Reviews of Canadian Museum of History (Museum)

Donny

Absolutely a must go museum if you want to learn the real history of Canada. Have you wondered why Quebéc has once tried to separate from the rest of Canada? Why Canada still has a huge debt with the First Nation population? Or simply why Canada is called Canada? Well, I won't spoil it out. Go to the Canadian Museum of History and learn all of that in a visual and emotional way. My tip: spare at least 4 hours for your visit and enjoy it!

B. Tamm

Visited the museum at night during the winter beer festival, incredible museum and now I want to go back during the day to explore.

B. Tamm

The building itself is absolutely gorgeous. The exhibits are disjointed and lack context and history.

Mnoho Spisy

Always worth a visit, current special exhibition Queens of Egypt is interesting - kids love this place too!

Pierre Bedard

I purchased tickets for the queen ???? of Egypt ???????? And the fireworks ???? sounds and light from the casino it said box-office ???? open 9am until 5 pm when I got there was a different story the tickets for this only available once the box-office is closed then the other one starts. Poor information and direction on their part and should be explained in a more detailed manner than this.

Kumar Pranav

Excellent place. Needs full day to appreciate all galleries. The river side view is beautiful.

Pantipa B.

I always go with my kid and he's still having fun with something new. Interactive multimedia at the museum is great and help kids learn!

IG pintoresvenezuela

Great spot for kids and adults. Nice gift shop, IMAX movies and displays. Very friendly

Alya H

One of my favorite museums I have visited in Ottawa - it’s really a sight to behold. Our favorite had to be the the special exhibition (the Egyptian one). It was really great and we had Ciné included with our ticket. The movie showing was “Mummies” and it was really interesting! They’ve got a huge cinema-like area and it was very cool. We also visited the permanent exhibits but didn’t get a chance to see the Canadian one. It is easy to spend more than 3 hours in here to see all the different exhibits that the museum has to offer.

Hayden Chen

A good 2-3 hours walk and learn Canadian history

Rubeena Ahmad

We have been to children's museum only..my 6 year and 1 year old absolutely loved it. Well priced as compared to other attractions. Spent 3 hrs but there is a lot of learning activities and one can spend even 5 hrs just there. Not sure if we will be able to see the actual history museum.

Eric Faucher

Awesome museum. Lots to see and learn. Perfect for the while family. I was very impressed.

Chris MacEachern

A great evening, Làc Lemay fireworks celebration Today it is as France

Kerry Liliedahl

Loved it... great displays... lots to learn about Canada

vivek kumar

Wow what an amazing experience of learning about Canada and its evolution from thousands of years ago. I still wonder what happened to Winnipeg from how popular it was in the early 1900's.

Isaac Babchishin

The museum is normally a great place to visit but the COVID tours were not good and there was no advanced warning that it would be so limited. We went with a group of six ranging in age from 6 to 61. You have to wear a mask and disinfect your hands. We had to check in at the bottom of the stairs, not accessible, and wait outside in extreme heat for our tour to start which was late. Luckily a staff member took pity on us and let us move into the cooler doorway. The tour was only of the great hall and mostly was about the architecture, we couldn't see any artifact or go in and see any rooms. We were given a two hour time slot to visit but dragged out only about 45 minutes of an actual tour. I didn't understand this because in museums, except the children's sections, you don't touch anything anyhow and the rooms are large. Along with a guide to monitor things, going to see a few displays would not have put people at risk. Outside was an indigenous "village", not quite, and a short presentation. Overall the kids and everyone was bored and disappointed after driving 45 minutes each way and paying parking to see this in sweltering heat. Normally I would give this museum a five but not right now. Don't waste your time. I will not return until COVID is open.

Ted T

This is a great museum! Definitely worth it to find out all about Canada's history. Try and get free tickets released on Monday for Thursday admission - 5-7pm. 2 hours is tight to see it all though. You'll have to go very quickly to see all it has to offer, but a great quick taste of what's there and you can return again to areas you want to spend more time at.

HorseN Buggies

It was a nice visit theres lots of cool things to see. We went to see the Hotwheels exibit.

Aaron Newlands

My son who is very much into the Aviation museum ended up being fascinated by the various sections of the museum. He spent a lot of time in the First Nations area which is excellent and quite large. The colonial section has old muskets. The modern was possibly the least exciting but it's also harder to do. The special areas change each year and are always worth a look. This years was Neanderthal and was very well done. Worth a stop.

Lillium Dream

Loved it! Worth going back multiple times to see everything and read all the displays.

Kory Besta

Visited on a long weekend. Lots of interesting exhibits to see. The staff was pretty enthusiastic and seemed knowledgeable. We spent about 4 hours walking around between the main exhibits and the kids museum. There were a few extra exhibits that we didn't get to because the kids got tired from walking before we could get to them. If you are coming here just for the kids museum, I would reccomend finding another activity. The kids museum is nothing special and a bit on the small side. It's a nice addition to the museum, but totally not worth it on it's own.

Kory Besta

This visit was a complete experience. I can't believe all a museum visit can give to you.

Kaitlyn Willier

A world class museum showcasing all of Canada’s history through thoughtful exhibits and artifacts. A walk through the museum will take you from prehistoric Canada up to modern day Canada.

Nicole P

This is museum is amazing in all sense. Architecturally it has been carved with perfection. The historical journey of Canada has been depicted in a very good manner. If you are history enthusiast, you will prefer to visit multiple times as you will not be able to cover everything in a single visit. It's content is huge. I would recommend every resident to visit at least once in their life to this museum.

Mohnish Nagpal

This museum is very great for kids. It describes a huge part of Canadian history, but in a simple way so that kids can understand it. This museum also has many hands-on activities to go along with the many lessons, so that you have a better understanding of the things that happened a long time ago.

Brittany O

This museum was one of the most fascinating ones I have visited. I loved walking through each exhibit. Allow yourself a full day to see everything especially if you are hoping to catch a movie in the theater. Only downfall is no drinks allowed in any exhibit (for good reason) so make sure you finish your coffee before taking a stroll through it all! Loved this place and I would definitely go back when visiting Ottawa again!

Thor Wisman

Amazing displays with Rich information. Very interactive with lots to see, more than can be done in a day.

Cunner Outdoors

Spent over 4hrs there, my 4yr old loved it, and the Medieval exhibit was amazing.

C Y

Great exhibits and thoughtful staff. The floor plan is a tad tricky to get around but the exhibits themselves are wonderful. Plus, it is free admission every Thursday evening. Will always come back!

Cindy Pepper

Great display of Canada's rich cultural heritage. Lots to see, great interactive kids area. Would recommend allowing a full day for those wishing to fully take in the displays. Fully accessible with loaner wheelchairs and walkers on site.

Arthur Chow

The special exhibits were a real treat! I really liked how they showed a balance view of the Canadian gold rush that included the aboriginal and Chinese Canadian view.

Renaude De La Madeleine

We went for an event and it was amazing!

Vincent Houghtaling (ocarina_21)

You really do need all day here. My group only gave us the morning and it limited my visit just to seeing primarily the back half of the Canadian History Hall. I had seen the incomplete version in April and was excited for the opportunity to finally see the full version. I was not disappointed as it continued on from what we called at the conference the "Hall of Winnipeg" into a variety of recent or current topics in the third section. A worthwhile experience, all told.

Yewen Tan

Went during Canada day, too many people. Still, the Day 1 exhibition was very good and so was the history of hockey.

sponze esponja

Beautiful representation of Canadian history through the ages.

Shannon Porcellini

Every Canadian should visit. Stunning exhibits, so much thought put in to it.

Joel van Dijk

Very unique, it shows you artifacts from the Aboriginal peoples, this place is a great spot for kids, there is movies going on throughout the days (in French and English) so you can take a rest during your visit it took me all day to go through the whole museum, I highly recommend going to this museum whether you are going alone or with friends or children. This museum also shows you the designs of characters in movies (DreamWorks movies) showing paintings and sculptures and layouts of the movies

Mitch Sprague

We visited to participate in the Taste of the Wild dining experience and it was excellent. Delicious cod cheek followed by salmon followed by bison and yummy dessert all paired with excellent wine and cider.

Darren M

Excellent place for the whole family. The kids museum section will keep the little ones occupied for hours. They can learn and interact with various tools, and make crafts in different places around the world. The museum is must see if you are staying in the Ottawa area

Nakul Gupta

The visit to the park nearby the Canadian Museum of History is must if you are in Ottawa. Apart from being a great walk along the river .. the views of the Parliament hill and Ottawa's downtown from Gatineau are worth the visit. A scenic way to visit the park is a shortwalk along Alexandra bridge taking in the sights of the river and both sides of the sister Cities. Or a river cruise along the Ottawa river and making a pit stop at the museum's park.

Qusay Rassawala

Children museum is a fun place for kids. It also includes a movie show.

Stephen Kendall

A very nice building with a great deal of content to look at. It was clean and well maintained with very pleasant people working there. We were there for about three hours although we hadn't looked at everything. Parking was easy. It cost $13 for the duration of our stay. As usual in these places the gift shop was very expensive. I hardly ever spend in this places but I would be tempted to do so if they charged less. They never seem to have a line up of people waiting to pay so maybe others think the same.

Ross Brown

Wonderful exhibits on a great setting. One of the best views of Parliament Hill.

Doreen C

A museum of human history with exhibitions on first peoples in Canada, early to modern Canada, and other special exhibitions. When I visited they had a special exhibition on The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition (on until Sept 30, 2018). It was my favourite exhibition. All of the exhibitions are professionally displayed and layed out in an engaging way. I recommend planning at the very least 3 hours for your visit. I only had 2 hours and felt very rushed.

Roger Simmons

We spent most of the day here and only saw about half of the museum. As a US citizen I particularly enjoyed drawing parallels and understanding the differences between US and Canadian history. All of the information and exhibits were exceptional. We especially enjoyed the exhibit on the Northwest First Nations. We hope to come back and see the rest of the museum.

