Canadian Museum of History
The Canadian Museum of History was known as the Canadian Museum of Civilization until 2013 and is the most visited museum in all of Canada.
The museum aims to bring Canada's complex history to the public in an engaging way and to promote research related to these topics.
A magnificent museum building
The building itself is a tourist attraction, or rather the interconnected complex of two buildings covering a total area of 75,000 square metres.
Architect Douglas Cardinal's goal was to build a spectacular building in a style that would reference the original inhabitants and connect history with the present.
The result is a monumental concrete complex with rounded forms set in a beautiful park on the banks of the Ottawa River in Gatineau.
Collections or what to see in the museum
If you want to explore the entire museum, set aside at least 2 hours to visit.
The museum is divided into several themed sections:
- The Canadian History Hall - the main section focusing mainly on Aboriginal people, colonization and immigration, with a focus on the present day.
- Great Hall - a huge space with 6 authentic totem poles of the indigenous people of western Canada
- Children's Museum - an interactive section aimed at children under 12 years old who can figuratively travel the world
- Temporary exhibitions - in addition to permanent exhibitions, the museum often hosts temporary exhibitions
Detailed information can be found on the official historymuseum.ca website.
Entrance fees and opening hours
The museum is open every day from 9:00 am.
It normally closes at 17:00 during the year, or at 18:00 from July to September. It is always open until 7:00 pm on Thursdays.
Ticket prices are as follows:
- Adults - 24 cad
- Students up to 17 years old - 22 cad
- Seniors over 65 - 19 cad
You can also buy tickets online, but long queues at the box office do not usually form and the price at the door is the same.
The view from the roof and the park
On the roof of one of the buildings, there is a free and 24/7 accessible view of downtown Ottawa with the landmark Parliament Hill.
There are also spectacular views directly from the park's promenade, which runs right past the Ottawa River.
How to get there
The Museum of Canadian History is located in Gatineau, but it's very easy to get to from downtown Ottawa.
Buses
Right outside the entrance is the "Laurier - Elisabeth Bruyere" bus stop, where both OC Transpo and STO buses stop. Both carriers accept each other's tickets.
To get to downtown Ottawa, use the following routes:
- 8 and 13 (OC Transpo) - direction Canadian War Museum and "Pimisi" subway station
- 31 (STO) - direction downtown Ottawa
On foot
It takes about 20 minutes to get to the museum from downtown by taking a nice walk across the Alexandra Bridge.
Hotels in the area
Gatineau is a quiet city and if the Canadian Museum of History is your main destination in Ottawa, there are two hotels in close proximity:
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