The nation’s capital is home to some of the best museums in Canada. Here’s a look at six museums to visit and the travelling exhibitions you shouldn’t miss.
The nation’s capital is home to many of the country’s major cultural institutions. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or grew up in the area, they are always worth a visit.
You’ll find an ever-changing array of temporary exhibitions, plus perennial favourites such as the dinosaur gallery at the Canadian Museum of Nature and the Grand Hall of the Canadian Museum of History, not to mention the distinctive architecture of each building.
Here’s a guide to what’s happening at local museums in 2024.
Canadian Museum of History
100 Laurier St., Gatineau
historymuseum.ca
Designed by architect Douglas Cardinal and completed in 1989, the exterior of the 93,000 square-metre institution is distinguished by undulating curves that hug the shores of the Ottawa River across from Parliament Hill.
First Royals of Europe: More than 700 rare and precious items from 26 institutions across southeastern Europe are on view in Canada for the first time in this special exhibition organized by the Field Museum in Chicago. It includes some of the oldest objects made of gold by humans, dating back to 4600 BCE. Runs to Jan. 19, 2025.
Permanent features to explore: The Canadian Children’s Museum; Canadian Stamp Collection; Canadian History Hall; First Peoples Hall; Grand Hall.
Also: The Indian Residential School Monument, an 18-foot non-traditional totem pole carved from the truck of a red cedar tree that features the unsmiling faces of 130 children. Located in the Four Seasons Salon on Level 1.
Plus: Screenings of family-friendly films at CINÉ+ , a 295-seat movie theatre equipped with a huge, dome-shaped 3D screen.
Evening Update
Canadian Museum of Nature
240 McLeod St., Ottawa
nature.ca
Canada’s natural history museum is housed in the Victoria Memorial Museum Building, an historic castle-like structure made of local sandstone that opened in 1912. It was designed by David Ewart as a counterpart to the Centre Block of the original Parliament Buildings.
What’s new: Rewilding, an exhibition that features art works by the 13 winners of the inaugural David Suzuki Foundation Rewilding Arts Prize. To Sept. 8, 2024.
The Minerals of Mont Saint-Hilaire: The latest addition to the Earth gallery showcases more than 70 specimens from Mont Saint-Hilaire, just east of Montreal, plus a selection of recent acquisitions from the world-class Haineault collection. You will also find out why this small mountain in Quebec has such a high concentration of rare minerals. (Permanent exhibition, included in museum admission).
Upcoming: Butterflies in Flight is back by popular demand Dec. 6-Jan. 4, showcasing a diverse array of live butterflies soaring freely in the Solarium.
Wolves! Shapeshifters in a Changing World: This exhibition was designed in-house by museum staff and includes large-format photographs by the award-winning Ottawa wildlife photographer, Michelle Valberg. Runs to Sept. 2.
Our Land, Our Art: Created to shine a spotlight on the northern part of Quebec known as Nunavik, this exhibition juxtaposes digital images with ancient cultural artifacts. Runs to Oct. 14.
Permanent galleries to explore: Fossils, Earth, Birds, Arctic, Bugs Alive, Mammals, Water and the Pacific Discovery Tank.
Canadian War Museum
1 Vimy Place, Ottawa
warmuseum.ca
Situated at LeBreton Flats, the institution dedicated to Canada’s military history was designed by architect Raymond Moriyama to reflect environmental sustainability. Opened in 2005, one of its most striking exterior features is the 10,684 square-metre “green” roof, which consists of a self-sustaining ecosystem of tall grasses native to the area.
Exhibitions at the Canadian War Museum
Outside The Lines: Women Artists and War, to Jan. 5, 2025. Discover Canada’s military history through works made by 52 female artists over more than two centuries, including paintings, sculptures, textiles and more.
Invasion! – Canadians and the Battle of Normandy, 1944, to Nov. 17. This panel exhibition marks the 80th anniversary of the epic campaign.
Cyprus – A Divided Island, to Jan. 31, 2025. On the 60th anniversary of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus, this special panel exhibition looks at Canada’s contributions between 1964 and 1993.
Legion National Foundation’s Annual Poster and Literary Contest Winners: See the winning entries created by students from across the country. Runs to Oct. 13, 2025.
Canadian Experience galleries to explore: Early Wars in Canada; The South African and First World Wars; The Second World War; From the Cold War to the Present.
Also: The Royal Canadian Legion Hall of Honour; LeBreton Gallery of Military Technology; Memorial Hall; Moriyama Regeneration Hall.
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa
ingeniumcanada.org/aviation
Canada’s museum of aviation history moved to its current location on a former military air base in 1988. The 8,200 square-metre Reserve Hangar was a later addition, built for storage in 2005 and lending a distinctive flair with its angular shape and reflective metal shell.
Permanent exhibitions: Engines: The Power to Fly!; Life in Orbit: The International Space Station; The Story of Human Flight; Canada in Space; Health in Space: Daring to Explore; Eyes on the Skies: Managing Air Traffic Control in Canada; The Cold War.
Plus: Book a tour of the Reserve Hangar, where the planes not on display are stored, including a de Havilland D.H. 98 Mosquito B XX and the wing tips of the Avro CF-105 Arrow 2. (Note: The tour is not recommended for children). Tours available to Jan. 2, 2025.
Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
901 Prince of Wales Dr., Ottawa
ingeniumcanada.org/agriculture
This working farm-turned-museum is located at the Central Experimental Farm, a national heritage site in the heart of Ottawa, complete with a horse barn, dairy barn, sheep field, poultry house, soil lab, demonstration kitchen and more.
The Island in the Middle of Everywhere: Find out how Northern Coast Salish people on Xwe’etay (pronounced hwe-e-tay), part of the Northern Gulf Islands in British Columbia, sustainably produced food over thousands of years. Runs to March 31, 2025.
Permanent exhibitions: The Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame; Canola: Seeds of Innovation; Discovery Park (outdoor exhibition); Aquaculture: Farming the Waters; Farming for the Future; Sustainable Agricultural Gallery.
Canada Museum of Science and Technology
1867 St. Laurent Blvd., Ottawa
ingeniumcanada.org/scitech
The former bakery on St. Laurent Boulevard, which became a museum in the 1960s, was fully revamped in 2017, alongside a state-of-the-art storage facility constructed to protect and showcase Canada’s national science and technology collection.
Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste: An exhibition on the environmental and social issues surrounding human waste. To Jan. 5, 2025.
Permanent exhibitions to explore: Artifact Alley; Crazy Kitchen+; From Earth to Us; Hidden Worlds; Medical Sensations; Sound by Design; Steam: A World in Motion; Technology in Our Lives; Wearable Tech; ZOOOM: Children’s Innovation Zone; Into the Great Outdoors
