Armsby Respiration Calorimeter Museum

Historic site used in research almost 60 years, now engages audiences in the history of scientific endeavor.

Constructed in 1899, the Armsby Respiration Calorimeter was designed and used to monitor an animal's metabolism to determine the net energy value of food that an animal used to produce milk or meat. It attracted worldwide scientific interest and helped to develop feeds of higher nutritive value. In 1904, the design of the Calorimeter Building won a grand prize at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. Not only was it used for animal nutrition research, but it was also used for human observation research. The last experiment was in 1960. In 1969, the Agriculture Alumni Association funded the restoration of the building to preserve it as a museum for future generations.