Reviews of Central Experimental Farm (Zoo)

A. George Adamson

Amazing research facility

Jean Cuillerier

Took my twin boys for the first time and they absolutely loved it. From farm equipment to animals, educational elements and play structures, it's a great way to spend a few hours learning and playing.

Daniel Giddings

Can't even figure out where to go. Drove there with my two young kids, ended up on tiny 30km/h ring roads that did nothing, couldn't even find the damn entrance. Ended up turning around & driving back home. The lack of any kind of signage made for a wasted trip. I guess if you're familiar with the area, you might know what to do, but this place is anything but tourist-friendly.

dank tank

Good place to relax, hundreds of native plant species. Nice sitting areas, parking is free in some places or 3$ an hour if you wish to contribute to the farm. Good for families or just a nice stoll. Sometime you'll get lucky with a bunny rabbit ????

BOTTLES IN ICE

RESPECT THE LEASH LAWS! Way too many don't and soon bylaw will fix that issue.

Stephanie Clark

I REALLY appreciate the care that it's given! Good job!

Victoria McCaughan

Great activity to get little ones outdoors while social distancing. Very educational and fun even with new restrictions.

Ali Ahmed

Air is fresh and the breeze is gentle; great experience!

Debra Humphrey

Great place to work surrounded by so much Antiquity and nature

Matthew Doddridge

There are always great activities going on at the experimental farm. Went to some sort of insect festival recently. Tons of great educational activities for kids. There were microscopes and live bugs along with bug ice cream. It's tasted fine but I kept finding cricket legs in my teeth after. I won't subtract stars for that because it's not the experimental farm's fault. I welcome the opportunity to try out insect food. We'll all be eating bugs in the dark future that awaits us and our children. Five stars!!

Tyler Keddy

Nice farm in middle of the city and great for children to visit. They can play at the park as well. My kids enjoy the dairy farm.

Manveer Singh

Beautiful Place and well maintained ????????????❤️

Elizabeth Kingsbury

Beautiful working farm & park right in the City of Ottawa.. Wonderful place to walk dogs on leash. Fletcher Wildlife Garden is a gem.. Ideal place to take pictures of all sorts of wildlife, etc...Gorgeous tall abundant trees and spectacular gardens. A must see & do for everyone! Don’t miss out!! ❤️

Adriano Raffoul

Beautifull

Emily McLaughlin

We had a great time! The kids loved it - The worm expedition was extremely boring though.

BILL GONIDIS

Going back in time great fun

Stewart Spiers

Fun even for little kids. Lots of stuff to do and animals to see. The animals seem happy which is great. My little one cried because the cow moo'd too loud but I won't take any stars away for that. Highly recommend but I wish parking was free

Carl Cencig

Very enjoyable experience visiting the Central Experimental Farm. The farm has many farm animals, which are available to see. There is an agricultural museum on site as well as extensive grounds you can walk and visit. Worth visiting!

Nick Powers

The farm is a true gem within the Ottawa community. There are very few major cities in the world that have a fully operating, large scale farm within the core of their City. What's better is that the public is able to walk throughout the farm and talk with the staff. Cannot say enough good things about this place.

Jenn B

We enjoy the farm, and the experience during the pandemic was great. So nice to be able to visit and see the animals. Very clean, felt very safe while here

Murray Kellett

Was a wonderful and quiet and senic place for quiet reflection last sumer anyways.

It's Wandyturo

The central experimental farm is a very beautiful place to visit. Especially if you're someone who likes taking pictures like myself. It has lots of nice spots to take some of the coolest photos for the gram(Instagram) LOL. Also, if you have kids, it has a farm animal side where the kids can supposedly see, play and feed the animals(we didn't visit this side, so I don't have much information). The only downside for me though was the sunflower field, which was what we originally went there to see. Apparently there's supposedly a sunflower field on this farm, but we spent almost the entire day walking and searching for it, but never came across any. And to make things worse, we had no one to ask for information or direction as to if the sunflower field exists there and where to it. Overall, I was a little disappointed after our visit. But still a nice place to go.

Isabeau Landry

A very good place for a gentle walk all the while educate yourself on various plants.

Aom Hildebrand

We always have a great time here. The kids love this place

D “Dovbr” Br

Great for kids

Gailene Green

I love the Agriculture Museum. Great place for a picnic, to play, see farm animals and learn about life on the farm. Every needs to bring their kids here... they'll LOVE it!!! And the Arboretum and Ornamental gardens are fabulous for walking, meditation and relaxation. Accessible by bicycle, walking or car... but the pay parking can be limited and there is no free parking.

Jessie Guindon

(Translated) Great place to visit with family (Original) Superbe endroit à visiter en famille

Michael Oliver

Was great for the kids even under covid rules.