Andrey Bakhilin (Anima Sen)

Fantastic museum full of stories about us - Canadians! Some very disturbing stories about our past that i wish we could do differently if given the chance. It makes us reflect on our actions historically and face up to our mistakes. I'm going back when we return. Wonderful exhibits, worth every penny.

Raulson Sequeira

The museum had many 3 levels explaining about the history of Canada. They also have a separate section for the kids called the kids museum. The outer structure of the building has no corner edges. The walls are ill n the form of waves. We get a good view of the parliament as well from the museum.

Amritpal Singh

It is full of information and knowledge. You need to have enough time to visit this museum because within an hour or two it is not possible to read and see the history and artifacts.

Reggie Murphy

Very enlightening. Very good kid corner. Huge imax cinema

Nick Wilkinson

Loved it. Biplane was assume and the museum was better than I was expecting also

David Beghin

Amazing museum with a gigantic exposition on History of Canada. Very beautiful, takes more than a day to go through ! I 100% recommend

gebiete

Literally nothing to see there, the museum looks and feels like an office building with first nation theme decorations. Not worth the trip.

Pablo Martínez

It is a very interesting museum. It is really well designed and bigger than it seems. Therefore, if you want to see it properly, safe some time and energy. The staff is friendly and we even got to see a movie included on the price. The only but is that some swctions are closed for no apparent reason. Highly Recommended

John Day

Love visiting this place. Always find something new I've missed and a item or picture that captures my attention. Kid friendly and super helpful staff.

Yodaman Solo

I like this museum! The building is modern, the exhibits are very educational and you can’t beat the location and views of the Ottawa river and the parliament building. ????☺️????????

Roy Wallace

Just wish they hadn't changed the name! Still, it's a great place to visit and superb for taking shots of Parliament Hill and the Ottawa River.

Grace Woo

The architecture of the building itself is gorgeous with its curves and open spaces. The inside and displays are equally impressive. Everything was spaced out so it didn't feel crowded with tall ceilings and wall to wall windows. There was a variety of interactive displays with a good mix of artifacts, videos, information, audio recordings and demonstrations. The museum itself is huge and you can spend a whole day walking around without seeing the whole collection. If you have children, the Children's Museum itself is worth the price of admission.

Mahmood Khalid

Must visit once in a life time. Good for historical info

FRYGUY PRODUCTIONS

Awesome Exhibits---Great Staff--- Fun For The Whole Family! (Don't forget to checkout the awesome IMAX Theatre!!)

Andre Hamel

Very large museum with a lot of informations on about any topics you can imagine. We dedicated 3.5 hours to our visit and enjoyed it very much. As of today, Sept 17 only some very enclosed rooms are not available to access due to C-19.

Norberto Abanes

Just like the ROM in Toronto, except in Ottawa. Informational facts of days gone past would be a pleasure from the everyday joe to the literary scholar.

Catherine Shortt-Pantusa

I Love this Museum especially when They Allow Wonderful Events such as Tamir Foundation's "Stepping Out In Style " Fashion Show Event to happen there

Ayantha Randika

Great place to learn about the history and civilizations of Canada. Great place to go to learn about native tribe and how they were suppressed by European invasion.

Jenn B

We have visited many times over the years with our kids. I'm not sure whether the children's portion is closed because of Covid, but of course that was always a hit with the kids. Another favourite area is currently closed. My kids do enjoy this, but believe it or not, they preferred it as it was prior to the opening of Canada Hall. While my kids are definitely frequent museum visitors, as it is now, it's not quite as appealing to the younger crowd

Dave Posner

This is a very interesting museum of Canadian history that covers human life in Canada over the last 10000 years. An excellent way to spend the day, particularly when it is raining.

Erin Angel

Same price despite half the museum being under renos... was even worse last year... rip off. uninteractive, not much left to see except a few artifacts. Now letting almost no one in. This museum just keeps getting worse and worse. what an expensive joke.

Debbie Convery

Enjoyed the novel layout of the ground floor. Great to see some historical artifacts

Ashish Patel

If you are really curious about Canadian history then must go for this museum. Very creative and fantastic way of mechanisms of building and architectural.

Jim Thibault

I find going to Québec a little bit different, the signs for photo radar are scary. I museum ok, but mostly devoted to natives. I think regional represention is missing too. Canada has stories to tell in all regions. For example Canadian history of the Atlantic region starting was evidence of the first settlers to the modern Atlantic provinces. The film though free was terrible, the goal was not to unify but to make non-natives feel bad

Aimee Nadeau

Surprisingly really fun and nice trip for me and my husband. we had a wonderful time exploring this museum is a perfect place to bring children during the early days to see history in action.although it may be better suited for older children who can fully understand and appreciate it. there won't be much for little children to do here they won't understand what's going on. However that's just my opinion. As far as the exhibits go they are very interesting and the music played in the exhibits is very relaxing which helps for an easy reading experience.

ATHIF KHAN

Beautiful place with awesome views of the Ottawa River and the parliament and a great place to know about the history of our great nation , Canada .

Steve Galloway

The Canadian Museum of History, across the river in Gatineau from Canada's Parliament provides houses a permanent and unrivalled collection of totem poles together with exhibitions that follow a published schedule. At last time of calling the museum was free to visitors on Thursdays (be sure to double check) and the totem pole exhibition leaves one feeling like the enigmatic visages are always watching. If travelling from Ottawa during summer months consider taking the river taxi next the locks on the canal

Laura Rubinstein

What a beautiful museum. I learned a ton especially from the guide on stationed on the first floor. Her knowledge of the first nation people's languages, customs and way of life was truly fascinating and totally justified the price of admission with the time she took to share her in-depth knowledge so enthusiastically. The museum is stunning (had to mention that again). I am so impressed with Canadians for putting together such an exquisite experience within a museum. You may be wondering why the 4 stars... One staff member was rather disdainful in her way of selling us tickets. It was subtle and maybe even subconscious on her part, but I could not let it pass in hopes that this will be brought to light within the organization. I may be inferring this, but perhaps there is a cultural bias against non-French speakers. Whatever it was, I was a little off putting way to start. I would hope every staff member would be eager to show off this magnificent cultural museum and share that from the moment the museum guests arrive. Bravo to the staff who did welcome us.

Thomas Morgan

This might be in me, but I was confused by the title. Why is the “Canadian Museum of History” called that if it’s only about Canadian history? Shouldn’t it be called the “Museum of Canadian History?” Good exhibits though.

Nina rRchel Roy

The overall experience was great. The museum is suitable for all ages, especially for the kids, as the children's place was very good. My only complaint is that there is no place where you could heat some food like microwave or portable oven - which is very inconvenient where you're with babies / kids.

Kanchan Kumar

Amazing place to get aware of the Canadian history, on all 3 levels. Great place for photography just on the banks of River Ottawa overlooking the parliament hill.

Hanna G

We went to go see Queens of Egypt last week. Building is astonishing and has underground parking. The collection they had were truly valuable and picture worthy.

Hanna G

We went to go see Queens of Egypt last week. Building is astonishing and has underground parking. The collection they had were truly valuable and picture worthy.

Fizzbie

This place was a trip down memory lane for me because the last time I went there I was 4 years old and I could just remember everything there Plus they got a cool view of the library

Paola Gonzalez

Excellent museum experience! All the employees were incredibly kind and helpful. Take your time, the full museum can take a few hours plus the special exhibition.

Humera Faisal

It's the most interesting place kids love to visit.Lots of activities for all ages.have kitchen area,boat,blue foam area different countries are represented. LOTS OF LEARNING IN A FUN PLAYING ENVIRONMENT. even it has art center ,and lots of different art activities are planned.Even one time there was Thomas exhibition too.my some enjoyed it a lot. Beside that that there is special exhibitions and First Nation is mind blowing. ITS AWESOME. On Every THURSDAY they are free from 5 to 8.

Charl Steenkamp

Opening in about 20 days is the amazing Canadian History Hall. Three brand new galleries showcasing 15,000 years of Canadian history. I was lucky enough to have had a sneak preview of this. Here is some of what to expect.

Pierre “Pete” Azar

Amazing architecture, beautiful native art. A place to visit with youngsters and teens alike.

Pierre “Pete” Azar

Great museum, a must visit

Justine Sara

Amazing and big Museum about Canadian history. The section for kids is really impressive !

P D

Note this is at 7pm on free Thursday March 2018. The DreamWorks exhibit is great But very difficult to try things out as it's busy. . Kids place is way to busy and chaotic best for 3-7y ...can be loud Maybe not the best place for 8-13 year olds , really kind of boring for them not much hands on . The whole first floor is about first nation and I think it could be smaller and better Lots of wasted space. Free Thursday from 5-8 which I recommend if you don't want to spend $50 for the family..also street parking is free after 5 pm

Missy Conboy

The history and the work behind the 1st nation's was incredible

James Roger Dodd

Really enjoyed this place, definitely a must-see if you're in Gatineau

Prerit Singh

Convenient location … you can easily reach out here by transit bus no. 5 . Museum is also worth a visit.

alexandre j seguin

Only went there for a show at the theatre. The look of the theatre matches the unique architecture of the museum.

Rom Nik

My favourite museum in all of Canada. I want to come here every year.

Zoltan Luttenberger

Really nice museum about Canada's history. Also gorgeous view.

Melony Menard

Such a beautiful place, the building is incredible. It was seamless to travel through each exhibit.

Trena Laine

Plan an entire day trip as this incredible museum has very interesting exhibits and we didnt get a chance to completely see it all! Will definitely be back as the layout and thoughts/details that were put into each exhibit was well done!! We also somehow ended up on same say as school groups so it was a bit nuts, loud and got caught in a few "mobs". The restaurant had ran out of food when we arrived 1pm for a bite and menu was limited then usual - the staff blamed the school groups so our selection for eats was ok. Washrooms were not well maintained as maybe they were short staff but still surprising. Great visit had by all with our group of all ages.

A C

You can spend a whole day looking at Canadiana. Very eye opening

Linda Berry

Beautiful building inside and out. Great views of the back of the parliament buildings and the Ottawa River. I loved the totem pole exhibit as well as the exhibit "frozen in the ice" all about the Franklin expedition and the film 150 celebration From Sea to Sea to Sea.

