Canada Agriculture and Food Museum facts for kids
| Musée de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation du Canada | |
Exterior of museum's main building, "Building 88"
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| Established | 12 October 1983 |
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| Location | 901 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | Agricultural museum |
| Visitors | 202,000 (FY2018–19) |
| Ingenium | |
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The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum (also known as Musée de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation du Canada in French) is a special national museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It's located on a real working farm called the Central Experimental Farm. This museum teaches visitors all about farm life, agricultural science, and the history of farming in Canada. They have public programs, exhibitions, and even organize traveling exhibits for other museums!
History of the Museum
The museum's story began in 1920 with a collection at the Central Experimental Farm. However, a full national agriculture museum didn't open until October 1983. It was first called the Agriculture Museum.
In 1978, people started talking about creating a museum inside one of the old farm buildings. By 1980, the top floor of the dairy barn was chosen for exhibitions. The government departments Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the National Museums of Canada (NMC) worked together. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada provided the building, and NMC ran the museum.
The museum officially opened on October 12, 1983. Its first exhibits were "Haying in Canada," showing farm equipment from 1840 to 1960, and "A Barn of the Twenties," which let visitors experience a 1920s barn. Over time, the museum grew beyond just the dairy barn. Today, it uses seven buildings for visitors and staff.
The museum was first managed by the NMC. Later, in 1988, a new organization called Ingenium took over. The museum's name has changed a couple of times. In May 2000, it became the Canada Agriculture Museum. Then, in May 2013, it got its current name: the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum.
Exploring the Museum Grounds
The museum is located within the Central Experimental Farm. This farm is a research center for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, a part of the Canadian government. The museum uses several buildings on the farm, but these buildings are still owned by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
The main building is called the "Dairy Barn" or "Building 88." It's a three-story barn with a pointed roof and two side sections. It's made from stone and wood. The original barn was built in 1887–88, but it burned down and was rebuilt in 1913. Because of its history with dairy farm research, this building is a recognized heritage site. Inside, you'll find museum exhibits and the museum's dairy cows!
Other buildings at the museum include the "Swine Showcase Building" or "Building 91." This building was built in 1911 and updated in the 1930s. It used to be where pigs were tested, but now it's part of the museum.
Several other buildings are used for events. The "Meadowview Barn" (Building 95) was built in 1912 for dairy research. Today, the museum uses it for special events and summer camps. The "Cereal Barn" (Building 76) is also used as an event space.
What You Can Do at the Museum
The museum is run by Ingenium. Ingenium is a special organization that helps protect Canada's history in science and technology. Besides this museum, Ingenium also manages the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Canada Science and Technology Museum.
The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum offers programs and exhibits about the history of farming in Canada. It also shows how science helps agriculture. Since it's on the Central Experimental Farm, it's a "working farm." This means you can see about 150 farm animals! These include a herd of 50 dairy cows, horses, beef cattle, pigs, goats, chickens, and sheep.
Besides learning about farm history, the museum also has a collection of old tractors. The museum is connected with other Canadian museum groups, like the Canadian Museums Association.
The museum also creates traveling exhibits. These exhibits visit smaller museums across Canada. There's even an outdoor "energy park" that shows different ways to use renewable energy. Along with exhibits, the museum offers live demonstrations and spaces you can rent for special events.
See also
- Agriculture in Canada
- Manitoba Agricultural Museum
- Ontario Agricultural Museum
- Ornamental Gardens
