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A gem in the heart of Canada’s Capital, the Central Experimental Farm has enchanted visitors for more than a century.

Surrounded by the city, this internationally acclaimed centre for agricultural research is a lush oasis of grain-filled fields, barnyard animals, spectacular gardens and the arboretum.

The Central Experimental Farm is an agricultural research facility and a working farm located in the heart of Ottawa. It is a National Historic Site and a cultural heritage landscape.

Highlights of the History of the Central Experimental Farm:

For further information about CEF research history, please check the following report, which is available from Better World Books : One Hundred Harvests – Research Branch, Agriculture Canada 1886-1986 / T.H. Anstey. 1986

• 75+ unique garden experiences!

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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The Canada Agriculture Museum is living proof of the “Green Capital”. In fact, Ottawa is the only world Capital that has a working farm at its heart - the Central Experimental Farm.

Canada’s unique agricultural heritage is featured at the Canada Agriculture Museum, where you can explore the sights and sounds of typical farm life.

www.ingeniumcanada.org/cafm | www.friendsofthefarm.ca

Central Experimental Farm 901 Prince of Wales Central Experimental Farm Website

Free of the Central Experimental Farm

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Central Experimental Farm

The Central Experimental Farm is located in Ottawa, Ontario and was established in 1886 as the central research station for the federal Department of Agriculture. The Farm continues that scientific focus as the location for laboratories and research plots for the Ottawa Research and Development Centre .

The Central Experimental Farm is also a National Historic Site of Canada and home to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada headquarters. The Farm and some of its attractions are open to the public throughout the year.

Parking at Dominion Arboretum — COVID-19 public health measures

Contributors

• Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
• Fletcher Wildlife Garden - The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
• Friends of the Farm
• Parks Canada

Services and information

About the farm.

Learn about the Central Experimental Farm

Mikinàk Ceremonial Lodge

Indigenous gathering space that offers a safe environment to share Indigenous knowledge and lived experiences

Farm attractions

Major attractions at the Central Experimental Farm

Maps of the farm

Identify boundaries, buildings and sites of interest on the Central Experimental Farm

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Find out about weddings, charitable activities, calendar of activities, and rules for dogs on the farm

Farm Advisory Council

Learn about public participation in the farm’s management

National Historic Site management plan

Learn about the long-term framework for managing the farm as both a national historic site and an active research landscape

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Central Experimental Farm - Contact us

Email: [email protected]

Mailing address: Central Experimental Farm (CEF) Information Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada K.W. Neatby Building - Room 1103 960 Carling Avenue Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6

Telephone: 613-759-1982 Facsimile: 613-759-6901 (Be sure to mark "Attention: CEF Information" on your cover page)

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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.

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• 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).

Central Experimental Farm

Top ways to experience Central Experimental Farm and nearby attractions

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Central Experimental Farm - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Central Experimental Farm

As stated in its  National Historic Site designation ,  the heritage value of the Central Experimental Farm (CEF) lies in its research capacity. As worldwide climate change threatens global food security, worldwide importance of the CEF's research cannot be dismissed. 

UPDATE: June 19, 2024

Heritage Ottawa was pleased to learn that, at Councillor Riley Brockington's urging, a Central Experimental Farm Working Group has been created, composed of the City of Ottawa, Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada, and the National Capital Commission to develop terms of reference for a plan to assess and mitigate potential impacts of future development on the scientific and heritage values associated with the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site of Canada. Heritage Ottawa has written to the City's Planning and Housing Committee to support this important initiative and to request that the consultants engaged as part of this process have the skills and experience appropriate to the task. The goal is to obtain the information needed to create digital 3D models, conduct shadow analysis, and show shadow impacts on specific research activities on the Farm. Heritage Ottawa has recommended that the City put any upcoming development applications for construction in proximity to the Farm on hold pending the consultants' recommendations and a decision by Council on how to proceed. Heritage Ottawa has also recommended a public presentation on the consultants' report with an opportunity to comment and contribute.