AMELIA SINGH

My favourite museum in Ottawa. The best part is the children’s museum where there are recreations of buildings from many different countries that you can go into. There is also a section for rotating exhibits. Very big museum with lots to see

Joe C

Incredible museum of Canadian history. Very informative and educational. We spent half a day there and it wasn't enough. Definitely needs to go back again another time. A must visit museum in Ottawa.

Sandeep Bajpai

Fantastic venue to witness fireworks from, overlooking the Ottawa River and Ottawa skyline including the parliament buildings, Art gallery, bridge and so on

Don

Well laid out. Beautiful museum. However, coming from Winnipeg, I appreciate our museum more. Yes it's nice to have a history museuem, but I expected a lot more about all of Canadian history being in the nation's capital. Other than the feature exhibits, I can't see myself returning again. Feel I get the same experience back in Winnipeg museum.

Noor Khan

Very good museum, a day is not enough to see everything. The kids section is amazing where there a lot for kids to learn. If you want a break, you can get a nice cup of coffee from Second Cup and some refreshment and food can be purchased. The Canadian history section is exciting and your feel like going hundred year back in real time. High recommended place to visit.

Neil Sharma

Excellent place, to get knowledge about Canada and the history !

Miguel Gil

If you have children, The Children's Museum inside is the main attraction!!!!!

Abner King

This is the largest museum in Canada. However, due to the epidemic, an appointment must be made every Monday. After the appointment is made, it is free to enter. You must be led by a guide and cannot walk around by yourself. The time is 2 hours. To start entering, first go to see an indigenous performance. In addition, the museum has 4 floors, and only half of the first floor is open. The tour guide said that it may be all open in September, but it depends on the changes in the epidemic.

Dan SHEA

Facinating building to begin with, and permanent collections well worth the visit. Starting to see more of the dark history of Canada, which is heartbreaking, but necessary to be honest and grow.

Audrey Eroglu

Beautiful museum with lots to see for everyone of all ages! Also beautiful view of Parliament from the lovely grounds.

Nicholas Lapierre

I love this place, but only 4 stars with covid requirements and the temporary closure of the Children's Museum

Yehonatan O

A huge exhibition. Very impressive. Large kids section.

FamSquad Media

Such a great attraction where you can revisit and learn about Canadian and Aboriginal History. Very family friendly, and lots of activities for children. They have an entire floor dedicated to kids filled with fun games, and toys. They also have an IMAX Cinema where they premiere historic movies in 3D. Always a great experience. The facilities are clean, staff are friendly and would recommend anyone to come down and experience this museum for themselves!

Marco Marone

Would expect a lot more from the Museum of our nation’s capital. The exhibition is rather small, and presentation feels cheap at times. When comparing to other major canadian museums, this place simply doesn’t cut it. The outdoor architecture had more to offer than the actual museum.

Clement Paquette

Beautiful and modern museum designed by a famous indigenous architect. The entrance hall is enormous and the grounds are perfect to walk in while contemplating the majestic Ottawa river

Jeremy Johnston

Important museum for people to visit, has an influenced perspective though, I wish it had a wider breadth of Canadian history.

Rick Benken

Outstanding museum and best view of Ottawa from across the river.

Renee P

This is such a great museum for young and old. Totally worth the visit.

Pedro Hurtado

I was told I needed 2.5 hours to see it all. We spent more 3.5 and we didn’t see it all. Very interesting, big selection and still following covid safety measures.

LEONARDO BLENGINI

Really nice and safe place. There you can find a piece of history of Canada and in today also a puece of Egypt Queens history.

Andrew Finlay

My family and I loved it. The muesum has a number of different parts to it and all inclusive ticket will get you into all. The children's museum was a big hit for my six year old boy. It has a lot of interactive displays and lots of things to climb and play on. We also did the special exhibition which was Hot Wheels but this was on for a limited time

Tckin1761@gmail.com Chapman

The kids loved the kids museum area. There is a great special exhibit on animation movie making right now as well.

Daniel Roscoe

Always a fun place. The grand hall doesn't change much, but the special exhibits change regularly. There is little point in taking pictures since there are too many things to see. Put aside a day, there are places to sit and rest, there are lots of things to see, the setting is nice too. Cautionary note At this time, Lyft and other online ride bookings can not be used to get a ride FROM the museum since it is in Quebec and they are still negotiating how to set it up. You can book rides TO there from the Ottawa side of the river since it is in Ontario, but bus (#44 will take you back to Ottawa) or call a cab, or walk back over the bridge, it's a nice walk if you're not too tired.

Kevin Fallis

Fantastic museum, well thought out layout with great presentations. If you have time to see only one museum while you're in Ottawa, this would be a solid choice. Shout-out to Nicholas at the information counter for really going above and beyond for us and making our day special! Fantastic service and awesome content all around.

RA M

Great place to bring out of town guests. The price could be a barrier to some, and they need to be more clear about what drink containers are allowed.

Alyson Vu

Great place for kids to spend their energy, there's a section just for them so they could scream and laugh as they please. Very well done!

Anna Guan

Nice place, you can feel the extraordinary life of a great man, additionally, friendly to the pats.

Mario-Louis Mignacca

This is a museum of Canadian history and culture. Beautiful place to bring young teenagers to learn and see artifacts of our beautiful country.

Jack Yan

Good place to go if you really interesting in European and Canadian history. Need a lot of detail reading and a lot of patient.

PRATYUSH PUSHKAR

This is an amazing place for history buffs. Make sure you the building out at night.. it is quite a sight.

Hao Liu

Take your time to learn the detailed history facts. The children’s museum has lots of fun!

Cher Igo

Excellent historical exposition, great architecture. Very much recommended in Ottawa

Trevor Watson

Amazing place to visit if you want to learn about Canada's history, they have a very large collection of native artifacts on display from before and after settlers came to our country all housed in an incredible lookng building.

Linda N'dri

Very nice experience, Learned a lot about the first nations and Canadian history.

Derek A

Great museum. Big and so much too do. You can honestly spend days here.

Matt St Louis

Beautiful museum, always a nice exhibition there. Plus, the path around it make the experience that much better!

Sebastian Victorica

Great display of Canada's rich cultural heritage. Lots to see, great interactive kids area. Would recommend allowing a full day for those wishing to fully take in the displays. Fully accessible with loaner wheelchairs and walkers on site.

fred fulford

Its a great building. Goes through alot of history in good detail, but it could be a bit too much. You could spend all day here. It has a kids bit.

Dor B

Tons of great info and interactive activities, we'll be back for sure! Nice walk across the Alexander Bridge from Ottawa. The 3d movie we saw was fun and a nice break during the walk through the museum. Also 2 eating options inside. The children's museum part looked amazing from the small part we saw but we didn't go through it yet.

E L

Good place with a lot of exhibits and history. Some areas in history are lacking.

Sachin Manjaiah

The place lives up to its expectations. If anything, it delivers above and beyond. What a detailed portrayal of Canadian history! Seemed to me like a very unbiased depiction of actual events that happened in the course of this massive piece of land, transforming to the way it has shaped up today - everyone who has ever come and gone, everything that has ever happened, everywhere there is to explore!! The special event/exhibit of the ‘Queens of Egypt’ was mesmerizing.

Luuk Van Der Pol

Very nice museum, especially with the newly added first people exhibition. Learned a lot and there was even more to see

John R.

Amazing place to visit! Word of advice: look carefully at the map they pass out at the door, or else you might miss something! The ground floor, behind all those totem poles, there is a phenomenal exhibition you cannot miss! Oh, and the Children's Museum section is amazingly entertaining, vibrant with color and very educational. Don't miss this place!!

Wendy Birkhan

During Covid restrictions, I would not recommend this museum for young children. The staff were excellent and did their best. There are limited exhibits and are more interesting to an audience that understands Canadian History. Very few people so lots of room to spread out. Might be good field trip for school age kids studying Indigenous cultures or History of Canada.

Jaziri Nehed

Excellent museum. Should be visited at least once at life. Great expositions and several topics.

Kevin Vélez Guerrero

It's imposible to see the whole museum in only one visit. It's huge! (An it has places for kids)It has a really informative section on indigenous nations of Canada and the first Vikings settlements on Groenland and Canada West Coast. It also brings another perspective on the European colonization and have some interactive sections that help to the consolidation of the knowledge.

luke farley

A good place to visit, lots of information about the early Canadians. prehaps not enough interactive exhibits but definitely worth a visit.

Batool Zainab Suleman

Lighting needs improvement. Lacks natural flow for the exhibits. Prices and parking are decent. Mask rules need to be made more clear. No real signage explaining what exhibits are where

Spencer Congdon

I had not been here since I was very young, and my recent visit surpassed my expectations. The building and location alone are gorgeous. Staff was friendly and the exhibits were very well done. The guide booklet suggests approximately seven hours to see the entire space, which I would say is a good estimate. Wish I would have known that before I arrived!

Lance

Went for a special presentation on bones and osteology, staff was knowledgeable and friendly, the presentation was very informative and interesting. Museum is beautiful, laid out very nicely and full of things to look at and to learn. Not easy to get to on normal bus routes but definitely worth the trip

Maryna

Interesting museum with a variety of exhibits!

Petra T

We had a great time but when I went before the big renovation I enjoyed it thoroughly more. I preferred walking through the settlements and houses when it was set up like a time capsule better. It was more interactive and fun for the kids. Now it has a lot of information and well presented but I like the old set up.

Rosemary Orji

I love this place. I love the exhibitions, the short documentary on mummification, the staff and the ambience. I got to learn about the Canadian history. It was an enlightening experience. If you find yourself in Ottawa or Gatineau, please do visit here.

Justin Edwards

Interesting museum with a variety of exhibits!

Andrei Kastulin

I liked old exposition of museum of civilization. The new depiction of Canadian history is very shallow.... I'm missing old interactive and emmersive presentations...

