Celebrating creativity, discovery and human ingenuity is the essence of the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Canada Science and Technology Museum. United under the Ingenium brand, each museum represents a collaborative space that tells the stories of people who test the limits, honouring those who have shaped history and who inspire the next generation. With unique sensory experiences appealing to all ages, these museums showcase the countless ways science and innovation connect with Canadians’ everyday lives. No matter how often you visit, you’re sure to discover something new each time.
Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
As the world’s only working farm in the heart of a capital city, this is the place to see, up close, scores of farm animals and learn about their care and role in our daily lives. The barns are home to many breeds of dairy and beef cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, poultry, goats and rabbits; they’re complemented by the many educational programs, hands-on demonstrations and exhibits showcasing Canada’s impressive agricultural heritage and contemporary innovations towards sustainable agriculture and food security.
As the season for renewal, spring is an especially fun time to visit ‘the farm’, as it is often referred to by Ottawans. Enjoy the baby animals and fresh plantings, the outdoor play spaces, plus the barns and indoor displays.
Seasonal events will be returning and a new exhibit, Aquaculture: Farming the Waters, launches soon. Embark on a journey to discover how Canadian farmers on the coasts and across the country produce seafood. Check out the ‘Articulture’ workshops for kids and adults, to learn from award-winning illustrators how to draw and paint farm animals. It’s a great way to round out your fresh-air adventure at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum!
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Considered one of the finest aviation museums in the world, this fascinating facility focuses on more than 120 years of aviation in Canada, as well as Canada’s contributions to global aerospace technology. The museum’s impressive collection includes more than 130 civil and military aircraft and artifacts. Braille binders, which present self-guided tours of a number of exhibitions, are available as part of the museum’s ongoing commitment to accessibility.
Marvel at such treasures as the largest surviving pieces of the famous Avro Arrow, the original Canadarm used on Space Shuttle Endeavour, a massive Second World War Avro Lancaster bomber and Life in Orbit: The International Space Station. New this year is a stellar exhibition called Eyes on the Skies – a hands-on experience exploring air traffic management, and the people, technologies and innovations that keep our skies safe. As the second-most-popular place in the National Capital Region on Canada Day, the museum offers free admission plus a full slate of indoor and outdoor activities; biplane and helicopter rides are also available (check website for cost and timing.) No matter when you visit, let your imagination take flight at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum!
Canada Science and Technology Museum
There’s never been a better time to go to the Canada Science and Technology Museum. In an expanded and completely redesigned space, it offers everything visitors liked about the previous incarnation – particularly the locomotives and the Crazy Kitchen – plus more artifacts and interactives that will surely become new favourites. Learn about Canada’s science and technology achievements and stories about some of our greatest innovators in an immersive, educational and fun way.
Younger children will enjoy the ZOOOM gallery or tinkering in the Exploratek space, which celebrates their natural curiosity as they investigate, experiment and exercise their creativity in a space filled with elements of surprise. In addition to its popular daily stage demos, the museum has created a new series of short 10-minute demos that explore unique topics like physics, including a hypnotic pendulum wave or the soothing ‘clickety-clack’ sound of a string of beads falling from a vase in a chain fountain. With more than half a dozen permanent exhibitions as well as special events, the Canada Science and Technology Museum offers so much to spark the imagination and encourage further exploration. Visit and be inspired!
Delicious innovation now on the menu at Ingenium
Food and beverage services have stepped into a new era thanks to Ingenium’s partnership with local purveyor The Urban Element. At the Canada Science and Technology Museum, a new onsite café has launched, offering fresh, innovative cuisine using locally sourced ingredients. The concept will be rolled out soon at the other museums, plus catering, culinary education programs and more.
Membership and more
Membership offers great value to enjoy all three museums, as often as you’d like. This year, summer camps are back as part of the exciting return to normalcy. And all three museums provide a wealth of online resources including some games and apps that blend science or history with your child’s gaming habits, available at https://ingeniumcanada.org/online-resources-for-science-at-home