Andrei Kodenko

The museum is a great place for children to learn about agriculture. Great playground. Used to have a nice picnic area with outdoor tables. No tables anymore because of the quarantine, but hopefully they put them back when its over. Real working farm with all kinds of livestock and farm equipment. Many kilometers of trails to walk or to ride your bicycle. Very nice flower garden where scores of newlyweds come for their photos shoots. The only downside is that its only enjoyable May to September as it gets to cold for prolonged outdoor activities. If you find yourself in the National Capital Region in the summer, then definitely visit Central Experimental Farm. Your kids will love it.

Edgard Rodriguez

Very nice, safe, well-organized... A good hour to walk through.

Patrick Beverdam

Kids loved it !

Bil Jay

Excellent for young children! Lots of information about the farming processes and the animals. Highly recommend and will likely go again the next time I'm in Ottawa.

Tammy Peters

Beautiful! So relaxing to walk the gardens. I went during the week so it was not busy.

Naomi Cappuccino

Rural gem right in the middle of a big city.

Marc 13

Great for cycling and walking through. Peaceful and relaxing in the middle of the city.

Linda Dam

One of my favorite bike paths in the city to go for a leisurely cycle. It's mostly flat but the scenery is relaxing.

Lisa n

They did a really good job making it covid safe. Sanitizer every opening and making everything single file where possible. You aren't aloud to touch the animals, which is sad but clearly the right decision.

Macey

Awesome place to spend an afternoon and see so many farm animals. Many opportunities to learn as well. I'd definitely recommend a visit here with family and small kids.

sue murphy

Great place for cats that go out with THIER buddies!!!!

Steeve McArdle

Great place for a walk

Manuel Oscar Ortega

Very good

David Berman

A national treasure.

Richard Luu

Awesome place to see farm animals

Andrew McCowan

I have walked through this farm more times than I could ever count. Definetely go check out the hedge rows next to the tennis club, great place to relax.

Bobby SHARKS

Very popular place to walk bike and explore

Fatou RICHARD

(Translated) Very nice experience. Nice discovery (Original) Très belle expérience. Belle découverte

M Reid

Beautiful for a walk but parking can be difficult. I also believe there should be more signage with where to find what.

examali 86

(Translated) Hello I am Moroccan age 32 I have 6 experience in the field of agriculture I am looking for a work contract if you can help me Thank you (Original) Bonjour je suis marocaine de âge 32 ans j'ais 6 l'expérience dans le domaine d'agriculture je cherche un contrat de travaille si tu peux me aidée Merci

Tony Ciarla

Such a large amount of natural acreage in the heart of Ottawa. There would be more Ottawans and tourist visiting if it was managed right! It seems like there trying to keep it for themselves! The majority of the parking spots are marked for employees!? Funny part is the spots are alwayes empty!? No barbecuing or picknick areas? Soon it will be taken over by bycicle paths?

Pulickal Suryanarayanan

Great place for kids. Nice weekend outing for everyone!

janet stephens

It’s a great place to go and see all kinds of flowers and trees . Always a great day at the farm .

Fernando Taglisie

Wonderful wonderful nature. Peaceful, fun. Like Ottawa's version of Central Park, along with the Arboretum right beside, without the big city influences like smog, crime, vendors, etc. Certain times during the year you can count on Mother Nature to put on a bit of a show. Mid spring apple blossoms, followed by tulips, chrysanthemums, roses, and more in the months that follow. A great place to explore and relax. Stay on the clearly trodden paths and off the beds so everbody can enjoy for years to come!

dustin burke

Amazing experience. Someone give Tina some extra feed for us. What a Rockstar.

Sara Supple

Love the Experimental Farm and the gardens... They never get old :)

Sharon McDonald

We loved the sunflower fields this year.....soooo beautiful, we were wondering what the farm does with the harvested sunflower seeds? Thank you????????

Richard Malloy

What a beautiful place for a walk or visiting the buildings. I walked from Carling Ave and loved the Victorian style architecture plus the grounds.

Pat Crosscombe

Visiting the farm in the spring brings a special beauty. Flowering trees, shrubs, flowers add to the stunning display of color.

Shanda Pinpoint

Husband and I recently got married this August and because of covid I couldn't take many pictures elsewhere. On that note, my daughter and I came here to take pictures of myself in my dress.. Even though the flowers were not present, my pics were beautiful. This place is amazing for wedding pictures and even prom pics

Chris Wegierski

Historical site. Lots of heritage buildings, arboretum, botanical gardens, the Agriculture museum, and a lot of Agriculture and Agrifood Canada research offices and laboratories. It's a large farm in the middle of Ottawa, Dow's Lake nearby, and the Rideau canal. Very pleasant to walk, bike, or ski(winter) through. Not as accessible as other large city parks like NYC central park because it is farm.

Sasha Walker

We were late for our time slot because we got lost. The lady at the front desk was really nice. My daughter had a blast!

Fatih Mutlu

Great green place. Especially in the begining of the spring. Around end of April or first week of May. That time flower trees open with pink and white flowers. Highly recommend that place

Staci Greveling

Love the farm!