UPDATE: November 29, 2023

The proposed construction of three residential towers at Baseline and Fisher Roads, adjacent to the Central Experimental Farm, is the latest affront to this important research facility and National Historic Site of Canada. 

With concern for the negative impact of shadows on the CEF’s research fields, city staff has recommended approval of only one 24-storey tower. Approval of the second and third towers, which would be 24 and 32 storeys, has been paused pending further analysis on the potential effects on the farm's research.

Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada (AAFC) has stated that Towers B and C of Phase 2 of the proposed development "will have a significant detrimental effect on the ability to carry out research on those plots of farmland in shadow”.    

Representatives of AAFC including Pascal Michel, director general for the Ontario-Québec Region’s science and technology branch, spoke to Committee, describing the lands along Baseline as a “jewel” for agricultural research.  

Representatives of AAFC have joined a working group with city staff to help determine how development around the CEF should be handled. The group is slated to meet in December. 

City of Ottawa staff have been asked to report back to the Planning and Housing Committee by early 2024 with a decision on whether the second and third towers will be built on Baseline Road. 

Heritage Ottawa attended today’s meeting to request that the Committee not recommend Phase 1 of the tower development proposal on Baseline Road until completion of the proposed third-party review of impacts on the Central Experimental Farm research.  The Committee, however, voted unanimously to approve rezoning of the southern portion of the property to allow construction of the first tower, with a height of 24-storeys.    

UPDATE: September 27, 2023

Today at City Council, a Zoning By-law Amendment allowing a tower development of 16 and 27 storeys at 1081 Carling Avenue was passed with no discussion by a recorded vote of 18 yeas and 7 nays.

Thanks to Councillors Bradley, Troster, Menard, Devine, Brockington, Kelly and Kavanagh for voting in favour of respecting the Central Experimental Farm and its valuable research. 

Heritage Ottawa remains vigilant in our commitment to seeing the cultural heritage attributes and scientific research protected on the Central Experimental Farm. 

UPDATE: September 26, 2023

Heritage Ottawa has written to Mayor Sutcliffe urging a deferral on the zoning application decision regarding the proposed towers that will overshadow the Central Experimental Farm until further discussions with Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada (AAFC) on the impacts to critically important scientific research fields can take place.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Heritage Ottawa has been advocating for protection of the Central Experimental Farm for years. Scroll down for a compilation of media coverage, along with our own statements relating to protection of the CEF and its important work, presented in reverse chronological order dating back to November 2014. 

By Leslie Maitland

Heritage Ottawa and others worked for years to persuade the Ottawa Hospital and the Government of Canada not to build on the Central Experimental Farm’s (CEF) prime...

Ottawa Citizen, By Blair Crawford

The city's planning and housing committee considered, and approved, a zoning bylaw amendment for towers of 32 and 24 storeys at the farm's southeast...

CTV NEWS, by Ted Raymond

The City of Ottawa's Planning and Housing Committee has approved a plan to build two high-rise towers on Baseline Road, directly across the street from the Central...

Heritage Ottawa supports the position of scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada that shadows cast by Phase 2 of the currently proposed tower development at 780 Baseline Road will have a...

CBC News, by Elyse Skura

Three high-rise buildings could soon tower over Ottawa's Central Experimental Farm after city planners decided the shadows they'll cast won't compromise the...

Ottawa Citizen | OPINION, by David Miller

I have been surprised that some Ottawa city councillors think the core purpose of the Central Experimental Farm, crop breeding, should be...

CTV NEWS | By Ted Raymond

City of Ottawa staff have been asked to report to the Planning and Housing Committee by early next year with a decision on whether two towers will be built on...

CBC OTTAWA | By Arthur White-Crummey

City councillors are puzzled about how to handle highrise development around the Central Experimental Farm as they balance housing against science in...

CTV NEWS | OTTAWA, by William Etherington

A new Ottawa housing development consisting of new residential towers on Baseline Road looks to be in danger due to shadowing concerns on the...

CTV NEWS | OTTAWA, By Josh Pringle

Taggart Realty Management has received the green light to build two high-rise towers across the street from the Central Experimental Farm.