Josie M

It was super crowded everywhere. The 1 place you could enjoy a quiet environment was at the medieval exposition. Loads of people inside but everyone was respectful and waited for their turn. There is also a table set up with chainmail coifs, helmets & gauntlets. Along with a very helpful set of ladies ready to explain and answer questions. If you go with kids you Must visit the kids museum. It will be super crowded and noisy but very fun for the kids as they try all the exhibits and gather in their "passports" all their stamps.

Vanessa Liew

Lots of things to see. Visited during when the Christmas market was on, really cosy. Highly recommended, well curated museum

Yiling Cai

The building looks good outside, but the exhibition inside is just ok.

John Sutton

The current exhibition is Medieval Europe. Really well curated exhibition. It was arranged in cooperation with the British Museum. A selection of items from daily medieval life, war, religious relics and cooking. The museum is free on Thursdays from 5-8 p.m.

Kyle Neiswender

Nicest people I met all trip Crossing the river from the east and being presented with this beauty of a …

Sean O'Hare

This place was really amazing and the events going on for Canada 150 was spectacular. People should really visit the living sculptures. Great location, parking was easy, and we had a great time.

Matthew S

Amazing collection of Canadian history, absolutely worth every minute it takes to see all the exhibitions. Definitely take your time and read each description, takes about 4hrs to see everything.

Brett Woods

We were there to see the Queens of Egypt exhibit, which was an educational dive into Egyptian history, was nicely set up, and interactive. We spent a short amount of time in a few of the regular exhibits, taking in the grandeur of the totem poles and long house, and strolling through the early colonization of Canada.

Ian McKenzie

Awesome museum with a ton of cool exhibits and things to see!

Wingtip Productions

Wow! An incredible museum packed with Canadian history. Very well put together. I ran out of the time due to closing, to see all the exhibits in my 4ish hours there. When I visited, there was an exhibit on the Franklin Expedition, great atmosphere and artifacts in there. Would recommend to anyone interested in Canadian history.

Nate Siregar

This is one of my favourite museums in the world. It's been updated and renovated since I've been here last, significantly improving the upper levels on canadian history while keeping the majestic First Nations section intact on the first level. It's easy to spend about 4 hours in there and still have to forgo an exhibit or two. It's worth going to see the special exhibits on top of the permanent collection and take a look at their special screening in their theater. If you're in Ottawa or Hull, it's well worth the trip.

David Hopkinson

It's a pretty incredible museum. There are some areas showing their age though, TVs that have distorted picture, that sort of thing. It also feels like it glosses over some things although I'm sure with how residential schools have been in the public eye recently that will be rectified.

A MUNOZ

Great place to learn Indigenous people culture and Canadian history.

Jonathan Cox

So amazing for children! We spent the whole day there. The cafe has great views for lunch, the children’s area is the best interactive play area we have ever come across. Loved it

Jonny Severin

The most amazing museum I have ever been to the only negative for me was I didn’t get to spend enough time I could have spent a whole day there if you go to Ottawa this is must visit location

Lorena Sawchyn

Enjoyable walk from downtown Ottawa across the historic Alexandra Bridge to Quebec. Be sure to plan to stay for several hours to make sure you are not rushing through.

Steve Marko

My 3 year old enjoyed the children's area. The museum's guide said to allot three hours for this section. Our child probably spent about 45 minutes moving through all the sections quickly. It's certainly children's focused and well set up. An older child might spend more time in this area.

Carlos Barrera

It's an amazing place. More than just one museum. We love it here. It's a good place to spend time learning and having fun with your kids. Update: still an amazing place. 3 hours were not enough

Derek Armstrong

Great museum for kids and visitors looking for a taste of Canada. For kids, the Children's Museum offers a great distraction, with stamp hunting passport activities, crafts, and a rotation of popular displays. Activity and chaos level is high! Membership is recommended if you want to come often. Membership gives shop discounts and 25% off parking.

Guy Keele

Enjoyed the First People’s Hall and Grand Hall. However there was little thought given to the history of Canadian immigration. Where were the stories of the Chinese and the Canadian railroad, the Ukrainian in the Prairie, the Syrians of Nova Scotia. Or our other shames such as the interment camps we had of the Japanese and German Canadians? Where were our artifacts of Folkculture? I understand that we need to address our sad history with the Indigenous people of Canada but feel perhaps this museum could be renamed the Canadian Indigenous Museum. Beautiful building, great collection.

Liviu Marius Goga

Big place, you need almost half a day to see all.

Paul Croes

Been a few times over the years and is always a treat. Great exhibits and interesting information on Canada's history. Beautiful artifacts and displays.

Kevin Haratian

To me, history is always impressive. I hardly recommend everybody to see this valuable cultural place.

Derek

Great exhibits. The Indigenous exhibits are amazing. The entire place tells Canada's stories - warts and all.

Bob Jonson

Super disappointed that our ticket somehow omitted entrance to the Egyptian portion of the exhibit. Was told that website is “unclear” and it is being “reworked”. Buyer beware since that was a pretty major waste of time and money since I was pretty sure we paid for the entire exhibit…

Kizzy Patterson

Amazing updated museum midevil exhibition n brand new expansion of the permanent collection

Laura Hughes

This museum is awesome. Something for all ages and especially great for introducing newcomers and tourists to Canadian history and culture. I find parking a little pricey, so it may be a good idea to park a little farther away and walk. The museum is also free from 5 to close on Thursday evenings. You would have to go several times to see everything but it is well worth it.

Christian Ardito

I've been to this museum so many times and yet I enjoyed it every single time. The museum is great and so is the museum grounds. Ottawa has a lot of cool museums.

Kristian G.

Very interesting and informative museum. There was so much to see!

Matthew Dingley

This museum is an embarrassment. Apart from Pacific Coast native culture, there are very few artifacts available for viewing. All the aboriginal artifacts are reproductions. This museum solidifies the image of Ottawa beginning a boring place. Tourist do not waste your limited time on this experience - avoid at all costs.

Nicolas P. Loridant

The Canadian Museum of History is a pure wonder. The part dedicated to First Nations and the part dedicated to Children (Canadian Children’s Museum) are definitely the crown jewels of the Museum. Absolutely recommended to all ages.

Gunnar Östberg

Excellent museum definitely worth a visit! Recommended. We were lucky to be there Thursday afternoon, when it was free admission, 17-20. We just paid for the parking (underneath the museum). Great film about the Great Bear Rain Forest in western Canada.

Kumar Pranav

Excellent place. Needs full day to appreciate all galleries. The river side view is beautiful.

Matt “Mmmcgyver” MMM

Its a great exhibition space with beautiful architecture. Saw the Dreamworks exhibition there and wouldn't hesitate to go back. Do yourself a favor and go for a visit. Enjoy a healthy walk over the bridge into Ottawa's market and Parliament while you're there!

That Guy Who Corrects Your Grammar

Amazing place with even more amazing architecture. The architecture has so many hidden secrets and meanings. For example the area with the many totem poles as shown in ome of my pictures has a ceiling that looks like a boat, with paddles pointed up which is yet another secret meaning. Also, the walls outdoors have no 'corners' that you can tuck into because of a First Nation belief. On the ground (also depifted in one of my pictures) the tiles are half shiny half not to create the illusion that the white statue of people and animals on a canoe (also shown in... you get the point) are on water. On the colourful portrait on the ceiling (as shown... nevermind, I'll just stop) there is a hidden man, whomis supposed to be Pierre Trudeau, who played a large rolemjn the creation of the museum. The exhibits are great, and there are also guided tours to give you an extra idea of what exactly you are looking at. Every so often they have a special exhibit, like a Viking exhibit or a Dreamworks Animation exhibit. In the past year or so, there was large renovation, adding new areas and artifacts to the museum. There is a long hall (I think it is called the History Hall, or I am thinking of another area) with large images that show major events or items of Canadian history. All of the images are in gold and white. Somemof thenimages are of the Stanley Cup, or how they changed the Canadian nickel from flat edges to completely round, or the metis flag. There is also a cafeteria and a gift shop, in which you can buy pillows, decorations, chocolate, or toys if you have (or are) a kid. The staff is friendly and helpful, and just good people. All in all, 5/5. Would (and will) recommend it to friends and family (lke they haven't already come here and loved it). If you are a tourist, or just a Canadian wanting to learn more about your history, come here and I almost guarantee you will find something to spark your curiosity. It is also in a rather convenient spot, being on the border of two provinces and all.

Iulian Baciu

We had a great time here! Be prepared to spend at least 3 hours here :)

Line Levesque

We arrived late, so we visited the outside , which was magnificent in itself. There are many places to picnic, beautiful trails, ducks, a beautiful view to the magnificent Saint Lawrence river, The Parliament and other beautiful buildings. There is a zen garden, a taxi boat. The layers and structures of this immense, magnificent property is worth the visit! And we haven't even seen the inside of the museum yet!!!

Kathryn Foss

A mainstay of the museum circuit in the National Capital Region. This museum is on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River. The grounds are beautiful with waterfalls, ponds and trails along the river. Inside there are numerous permanent exhibits including a lot on Canadian history and a kids museum. Come back every once in a while to take in the updated areas.

Dave Swinkels

Great place to visit to learn more about Canada's heritage. Really enjoyed The Queens Of Egypt exhibit

Karina Kisselite

Expansive museum showing the history of Canada from the very beginning to the modern day. We spent around 3 hours and didn’t cover everything. I would recommend starting from the exhibition on the top floor and going period by period, but then making sure you also leave some time for the huge hall with the totems. Didn’t notice any cafe that was open, but didn’t look too closely. The museum shop was okay. There is a wardrobe and it wasn’t too cold inside.

Austin Yan

Visited on the reopening of the third floor Canadian History Hall on Canada Day 2017! Despite crazy-long lines, the staff, performers, and musicians kept us entertained. The new third (and fourth floors) are well thought out and divided into three sections of 1) pre and early colonial times, 2) early Canada, and 3) modern Canada. There are plenty of historical items and interactive exhibits but I'll have to come back when the museum's less crowded to see them all. Some of the gallery is in clustered themes (i.e. 'diversity' or 'Quebec independence'), so note that not everything is laid out chronologically. Also, the hallway into the new Canadian galleries is filled with panels of various landmarks across the nation - a very nice touch. Overall, the renovations really remind me of the gallery setup at the Canadian War Museum, both worth a visit for tourists and locals in Ottawa (not to mention the excellent children's museum on the first floor here).