Mary McEwen

Lots of different areas to explore, cows, sheep, flowers and wide open fields...

Derek R.

Such an amazing place to be in the core of the city. You forget you're in the city while there.

Leticia Trop

Beware of PESTICIDE USE - not posted, no warnings, but definitely in widespread use on their fields.

Brandon Somerville

Lots to see and very informative ????

Eve Navaie

My kids loved our visit to the farm today, they were so happy seeing all those animals.

philip Cochrane

Great place to escape in ottawa for a walk, run or bike lots of green space and beautiful trees and flowers!

Roberto Bagnato

Very accessible in the summer and fall. The sunflowers in the summer were 10/10 for photo ops!

Antoine B

Kids love this place

Sam Fransham

One of the best museums in Ottawa. So many fun interactive exhibits for kid’s and fun for adults. The staff are incredibly friendly and will answer all your questions.

Cameron Langdon

OK?

Shirley Monkhouse

My Ancestor John Mulligan orginal home farm is one of the 4 first to become the Ex Farm, there is a monument - large but no one can find it, I walked 3 km and twisted my ankle doing so, and still have not found this large monument for my 2nd Great GrandFather. Has anyone got any idea where it is - I have called every phone number I can find and no one has any idea where it is or even what I am talking about, Anyone able to help ?

Amy Hu

Beautiful and fun all year long.

Rachel D

Lots of fun for all ages.

Lana Berndt

Social distancing was respected

Francine Costa

One of my forever favorite places to walk! Those trees are sooo inspiring!! We saw thousands of geese flying over!!

Syed Ali

Nice place to spend time with the family.

Charlie Gervais

Animals are fun.

Ad_vent_ur_ist

Recently biked through experimental farm pathway loop. I really liked the biking path as no vehicles around and scenic view. I found that the best time is morning between 6 - 9 or if in the evening, couple of hours before sunset as it won't be that hot (again depending on the day if it's too hot or sober)

James O'Connell

It a very Beautiful Farm!!

Jaqui Lee

You need to go past all the fields of science labs to get here! There's areas where you can see how they take care of cows and pigs (met a massive sleeping bull) and cool installations on the future of food! There's a mock little factory and cellars you can enter to get a sense of what food production and storage was like in the olden days. You can meet feed little baby calves while feeling guilty they're pulled away from their moms when they're two days old.

Chris Foster

First time visiting. Nice experience for the family.

Matt M

Always a 5-Star time there. We just came at a bad time of the day and some of the animals weren't there but thats our poor planning.

Andrew de la Ronde

This was our first visit, it was a lot of fun. The kids had a great time seeing all the animals. The staff were very friendly and would stop to answer all your questions. The facility was very clean and is well laid out to keep the flow of visitors moving. A great time, well worth the visit.

Jenna Elward

We love the experimental farm. With the capacity limits it feels like no one is there. You can touch the animals again which is nice as well.

Laura Barton

Wonderful way to expose city kids to farm animals.

Rosemary O'Connell

Great place to go for a leisurely stroll with lots of interesting things to see. You can ride your bike, jog or power walk and never be bored You see the fields, the barns & the gardens.

Courtney Henderson

The map they gave out was really helpful except one of their signs was broken and it was hard to find the dairy bar (thank goodness for the map!) overall it was a good experience. Kind of wish they had a cafe or something made with the milk/bread they have. Forgot to pack a lunch so we just left but my daughter loved how close to the cows you could go !

Brady Hodge

This was an okay place to go on a date, but it would be better for those unacquainted with the farm. Also it was mostly walking around and reading. That being said we missed the demonstrations so maybe that's why. Website could be more helpful as I found it lacking in information. I was also a little put off that we are supporting GMO's. Would also have liked better look at chickens.

Ethel Quade

Very beautiful and smelled great.

Suzanne Lee

(Translated) Very interesting! Suitable for children! Places on site to have a snack or a picnic that we have brought. Paid parking ($ 3 per hour, maximum $ 8). You have to buy your tickets in advance due to the Covid. (Original) Très intéressant! Adapté aux enfants! Endroits sur place pour prendre une collation ou un picnic qu'on a apportés. Stationnement payant (3$ de l'heure, maximum 8$). Il faut acheter ses billets d'avance dû à la Covid.

Mike Pereira

I love the farm. Great to have this valuable resource in the city.

scott Thompson

I was here when I was a kid in the 60's and still stop by now in 2020..great place to bring the family ..This place should never be touched or developed ...its a jewel..bring your children ..lots of farm animals.

Betty Riungu

Beautiful place to walk around

Diana Tratch

Always a family favourite!!! My kids would go every day if they could!

James Shugart

Great place to walk

Nick S.

What a great place to bring the kids on a weekend to play and learn at the same time! Love how interactive it is!

hhg 301

Lovely area of Ottawa. Abundance of trees of a huge assortment. We're lucky to have it in the city.

John Mayes

Not open just yet, but, a wonderful resource in the centre of the city