ottawa museum reviews.com

Canada Agriculture and Food Museum

cafmuseum.techno-science.ca

This review of the Agriculture Museum is long overdue.  Here in Ottawa, not only do we have the beautiful Arboretum along the Rideau Canal, but we have a wonderful Farm/Museum close by!

This has to be one of the most popular museums in the city for those with lively toddlers.  Babies and toddlers absolutely love farm animals!  There's cows, sheep, goats, llamas, horses, pigs and chickens to see.  From building to building one can learn all about the different breeds of farm animals and watch them feeding and even being groomed while sparrows fly all about.  There are bunny hutches, chicken coops and even wagon rides for an additional fee.

And what a fun museum to visit on a bright sunny spring/summer day when it's just too nice to be inside.  There are loads of picnic areas if you want to bring along your picnic baskets.  For those germaphobes (*guilty*), there's plenty of hand washing stations so go ahead and pat the sheep.  There's lots of signs so you'll know which creatures are gentle and which to not touch.

Let's not forget about some of the littlest farm creatures, the honeybees.  There's a very popular exhibit called Taking Care of Beesness, starring the Museum's very own honeybee colony.  Housed in a see-through hive, the bees come and go, seemingly oblivious to all the curious crowds.  It's great fun to see them dance and communicate while the queen is tended to.  Full of facts about honeybee species and bee products, this exhibit is one sweet learning experience.  Highly recommended!

The permanent Tractor exhibit is also a fun destination with a simulated tractor ride too.

There's so much to see and learn in the fresh farm air.  Afterwards you can always walk about the Arboretum and admire the gorgeous blooms nearby.  Plenty of photo ops here!