Drew Goodwin

Was an amazing time for a date. Got to learn a lot about not only Canadian but also indigenous peoples history and the foundation and making of this country. They also don't shy away from the hardships and mistakes we've made along the way. Would highly recommend.

Sébastien Rivard

This place gets better and better. The main gallery is breath taking and the permanent exhibitions are always interesting. The architecture is unique and walking around the premises is a treat offering an alternative look at the Parliament. Amazing place for the whole family. Perfect setting for différents activities like beerfest and Canada day. A must see for every Canadian.

Jacky Wong

Great family oriented museum for an interactive day. Staff were informative and polite.

Wendy Humphrey

The Colonial section was the area my 10 year old enjoyed the most for its interactive exhibits. I wish we had gotten as far as the First Nation exhibit. We were there for 4 hours and likely needed at least one more.

Dionysios Gosselin

If you haven’t gone with the family, especially the kids yet, and you live in Ottawa, you need to go. The children’s museum is on of the most well done arrangements ever made to entertain and expose kids to the concept of world travel. The actual history portion of the museum tells our nations story so well and makes for a great day out. It is always so well maintained and captures all the highlights of Canada’s short history with much more to come!

Carlos Alberto García

This visit was a complete experience. I can't believe all a museum visit can give to you.

Gabby L

Taking advantage of the Free Thursdays! Got to walk through the immersive Egyptian experience, Queens of Egypt. It will probably take a few Thursdays to complete the whole museum, but nonetheless the drive down the SJM Parkway is gorgeous, the view of the Ottawa River from the Voyageur Pathway that runs alongside the museum is garnished with well tended flower beds to enhance the scenery, and of course the classic exhibit halls inside all make for eager anticipation to return.

Greg Jankowski

Very cool experience! While myself and my girlfriend only had an hour to explore the museum (there was a great deal we didnt see), we were intrigued throuought the special exhibits that were currently on display. We plan to come back for a more thorough visit in the Spring.

Silvia Lopez

Now it is only open for 30 min guided tours. They are free and the show you just one part of the museum. It's still really nice because the groups are only 4-5 people and the museum is almost empty.

Soham Nagi

Decent museum... Not many intresting exhibits avaliable when I visited... Seems like a better idea to go to the other museums

Lee Miller

Excellent visit. Informative and a must see for all Canadians. Staff was also very helpful

Erin Mark

Loved this museum. Fun for adults and kids alike. The Children's Museum section was a huge hit with my kids, they are still talking about it months later.

Terry Cardoso

Great museum! Large exhibits showing a full breath of Canadian history. Aboriginal history us will covered and displayed. At the panoramic hall, at the back, you'll find the cafe with a patio that has a great view of the Parliament building and river/bridge. On the higher level (same area) you have a Zen garden lookout with an even better view.

David Jackowski

Beautifully designed building. Stunning views and architecture. The exhibits are also really well done.

Adam M

Excellent place to bring the kids! Very accommodating! Food is mediocre and over priced but that's expected at a museum.

Andrew McDonald

Came here with three generations of family. It was great for every one to explore the different parts of the museum. We explored the children museum and one of the special exhibitions. The museum has changed since the last time we were …

Arthur James Sullivan

Great experience! Very interactive. Some displays are out of order, or dated, but still a great way to spend the day in Ottawa. There is a view, on the main floor, just before you go down the stairs to the vehicles and plaster casts, of the Peace Tower - stunning.

Viri VyVO

My son loved it! Our Sunday morning was a different experience! It's a must if you visit Ottawa

Kelly Rigole

We attended the Doc McStuffins exhibit there. The kids had an absolute ball. We have a season pass and so worth it as they always have something new there, and the movies are included!! A whole days worth of fun (plus we get discounts on parking and food court w a pass). Love love love ????

Z. Cai

This is my third favorite museum in the Ottawa area. There's a great range of exhibitions including a display of every single stamp ever issued in Canada. Must see for philatelists!

Jasmin Couture

Ottawa's salsa convention held on November 8 to 9 at the museum and it's a pretty big convention with a lot of workshop show's and lot of social dancing all night! If you have a chance to attempt let's go because it's intense.???????? So put your dance shoes and do it. I went all saturday to try all the workshop possible and wow! I've learn a lot and improved myself as a beginner. Don't be shy to let me know if you went too!!????????

Gregorio Kuhn

Great place to bring your kids or adults. If you're going twice a year, worth buying a membership.

Mutisya Simon

Discovered this place just because I had an scholarly assignment to do on a specific exhibition. I loved my experience!

Jessica Shepherd

Fantastic. My only complaint is price. Kids space is great (its really best for under 8) interesting regular exhibits for all ages- could easily spend 2 or more whole days here. We spent about 4 hrs saw 1 permanent exhibit, 1 special exhibit, and the kids area. Check movie times before you go. Bring your own food.

asmae aitssi

Interesting and informative, Renee was very helpful and has great potential with kids...my daughter Nadine enjoyed learning from her.

Matthew Spencer

The 1st and 2nd historical sections with actual artifacts are interesting, but the smug social justice preening in the 3rd section is extremely annoying.

Kannan Muthiah

The parking is big and easily accessible. The parking fees is not bad (separate from entrance fees). The parking elevator from the museum is not accessible after the museum closes around 6 pm. But the nice thing is, there are parking entrances to staircases, just in front of the museum, so you could access the parking lot 24 hrs. But just keep in mind if you have to carry strollers or heavy items. The Cine+ movie is included in the entrance fees. This is nice. Usually, all places will charge additional fees. The movie they were showing in Aug 2018 was "Canada Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast". It was awesome to see how much there is to Canada along the three coastal boundaries. The Children's Museum was the best. I have written a lot about it in another post. The food court is cool, neat and big. They allow you to bring your own food and eat at the food court. This is nice. The Canadian History exhibits in Level 3 was great. Specifically the exhibits about the post Independence / confederation. They have special exhibits as well in Level 2.

Gil Felipe Gonçalves Miranda

Gorgeous architecture and setting of the historical artifacts. Just walking around is a pleasure on itself.

Aimee Nadeau

Whether you are a history buff or just interested in modern architecture, this place has definitely something to offer for you. It is as Canadian as a maple leaf????.The hall with the totem poles is really quite impressive. If you are a European????????, you might perhaps miss the usual displays of Roman coins and other artifacts. Instead they are having special exhibitions on the basics of life like... SNOW. Wear the mask????. Protect Canada????????!

Vanesti Dragon

It's a great Anthropology museum. Staff were very nice and helpful. You can learn a lot of Canadian history here.

Sara Abdelkader

The worst museum ever! Nothing to see! The queen's exhibition was sold out and the children's museum is closed! So it's basically a huge waste of money and time! No proper or sufficient description for anything! So you learn nothing. No clear signs for directions. The staff are the most unfriendly staff I've ever seen in Canada! I regret wasting two hours in such a place.

Apple Green

Excellent fireworks!

Konstantin Shaburov

Beautiful, well-maintained museum with awesome exhibits. Absolutely love the children museum that is good for both adults and kids. There is also a great bistro inside that serves delicious $13 pasta!

Jason “Jas00”

Great place. You'll have to spend more time if you really want to read the history. Lots of reading

vladislav velitchko

Beautiful museum of history. Spacious and bright. Had a short visit with a very informative and engaging guide. Can't wait to return with more time to explore. I can expect would take at least a full day to see and read the richness that is Canada.

Juliana de Lemos

Incredible museum! Everything is breathtaking: from the architecture to the last exhibition! Amazing organization of the objects and information, large variety of medias and accessible for the different publics. Definitely worth the visit! Specially to learn more about the history of Canada. They offer two places to eat indoors. One is like a food court with wide variety and other is a cafeteria!

Michael Rachid

This is a brilliant museum in all ways: a great collection of historical artifacts, a beautiful and imponent building and breathtaking views of Ottawa (the Parliament in specific) and the river. It's a fantastic atmosphere and place to be and enjoy, especially on a sunny day. Take your time to fully appreciate this great visual and sensorial experience. Go!

Lauretta W.

A great place to know the history of Canada. They use some modern technics to present the old things and offer some cute quiz games. It makes you enjoy and impressed with the exhibition.

Analú Moreno

It's big and modern, there is a special area only for kids. Also you can find special exhibitions. I learned about the Canadian history!

Elena C.

The set up and the architecture of the building are amazing, huge Library.

Manthan Makwana

This is museum is amazing in all sense. Architecturally it has been carved with perfection. The historical journey of Canada has been depicted in a very good manner. If you are history enthusiast, you will prefer to visit multiple times as you will not be able to cover everything in a single visit. It's content is huge. I would recommend every resident to visit at least once in their life to this museum.

Matt Reeder

Incredible displays and exhibits, very informative and a wonderful collection of aboriginal art. Beautiful location right on the river gives you spectacular views if Parliament

Akmal Syed

This museum is HUGE. Would recommend spending an entire day here or more. There is so much to see!

Allan Pérez

The museum is great specially for kids, there are many activities for them and some days kids go in free.

Pablo Listingart

The museum is really good. But my 5 stars (that I want to give 6 or 7 instead) goes for the Children's Museum. My kids and us just loooooooooved it. We spent there many hours playing. One of the best Children's Museum I went to.

Jason Couto

What a great venue to explore and celebrate our Canadian history and heritage. Great experience to take the family. Love seeing my kids eyes light up with curiosity and wonder in what they were seeing. Highly recommend visiting this beautiful museum.

Dave Hendrick

Great spot for kids and adults. Nice gift shop, IMAX movies and displays. Very friendly

Trent Walker

Wow, such a nice museum! Our family enjoyed our visit.

Fouad Zebian

Must visit! I wish I took more photos to share! I spent 3 hours on fourth of it only! They have a cinema and a restaurant and a kids section too!

