FLORENCEVILLE-BRISTOL, N.B. -- Driving along the Trans-Canada highway in northwestern New Brunswick, people will see an intriguing sign for a local attraction -- Potato World.

Yes, a museum about potatoes. And why not? The town of Florenceville-Bristol, headquarters for McCain Foods, is known as the french fry capital of the world.

This farming community that straddles the St. John River is picturesque with its lush green fields, winding roads and walking trails. It's located roughly halfway between Fredericton and Edmundston and just minutes from the Canada-United States border.

Just after exiting the highway you'll spot a red-and-white, barn-style building on your right, with a sign out front to show you've arrived at Potato World.

Inside you're drawn into an inviting structure with vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, smiling staff and a cafe well-known for its homemade delights. We'll get back to the cafe later.

Tammy Fowler, the museum's manager, has a simple answer when asked, "Why a potato museum?"

"Well, we are the french fry capital of the world and this is where McCain Foods started," she said.

She said the museum was started by Marilyn Strong, who was Harrison McCain's personal assistant for 46 years. Fowler said it was Strong's dream to honour local farmers, and the museum opened in 2004.

"Everything in our museum is non-profit, so all the machinery and everything have been donated or on loan from local farmers in memory of family members," she said.

Inside the museum you'll discover an impressive collection of farm implements and machinery dating back to the 1850s and learn about the progression of potato farming since.

Fowler said many people comment that their grandparents had similar machinery and tractors, reminding them of fond memories of their youth. "They like the museum for the history and for the heritage," she said.

Among the tractors is a 1916 International that runs on kerosene. A local farmer drove the tractor from his farm right into the museum for display.

You also can try your hand at cutting your own seed potato, planting it in a dish and taking it home. On another part of the tour you get to cut and make your own homemade french fries, cook them and eat them before you leave.

"We also tell the history of where the potato was found down in South America in the 1500s by the Spanish," Fowler said. "They went looking for gold and they found potatoes between Peru and Bolivia in a place called Lake Titicaca."

She said the Spanish found that their livestock was very healthy after eating potatoes so they started eating them too. They took potatoes back with them to Spain, France, England and Ireland.

There are videos that show how potatoes are processed, and interactive displays to test your knowledge of spud trivia.

Did you know there are more than 7,500 varieties of potatoes in the world?

Did you know China grows the most potatoes but they are rated as 27th in the world for their quality?

Did you know round potatoes are best for boiling and oblong potatoes are best for baked potatoes?

Hungry yet?

Fowler said while she's providing a lot of information about potatoes, she often learns new things from the 3,000 visitors who pass through the doors each year.

"There was a woman here last year from the Andes Mountains and she said when you go to the markets there to buy potatoes, you look at the lady's hat," she said. "She will have different bands of colour on her hat to match the colour of the potatoes she has available ... orange or purple or blue."

Michael and Allison Giroux of Brockville, Ont., said they learned about Potato World in their CAA tour book and thought it would be interesting to drop in.

"I saw lots of interesting equipment and how they do it," Allison said. "It's a very nice building and I like the fact that things were donated from original people who did it, and their name will live on."

The museum offers live concerts on selected nights though the summer and, of course, celebrates National French Fry Day every year on July 13.

The tour ends in the cafe, where you can get home-style meals, and potatoes in their many forms, including french fries, poutine and even dessert fries.

"We cook them and shake them with icing sugar and can drizzle them with caramel or chocolate sauce," Fowler said. "We also have fries that have cinnamon sugar on them and you can have them with caramel or homemade maple syrup drizzled on them."