research centre and beautiful surroundings, the Central Experimental Farm is a National Historic Site and a taste of rural Canada.

Central Experimental Farm

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

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.  

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

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Experimental_Farm

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Fletcher Wildlife Garden at the Central Experimental Farm

Partially wheelchair accessible, child friendly, dog friendly (on leash).

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News, events, discussions, and what not from Ottawa, Ontario. / Nouvelles, événements, discussions et varia concernant la ville d'Ottawa, Ontario.

Is the Agriculture museum tickets for the experimental farm?

I want to go to the experimental farm and see some animals so I got tickets, but I’m a bit confused. Are my tickets for the experimental farm? Or an indoor space? IM REALLY CONFUSED

Here's when you can bounce on the 'World's Largest Bouncy Castle' in Ottawa this summer

You will be able to bounce on the world's biggest bouncy castle again this summer in Ottawa.

The Big Bounce Canada has announced the "World's Largest Bouncy Castle" will be at Saunders Farm July 13-14 and July 19-21.

"Start stretching Ottawa; the World's Largest Bounce House just got a whole lot bigger, better and bouncier to inflate Ottawa for two weekends," said a media release from Big Bounce Canada.

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There will be seven massive inflatable attractions, including the newly expanded 24,000 sq. ft. World's Largest Bounce House, the brand-new deep sea foam party inflatable OctoBlast, the incredible 900-plus foot-long obstacle course 'The Giant' and the customized sports area called 'Sport Slam.'

“We need more fun in the world, and what better way to bring that into 2024 than with a 24,000 sq. ft. bounce house!" Noa Visnich, tour manager of The Big Bounce Canada, said in a media release.

"The Big Bounce Canada is the perfect event for kids and adults alike to get out of the house and enjoy an outdoor event like they’ve never experienced."

Saunders Farm is located on Bleeks Road in Ottawa.

One ticket is for three hours. According to The Big Bounce Canada website , tickets start at $30 for the toddler session, $45 for the junior session and $52 for the adults only session.

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Fundraising company left in the dark over money owed by defunct Sask. private school

A fundraising company says it was left in the dark by a Saskatoon Montessori School that is facing allegations about teachers not being paid.

Human remains found in burned Sask. home once connected to Tiki Laverdiere murder

A North Battleford fire investigator discovered human remains inside a home that was destroyed in a fire on Saturday.

'I am really, really sorry': Lawyer reads statement from Langley, B.C., man who killed his wife

A B.C. man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of his wife – Langley teacher-librarian Naomi Onotera – chose not to address the victim's family and friends during a sentencing hearing Tuesday.

City of Vancouver loses appeal after court rules woman's birds are pets, not poultry

The City of Vancouver has lost an appeal in B.C. Supreme Court challenging a ruling made last year that a woman's two guinea fowl hens were being kept as pets, not poultry.

B.C. liberties group to file complaint of violent arrests at pro-Palestinian protest

The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association says it will be filing a complaint with the Vancouver Police Department's civilian oversight board, saying police used "excessive use of force" at a pro-Palestinian protest last month.

Vancouver Island

Major B.C. shipbuilding company fined $710K after worker suffers carbon monoxide poisoning

A major British Columbia shipbuilding company, which builds and services vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy, has been fined more than $700,000 after a worker suffered carbon monoxide poisoning at the company's Victoria shipyard.

'Swiftie swindle': Vancouver Island police warn of Taylor Swift ticket scam

Police on Vancouver Island are warning fans about a “Swiftie swindle” scamming Taylor Swift fans out of their money with fraudulent ticket sales on social media.

Worker killed in accident at Kelowna construction site

A construction worker died in a workplace incident in Kelowna on Friday, authorities have confirmed.

B.C. weather: Sun in forecast after record-breaking low weekend temperatures

Many parts of B.C. will see several days of sun this week after some regions experienced record-breaking low temperatures over the weekend.

Hunter attacked after shooting bear in B.C.'s Okanagan

A hunter was attacked by a black bear near Summerland, B.C., this week after he shot and wounded the animal.

Stay Connected

Friends of the Central Experimental Farm

• About the Farm
• Board of Directors and Staff
• Board Minutes, Financials and By-Laws
• Newsletters
• Links of Interest
• Plan Your Visit
• Collections
• Attractions

FCEF Annual Events

• Master Gardener Lectures
• Arboretum Tree Tours
• Announcing Our 2024 Ornamental Garden Tours!
• Celebritree
• Adult Volunteers
• Youth Volunteers
• Blooms: An Illustrated History
• Building Canada’s Farm
• Ottawa’s Farm
• Our Farm in the City
• The Four Seasons Greeting Cards – Set of 24
• Winter Greeting Cards
• Spring Greeting Cards
• Summer Greeting Cards
• Fall Greeting Cards

Our 2024 Events – Stay Tuned Throughout the Year for Updates

Check out our individual events as well as our series, below. Visit this page often for updates.

You may also sign up for our free monthly e-bulletin Farm Notes and visit our Facebook page for regular updates on our events.

In the meantime, we welcome your questions and ideas!

Friends of the Farm 2024 Annual Events:

Volunteer Recruitment – Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Open to all. Location: Building 72

Annual General Meeting (Virtual) – Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Friends of the Farm Plant Sale – Sunday, May 12, 2024 

Used Book Sale – Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9, 2024

Friends of the Farm 2024 Event Series:

Master Gardener Lectures! The video recordings of the f ive 2024 lectures are still available! Visit the Master Gardener Lecture webpage for details.

Arboretum Tree Tours – 2024 edition

Ornamental Garden Tours –   2024 edition