Mark Dobson

One of the best museums in Ottawa (along with the Canadian War Museum), you can easily spend an entire day just in the new Canada History Hall itself, extremely comprehensive almost to the point of being overwhelming. The museum is huge and includes all kinds of different areas to explore, from the Children’s Museum area, to the always interesting temporary exhibits (there was an exhibit on the history of hockey there when we last visited), to the impressive Grand Hall where you can walk around while finding out about First Peoples culture and history from the Pacific Coast. The have a few eating options in the museum including a cafeteria where you can sit outside in the summer on nice days. They also have a Cine+ theatre that used to be an imax theatre (before imax theatres boomed in most cineplex cinemas), where we actually saw an epic screening of The Dark Knight Rises a few years ago. There is parking underneath the museum and if that lot is full there are other outdoor parking options nearby. The museum is also accessible by transit, there are lots of biking trails nearby and I believe in the summer you even used to be able to take a water taxi across the river from below Parliament Hill to the Gatineau side. Save some time for exploring the grounds outside the museum as well as it’s beautiful along the water and there are lots of opportunities for selfies as well.

Daniel Gosson

Beautiful museum. I'll admit I'm not crazy about some of the new construction, but the exhibits are fantastic.

Becca McM

We were so pleasantly surprised by how great this museum is! The children's museum is so great and interactive. Its great fun for the kids. At our visit they received passports and spent their visit traveling around the world! They started at a theatre where they were able to put in costumes and perform for an audience. They could board a ship and help sail it across the ocean, and spend time in a Bedouin tent after exploring a pyramid. There was so much more this was just a small bit! The exhibits in the rest of the museum were also fantastic. We really liked it here and I'll be sure to visit when we come back to Ottawa!

Robert Laporte

Amazing full day of wonder for the whole family. -Thursday from 5pm to 8pm is free admission, great adventures await your little ones at the Children's Museum!

Irene Ts

An amazing museum. You would need about 4 hours to see everything. They have Chaffee, which is closing at 3 pm. Keep that in mind :). Educative and thought provoking exhibitions. Must see.

Alley STJ

Amazing experience! The Seniors from Island View Retirement were really happy with the guided tours ur provided from Jacques. Thank you for a great lunch as well!

Sean Healey

Great place to visit! Give yourself lots of time to explore and read. The Children's museum is a must if you have young children, but go see your main attraction first. Once your kids are in the kid's museum, they could be there for hours playing and exploring

Claire Smashcroft

Beautiful museum. Architecture is wonderful. So much to see and do here. We had 4 hours and could have done with twice that. There are a huge amount of artifacts on display, might be a bit overwhelming if you don't have a huge amount of time. There are sculptures outside which are pretty cool, the zen garden is well worth a look too. The restaurant/cafe is really reasonably priced and there's some vegan/vegetarian options as well as a really good salad bar. Entrance includes the children's museum and the special exhibitions. Gift shop is definitely worth visiting.

Nadine Olivier

Wonderful exhibits! Forever Changed had experiences from different perspectives and was heavily detailed. The museum itself is safe and spacious. Was worth visiting with a small crowd.

Zeina Gabriel

I love this museum. It is huge, diverse, warm, and welcoming. All museums in Canada are open to the public for free on Thursdays from 5pm till 8pm. I highly encourage you to visit this museum. I visited this museum towards the beginning of December for the first time where I attended a Christmas tree lightening. There was a Christmas market inside the museum that day and it was awesome!

Luis G. Ciraiz

Fantastic place, better if you go in the morning because you need time to read all the info posted in each area, the movie was good as well, and all the staff is so friendly.

Luis G. Ciraiz

Fantastic place, better if you go in the morning because you need time to read all the info posted in each area, the movie was good as well, and all the staff is so friendly.

Aparna Apu

I visited with a friend on Canada Day. The museum had an entire exhibit dedicated to the recent discovery of unmarked graves at residential schools. It was a good start at educating people and observing Canada Day with respect. The staff are very helpful and welcoming. They guide you on where to start your visit and general directions. The gift shop is a great way to end your visit. They have lots of local handmade crafts and souvenirs that support Indigenous people.

Moe Fawal

Great museum to visit while you are in Ottawa. We have kids between the ages of 2 to 4 and they loved the children's portion inside which includes a large boat, several markets (grocery, spices, etc) a restaurant, a large bus, a car, post office, etc. Basically a little town for kids. The people working I side were all very helpful, however there was some misinformation provided when we attempted to access the lookout nearby which was sectioned off for fireworks later in the evening.

Mavo Boyco

Spectacular Scenes toward Alexandra Bridge and the Parliment House of Ottawa.

Jay Borenstein

If you want to learn about the history of all of canada's peoples, indigenous and those who came to settle, this is the place. Very comprehensive. Also enjoyed the Rocky Mountain film, and the children's museum!

Shawn Moreton

Amazing place. The building itself is stunning, & the exhibits are very good. Bonus, the children's museum is great for little ones.

YVONNE HOLY

It was fun all day long some many thing to see kids had a great time tyvm

Elaine W

Recommended for tourists and couples coming to Canada for the first time as this gives a good comprehensive summary of our short history. If you're looking for a romantic getaway, the Museum is close to a river side, and there is an amazing sunrise location near the walk trail. (See pictures) This place is also good for a family visit with children since there are a lot of immersive exhibits. There are a lot of fun free events here to check out as well.

Ahmed Bajwa

We didn't go inside but the fountain and the park outside are wonderful, with spectacular views of parliament

Davis Urdaneta

It's amazing place to learn the Canadian history and early civilations way back 1000s years ago. The building itself is stunning and well laid-out.

Ragavendra SenthilKumar Kannaiyan

Enjoyed the day at museum. Cafeteria was bit crowded due to weekend.

ChristinaLH Photography

Beautiful museum of history. Spacious and bright. Had a short visit with a very informative and engaging guide. Can't wait to return with more time to explore. I can expect would take at least a full day to see and read the richness that is Canada.

Nooruddin Khaja

The best museum we visited by far, huge and very detailed. History of the ages and amusement for kids.

VortexTheOne

Great looking musium in Gatineau. Nicely it have been put together!????

Ramesh Badagi

Very beautiful museum and very good collection of old things and well maintained. It’s worth to visit to this place

Jay Mehta

Great museum to understand Canadian history and how the country has evolved into what it is today. We normally do not venture into museums when traveling but being a newcomer to this country and wanting to understand it better we went for it - and I'm glad we did that. Quite spacious - even on the long weekend with tonnes of visitors, it had a good breathing space. One day might not be enough if you want to check out the entire museum since there are many details covered inside it from across the regions - especially in the NorthWest. One gets to know about various communities that have and are living in the remotest part of Canada, their lifestyle, their language and their contributions to build Canada. The exhibitions are quite amazing. There is a theatre as well which is great. We went to see "Wonders of the Arctic". While it was a great knowledge experience, it was also an amazing cinematic experience. Definitely watch one of the shows. And if you want something to munch or drink, there is a cafe right opposite the theatre entrance from where you can grab something. We were only able to see a part of the museum since we were there for only a day. However, I can't wait to explore the rest of the museum. There is a cafe on two of the floors which are very good. The view of Ottawa river from the first-floor cafe is quite amazing. There is an Aqua Taxi service as well that runs from there which takes you to the other side of the river - Ottawa Locks Jetty near Parliament Hill and then Richmond Landing. The staff was good. They used to start off in French by default but switched to English once they know that you are English-speaking. Overall, a great place to be if you are in Ottawa - and especially if you have kids.

Tracy Lynn

This was very educational! The information attained from going there was immense. The history of Canada, the different nationalities, their involvement in world events, and even how the government treated it's own people! It is a must see, if you want to learn about Canada's history.

H “Mrshpq”

Easy underground parking. Unfortunately due to Covid, the children's museum is closed as are the café and theatre. However, limited numbers and one way signage make it an enjoyable safe place to visit. Allow 3 hours to see everything. Great views over the river to Parliament Hill

Paul Onwubuke

Great view outdoor views and skyscapee of the Parliament. Did not get the chance explore the side this time.

Rose Clouston

The Casino Lac-Leamy Sound of Light Fireworks is held at the Museum of History every August. It is always a very enjoyable period to watch four of the best international pyrotechnic teams compete for the Best Show Award - the Juno!

Luis G. Ciraiz

Enjoyed the novel layout of the ground floor. Great to see some historical artifacts

Rudi Erlemann

Tip to begin: if you stay for three days in Ottawa, get the museum passport!! Saves your cash. The Canadian Museum of History is a very family friendly and quite affordable. The restaurant has a wide variety of healthy food. And kid bribery French fires, of course...

Carolina Ulloa

Love the exhibitions, and the IMAX movies are fantastic. Also the PERFECT spot to view the Ottawa River & Parliament Hill.

Sonny's World

I mean, the museum is pretty cool for some people, but I found it boring. There were some interesting things here and there.

Gayle May

We had a very nice visit to the museum as there are some awesome displays and information. Really enjoyed how the historical time lines were laid out as this made it much easier to understand how history evolved.

Tin Can Cottage

The Canadian Museum of History has to be one of our families favourite spots to visit. You can spend HOURS exploring everything and the Children's gallery has lots of hands on activities for little ones to explore.

Vanessa Herman

Great museum. A variety of traveling exhibits. Wonderful permanent exhibits of Canadian history. I do enjoy when they had brought in blockbusters in the Imax theater too.

