Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
24 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
24 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
24 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
24 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada Prince Edward Island O'Leary Canadian Potato Museum
Gastro Obscura

Canadian Potato Museum

This sprawling collection hides many charms.

O'Leary, Prince Edward Island

Added By
dcooper
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

One might think that the name "Canadian Potato Museum" does not inspire an enormous amount of excitement.

Canada and potatoes are not what most people would consider thrilling subjects. In fact, despite effusive exhibit titles like the "Amazing Potato Exhibit!" it may be the least exciting-sounding museum in the world. But don't be fooled; this sprawling collection hides many charms. 

In fact the Canadian Potato Museum is quite interesting, housing a huge collection of farm implements, machinery, and "the largest exhibit of potato artifacts in the world!"

The "Amazing Potato Exhibit!" along with the "Potato Interpretive Center" takes you on "a journey through time, learning about the potato from its beginning as a wild food source in South America, to the fourth largest commercial crop in the world." According to the museum's website, "Many visitors come from all over the world each year to enjoy this unique experience." 

The museum also houses a "Community Museum" which includes household artifacts, tools, and industrial objects collected in the late 1960s from Prince Edward Island. "Medical, military, fox farming, carpentry tools, handcraft industry" and "19th century living room, bedroom, and kitchen artifacts" make up the community museum.

In the next room is the "Antique Farming Equipment" room, which includes a re-creation carriage shop and numerous antique threshers. Among the threshers is the "first thresher ever made by Thomas Hall founder of Hall’s Manufacturing Ltd in Summerside, PE" which, for Canadian potato enthusiasts, is rather a big deal. 

A walk down heritage lane is an outside stroll through antique or re-creation buildings made up as they once would have been. The Heritage Chapel is a real chapel from 1880, the Log Cabin is a reconstructed cabin where you can see a "grain thresher, reaper, binder, beater potato digger (Moody), fanners for cleaning grain, a potato cart, a buggy, a jaunting sleigh, and plows." The Little Red Schoolhouse was built in 1900 and was moved onto the museum grounds in the 1990s. Finally, the crown jewel: the Telephone Office was an operating local telephone system until 1968 when the Automatic Dial System came into operation.

The giant potato outside of the museum entrance stands tall to let all know that they have arrived at their destination. In the words of the museum, "Collectors of the curious will be pleased to find the giant sculptured potato at the entrance to the museum. This giant potato is made of fiberglass and stands 14 feet high and is 7 feet in diameter. This is a very popular spot for picture taking."

Don't miss the Potato Blossom Festival which is the last week in July. 

Related Tags

Niche Museums Museums And Collections Collections Instruments Of Science Food Food Museums Potato Museums Potatoes Museums

Community Contributors

Added By

dcooper

Published

April 11, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Canadian Potato Museum
Dewar Lane
O'Leary, Prince Edward Island, C0B 1V0
Canada
46.707057, -64.226944
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Seaweed Pie

O'Leary, Prince Edward Island

miles away

Edouard Arsenault Bottle Houses

Wellington County, Prince Edward Island

miles away

Red Sands of Prince Edward Island

Lower Darnley, Prince Edward Island

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of O'Leary

O'Leary

Prince Edward Island

Places 2

Nearby Places

Seaweed Pie

O'Leary, Prince Edward Island

miles away

Edouard Arsenault Bottle Houses

Wellington County, Prince Edward Island

miles away

Red Sands of Prince Edward Island

Lower Darnley, Prince Edward Island

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of O'Leary

O'Leary

Prince Edward Island

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

The Ultimate Guide to the World's Food Museums

List

By Sam O'Brien

10 Places That Will Take You to Potato Paradise

List

By Sam O'Brien

Related Places

  • Blackfoot, Idaho

    Idaho Potato Museum

    This museum glorifies the humble potato.

  • The National Cookie Cutter Museum.

    Joplin, Missouri

    National Cookie Cutter Historical Museum

    A small museum dedicated to the whimsical tool that turns sugar cookies into works of art.

  • The Gurkenmuseum.

    Lübbenau/Spreewald, Germany

    Gurkenmuseum (Cucumber Museum)

    A museum honoring Germany’s cucumber mecca offers a great dill of gherkin history.

  • Auvers-sur-Oise, France

    Musée de l'Absinthe

    One woman's decades-long obsession with the "La Fée Verte."

  • The “pet ham” is 119 years old.

    Smithfield, Virginia

    World’s Oldest Edible Ham

    The nearly 120-year-old piece of pork wears a brass collar and was once a man's "pet ham."

  • Stuffed bananas at the Banana Museum.

    Sierksdorf, Germany

    Bananenmuseum

    A museum dedicated to the silliest fruit.

  • Example of Unicum as Molotov Cocktail.

    Budapest, Hungary

    Zwack Unicum Museum

    Central Europe's largest collection of mini-bottles is on display at this museum devoted to a bitter Hungarian liquor.

  • That’s a lot of mustard.

    Middleton, Wisconsin

    National Mustard Museum

    More than 5,000 contemporary and "historic" mustards from around the world.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.