Kristina Jensen

Definitely a jewel in the crown of Canadian heritage. Gorgeous exhibits in a gorgeous public space. Convient underground parking. Super friendly staff made our visit memorable. I only wish they would revert back to its original name: The Museum of Civilization.

tycoon kaiser khan

The Canadian Museum of History (CMH; French: Musée canadien de l’histoire) is Canada's national museum of human history. It is located in the Hull area of Gatineau, Quebec, directly across the Ottawa River from Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. The museum's primary purpose is to collect, study, preserve, and present material objects that illuminate the human history of Canada and the cultural diversity of its people. Formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization (French: Musée canadien des civilisations), the name of the museum was changed in 2013 to the Canadian Museum of History. CMH is also home to the Canadian Children's Museum. In addition to the CMH, the Canadian Museum of History corporation is responsible for the operation of two other museums: the Canadian War Museum and the Virtual Museum of New France. The CMH has roughly 25,000 m2 (6.2 acres) of exhibition space, more than any other museum or art gallery in the country. In total, the complex contains over 4 million artifacts, 1 boutique, and 3 restaurants. The museum's permanent galleries explore the 20,000-year human history of modern-day Canada, in addition to a program of special exhibitions that expand on Canadian themes and delve into other cultures and civilizations, past and present. The museum also has organized online and travelling exhibits. With roots stretching back to 1856, the CMH is one of North America's oldest cultural institutions. It is also home to the Canadian Children's Museum and CINÉ+, and used to be the home of the Canadian Postal Museum. The museum is also a major research institution. Its staff includes leading experts in Canadian history, archaeology, ethnology, and folk culture. The Museum of History is managed by the Canadian Museum of History Corporation, a federal Crown Corporation under the Department of Canadian Heritage, and is part of the Canadian Heritage Information Network. The Corporation is also responsible for the Canadian War Museum and the Virtual Museum of New France. The museum is a member of the Canadian Museums Association, and is affiliated with the Virtual Museum of Canada. The CMH has roughly 25,000 m2 (6.2 acres) of exhibition space—more than any other museum or art gallery in the country—spread over 4 floors in its Museum Building. It has four permanent exhibition galleries:the Grand Hall, the First Peoples Hall, the Canadian Stamp Collection, and the Canadian History Hall; along with its several special exhibit galleries. The CMH is also home to the Canadian Children's Museum, a 500-seat theatre, and CINÉ+, a 295-seat 3D movie theatre. The museum was designed by Douglas Cardinal, a famous Aboriginal architect educated at the University of British Columbia and the University of Texas at Austin. The museum complex consists of two wings, the public and curatorial wings, surrounded by a series of plazas connected by a grand staircase. Naturalized park areas connect the museum and its plazas to the Ottawa River and nearby Jacques Cartier Park.

Bayoan Martinez-Yung (Bido)

Nice museum, shows everything from the past through now.

Aptaputra Bharatanand

Excellent architecture, all smooth building with excellent presentation of history. Simply awesome. Worth visiting for kids, Canadians & foreigners. Outer land scape, steps, everything beautiful. Kids museum fantastic. First Nations history exhibited amazingly. Entry charge 20 $ but every Thursday free entry after 4 pm

Reine Khairallah

My kids spent hours (5 in total) and could have stayed more. There is so many different activities to do, from playing a culinary chef, to making your own play to discovering the pyramids, etc. There are tones of costumes for the kids to try on too. The only down side is its hard to manover around with a stroller & you can't bring snacks inside the museum. Therefore you have to get out to have a bite (my boys were hungry all the time lol).

Allene Ambrose

A great place to learn about the first people's of Canada. Also an amazing experience for kids at the Children's Museum. The food at the bistro is dynamite!!

Seth Dawson

Beautiful place, very well done, there is alot to see and do!

Meghan B

We went to the Children's Museum, and it was a wonderful experience. Great for all ages. Lots of hands on learning. It was wonderful learning all about the world!

Anton Klevansky

One of the best museums once ever seen. One could easily spend a whole day there: you are really immersed into Canadian history and heritage from the early ages. The collection of artifacts is really impressive: they have even a fully functioning Ukrainian Catholic church inside. The symbolics behind the architecture are also to be discovered. A must

Mike Giovinazzo

Museum does a great job and I felt safe at the recent exhibit. Just had to watch for the inconsiderate people who ignore the social distancing protocols

jacky chan

A great place for people to know the human history of Canada and the cultural diversity of its people. I love the architecture feature of this museum. I see the "future realistic" ????

Ally Villeneuve

Beautiful exhibits that are very well displayed. The whole museum is amazing and clean.

D'Lia Müller

Lovely day out. If you take your time to read like I do, you'll most likely need two days to see the whole place.

E C

Been to the Canadian Museum of History since I was in elementary school. One of the most fun and interactive museums for children and their families with a dedicated children exploration sections. The staff is also super engaging and will take the time to walk through Canadian history with you!

Yvonne Gilchrist

I have never been to the museum I had so much fun I have assured me and the staff were ready to help with anything I needed i was given a wheelchair and my friend was offered one too as soon as I sat in the chair I ztartedawheel chair race 1 could only wheel 1 1/2 turns of the wheelchair before I had to leave the race HA ha ha I was given the royal treatment and it was Awsome you all added to my adventure

Archana Salil

Beautiful architecture, free flowing forms. I think the adjoining river must have been the inspiration for the architect.

vikas sharma

Had a great time here. The building is beautiful and the exhibits are very informative. I very much enjoyed the emphasis on indigenous people and their culture. I learned so much in a short span of time

Denise Massarelli

Gorgeous architecture and setting of the historical artifacts. Just walking around is a pleasure on itself.

Lorrie McEwen

I love this museum. Right now the children’s part is closed because of COVID but I brought my grandkids aged 5 and 9 to see the queens of Egypt exhibit and they loved it. They also loved the great hall with the totem poles and the large Teepee. It was a successful visit.

Tamara Anne Brown

Great place for children on a cold day, however parking is too expensive, especially when added to the price of admission. It felt like a gouge. Other than that, the staff are very pleasant. The environment is airy and clean, and the exhibits are well done, even though many are 40yrs old they are aging well and it is interesting to see the same things seen on a school class trip in the early 80s.

Max Smith

Went 2 years ago, loved it, although it's technically in Hull, If you're in Gatineau or Ottawa, please take the time to visit this gem of a museum.

Juwana A

Most beautiful and most interesting museum I've ever visited around the world. Museums are boring until you visit this one. The story of the building, the sweeping architecture and the changing exhibits... it's fascinating. I ended up going to the museum every week before the pandemic because I couldn't get enough of it.

Jane Hum

Nice place. Could easily spend entire day. A lot of information if you don't mind reading.

Walid Sabri

In general it was a nice experience, however disappointed because the children section was closed and other than watching a movie about rescue dogs; there was nothing for kids.

N L

Absolutely great place to bring kids to the children museum. I was very impressed with the displays from different cultures in the children’s museums. Not only kids but adults too thoroughly enjoyed. A must see imo!

Alex Wiens

This place is truly captivating. So much history and in depth if you take the time to study the exhibits and walk through time

Neha Majithia

Great museum, beautiful building and exhibits are well maintained and planned. Thursday evenings are free for all, and that a good time to take advantage of seeing the museum. Saw two special exhibits, Canada through the ages and the first Nations hall.

Mimi Ng

It is located right off Alexander Bridge. Public transit accessible. The movie in the theatre is good. Staff is friendly and helpful.

Allison MacLeod

The newly renovated section (3rd floor) built in 2017 is amazing. It's an accurate, extensive history of Canada, from Indigenous peoples prior to contact, to colonialism and contemporary. The winding corridors contains hundreds of artifacts and fun games. I'd suggest wearing comfortable running shoes and bringing water/food. The kid's section (children's museum) is also super interactive, informational and FUN for kids! I have yet to explore the whole museum, but what I've seen so far is truly wonderful.

Martin Ois

The Museum didn't really appeal to me. All interactive displays shut down due to Covid...prebook guided tours or special exhibits as they get filled quickly. Usually a week in advance.

Giorgio Huawei

Beautiful building in a very picturesque setting facing the Houses of Parliament. Inside is very spacious and well designed with thousands of exhibits depicting the history of Canada. Truly a world class museum and should be in the itinerary of anyone visiting Ottawa. There is an entrance charge but Thursday evenings after 6pm are free

Karla Rab

Amazing experience, great exhibitions, well organized and a very kid friendly museum!

Mr. Honest

The totem poles were the best part, beautiful building. Perfect place to take children. Lots of room for more exhibits. Go after 5pm and it’s FREE!!! ???? Great spot for photos down near the water

Kelvin A

Gorgeous Museum. Particularly like their special exhibition 'Queens of Egypt' they put on right now.

Khammy Pung

All tickets for the fireworks were sold out, the staff said we can still see and hear some of the music from the front of the front of the building. However some of the fireworks were blocked by the building itself. Kids still enjoyed the show, although free, would've still preferred getting tickets.

Smita R

Nice place to visit with kids as it also has Children museum in it with all over the world traditions.

G DS

This is an incredible venue to host an event. They have gorgeous rental space everywhere. Lots of parking underground but be careful if your vehicle is too tall. Escalators, elevators and lots of room make this very accessible to physically impaired individuals. Staff are courteous. Their stage theater is gorgeous and tiered.

virtuosok

Make sure not to park across the street at the hotel parking lot, they charge 8 dollars per hour. Museum is wonderful, especially the pre-Columbian piece. You can easily spend hours here.

T

Beautiful place, never hesitate passing by and taking a little stroll or a picnic. so clean, really well designed. nothing but good to say.

elena k

Great museum. Huge space, so plan accordingly. We only visited the First people's part, and found it to be amazing. Old school displays for parents, a lit of interactive experiences for children. All day parking is only $13 ( canadian ) which seems like a bargain for us, New Yorkers .

Ali Malik

A must see , specially the children's museum section, kids really enjoy and learn at the same time

Michael Braude

Interesting museum. Ticket price includes access to children’s museum suitable for kids under 10. Movies are included in price too, fictional and non fictional, running a few times a day in English and French. Running time between 20 and 40 minutes. Parking is under the building.

Lea Fraser

We were the for 3 hours so much to absorb.There no tours so very low attendance. Was able to take time and literally read and explored all exhibits. Really enjoyed the review and promoted answers to canadian myths i got explained.. Really appreciated the unbiased and raw truth of the reality with First People history... Excited to see the new echibit in progress when opens

Ad_vent_ur_ist

Beautifully done. Must visit museum for someone interested to know more about Canadian history. I would say, on an average it takes good hour or hour and half to cover all the floors.

Tony Tang

nice place visit but need take long time at less 2 hrs

S. G.

Very good collection of indigenous art and artifacts

Simo Zawit

To kearn about canadian history and hiw it was bulit by brave people

Lawrence Stevens

Awesome museum! Definitely worth a visit! I’ve been visiting every few years since I was a child. This is one of my favourite museums in the NCR.

C “CalVan” Deng

Here for the Canada Day, free shuttle in and out. Lot of people around, long line ups. Great spot for site seeing and cultural experience as well!

Iskie Isketerol

A good place to visit fire a relaxing tour of Canadian history. There's incredible scenic views from the bridge from Ottawa to Hull where the museum is located.

Mitchyl Bateman

Definitely a to-do if you're a museum person.

Georges Gignac

A national treasure. The current display takes you through 4 periods of Canadian history with a justified perspective of our native roots.

Dave Neugebauer

A great museum. Felt very covid safe. Can easily spend most of the day here. Lots to see!

Grace Bolt

This museum has an interesting layout, and covers a variety of Canadian history. My partner and myself were there for about 4 hours, which felt an appropriate length of time. There is a cafeteria with surprisingly good food! I took one star off because I was disappointed by the lack of information giving on the Western Canadian native American exhibition. There were some very interesting artifacts that looked significant in design, but we're just labeled "spoon" "bowl" "statue". I was disappointed by how little I learned about what clearly is a beautiful culture.

Gregory Saygon

This building is just beautiful. It's nice to know that the Canadian Museum Of History is just over the bridge to Hull, so you can visit anytime. If you haven't seen it, make plans to visit. It's a must see. The architecture is just beautiful. God Bless the people who built the Canadian Museum Of History, and to the entire staff members. Cheers. ????????????????

Paul Wong

This is a great place to visit if you are interested in the history of Canada. Apparently Canada is a great country on lots of aspects, and the most impressive 2 are regarding to LGBTQ and disabilities. The museum objectively presents the whole history of this land from first people to the modern society.

Mary Speed

So much to see and remember. Amazing museum with amazing collections and review of history. A must see when you visit Ottawa.

Georgia Corkins

A great museum. Very interesting artifacts. Give yourself at least 3 hours.

vince gismondi

Great museum, a must visit

Gabriel Maracle

The building itself is absolutely gorgeous. The exhibits are disjointed and lack context and history.

Sina Kashani

An excellent museum! Extensive collection of aboriginal art and cultural items. We loved majestic totem poles and thoughtful set up of exhibitions. Guides were knowledgeable, polite and helpful. The Canadian modern history section is very well laid out and informative. The kid section is also a masterpiece! Overall, it was an excellent experience.

Maeve Hazel

Will always have nostalgia for this place and continue to return as an adult

Grace Corpuz

Love love the place. So educational and clean. Gatineau is great. We will be back to visit the place.

Thomas Sallermann

Whether you are a history buff or just interested in modern architecture, this place has definitely something to offer for you. It is as Canadian as a maple leaf????.The hall with the totem poles is really quite impressive. If you are a European????????, you might perhaps miss the usual displays of Roman coins and other artifacts. Instead they are having special exhibitions on the basics of life like... SNOW. Wear the mask????. Protect Canada????????!

Lars Richter

Huge museum with lots of information about the history of Canada including the First Nations. In some parts of the museum you can here different audio comments at the same time which is a little confusing, especially when you try to read some explanations. I spent here about 4h and didn't get everything. You can easily spend a day in each of the third floors. The cafe is nothing fancy but okay. Lots of restrooms.

Nelson Alvarenga

Children's Museum is very educative and fun for kids. Cinemax is fabulous. Canadian history is very interesting; especial display "Neanderthal" is very well presented.

Lane Trudeau

Always great ....Queen's of Egypt was amazing a should do while I n Ottawa

Alice

Neanderthal Special Exhibit: this is excellent and I highly recommend it! The exhibit is broken down into sections relating to the environment in which Neanderthals lived, their way of life, the physiology of the Neanderthal, and how understand about Neanderthals has influenced our own society. I loved every part of it, though I would suggest it may not be good for young children (<6) because there is a lot of reading and not too much “hands on” stuff for them. The museum in general is beautiful and holds a rich collection related to indigenous history and the colonization and founding of Canada. There is a children’s section (to which I did not go) that seems to be very popular.

Mark Minifie

Took the family there on their Thursday night free exhibits and loved it and so did the family as we spent the full 3 hours taking in everything it had to offer. Will attend more in the future

Eric Marchand

What a great treat for an aviation buff! Some of the planes on display are one of a kind, not to mention the history behind all of them! The space portion is fun but a bit small. As for the aviation portion (80% of the floor space), it's awesome as it incorporates both early wooden planes, some of the first commercial aircrafts and old to not so old military aircraft. A great way to spend a few hours, especially with curious kids! Loved it.

Peter Jupp

Great place for children on a cold day, however parking is too expensive, especially when added to the price of admission. It felt like a gouge. Other than that, the staff are very pleasant. The environment is airy and clean, and the exhibits are well done, even though many are 40yrs old they are aging well and it is interesting to see the same things seen on a school class trip in the early 80s.

Mike Russl

Fantastic experience...will revisit at another time.

Devarshi Pandya

A great place to know about indigenous peoples and Canadian history till date. I would like to thank Shalina for such a deep explanation of the history of indigenous people and their culture and languages. She is very knowledgeable and I highly recommend to get some great insights from her.

Lisa House

This was highly recommended to us by others and our family loved it. Originally we planned to go to two museums but our kids had such a great time we spent the whole day at this one. It is a great mix of hands off and hands on exhibits to keep kids interested and they spent a lot of time in the kids museum. The kids museum was crowded but still enjoyable.

M. D

Breath taking museum! Would definitely recommend for people of all ages!

Jamila Mikhail

An amazing place to say the least. I honestly don’t even have words to describe how fantastic this museum is. It’s HUGE and includes both comprehensive and entertaining displays of Canadian history from the beginning to the present, a cinema, two restaurants, a coffee shop and tons of activities all year round. For those who live in the National Capital région a membership is a must because this place is too big and too cool to speed through in a single visit.

Tim Sutton

We went to visit the Queens of Egypt exhibit. This exhibit was ok but had too much old pottery and coffins for my liking. After that we went to the Canadian history exhibit which we found to be very interesting. I would gp back again

Wendy Kortgaard Wendy Kortgaard

It was so great. Wonderful displays and very easy to navigate. Definitely worth the price of admission.

Vicki L

There are a few museums in Ottawa and this is my favorite. Admission fee is around $20. Double it you will be able to get a season pass. Better still, go on Thursday’s from 5 to 8, you can get in free. There are 2 eateries. The cafeteria in the bottom level serves pretty decent food with reasonable price. You can also sit in the garden to enjoy the view. I recommend Mac and Cheese for the kids. There’s a really good children area. Young kids can easily spend half a day there without getting bored. The adult area is so big I went 3 times and there are still lots of exhibits that I haven’t gone to. My favorite exhibit is the “carriages”.

Jennifer Dusseau

Beautifully designed!! Just another gorgeous place to visit while in Canada.

C P

Beautiful place, nice view. Highly recommend it.

SN

This museum is awesome. Something for all ages and especially great for introducing newcomers and tourists to Canadian history and culture. I find parking a little pricey, so it may be a good idea to park a little farther away and walk. The museum is also free from 5 to close on Thursday evenings. You would have to go several times to see everything but it is well worth it.

João Alves

The museum demonstrates the history of Canada's first peoples. You can see every piece of tool that they use to survive and a lot more of interesting stuffs about them. If you like history you have to vistit it.

sara flynn

Queens of Egypt excellent exhibit. And able to view at leisure with well managed limited numbers

Lethul Fan

This place is truly captivating. So much history and in depth if you take the time to study the exhibits and walk through time

Marie Veillette

Lac Leamy 2019 Fireworks were awesome.

Chaouki SAHLI

Great place to better understand Canada history and how Canada became independent

M. Curcio

Wonderfully designed! Beautiful view of the river and the Parliament building on the other side. Plan to take a full day to see the exhibits.

G Allen

beautiful building, nice collection. great view of the Ottawa river and parliament Hill

Rob Linn

Was a great experience, learning about the 1600's to the present. Alot about the first nation's people. Great educational experience.

Felix D'Iorio

I appreciate the fact that they kept the children's museum and the aboriginal workshop the same, but what the conservative party did to Canada hall is completely unforgivable. The original exhibit must have been so expensive to build along with the rest of the museum. I find it completely tasteless that anyone would think it to be a good idea to turn an immersive historical experience into a poorly designed mess trying to talk about Canada's entire history as well as politics? And voting? Out of all the museums in Ottawa, this place clearly could've had potential to become a major tourist attraction. It just bugs me so much that they could even allow politicians like Stephen Harper to take control of places like this. However despite this, I would recommend giving this place a thorough visit. But if I would recommend parts of the museum to avoid, it would definitely be the 3rd floor. Never thought I would have to say this.

David Rodrigues

Recently visited with my children. Even though the kids museum wasn't open, we still really enjoyed ourselves (and the Queen's of Egypt exhibit). I do wish more was done to enforce mask use given that it was indoors. Many of the patrons did not seem to take it as seriously than we did, and the custodians were not very active in correcting this behaviour -- hence the 4/5 star rating

Martin Gyupchanov

We have been to children's museum only..my 6 year and 1 year old absolutely loved it. Well priced as compared to other attractions. Spent 3 hrs but there is a lot of learning activities and one can spend even 5 hrs just there. Not sure if we will be able to see the actual history museum.

Charbel Khouri

Never been inside but the architecture of the structure is pretty nice and the lands around it is very beautiful overseeing ottawa parliament and Alexandria bridge

Magdalina Garabedian

Really good museum and great way to learn about Canadian history. Spent 2h there and felt like didn't even see half of it.

IntrepidRobot

Love this museum! The recently completed renovations are great. Free admission on Canada Day ????????

Lianne E. Chang

It was spacious. So much to see. The section on the natives of the country was fantastic.