Ottawa Museums Guide

"Maman" at the National Gallery. This giant spider sculpture just may be the most photographed in Ottawa. Photo by Darren Crane. More Ottawa photos...

As the Nation's Capital, Ottawa his home to Canada's premiere museums, including the War Museum, the Museum of Civilization, and the National Art Gallery. Besides the national institutions, there are also a number of smaller local museums as well.

National Museums

Bank of Canada Currency Museum
Explore the evolution of money around the world and through the ages. A fascinating variety of media of exchange including shells, teeth, and cocoa beans, as well as today's currency.
Canada Agriculture Museum
This is a living museum, part of the historic Central Experimental Farm. A favourite with kids for all the barnyard animals.
Canada Aviation Museum
The Canada Aviation Museum is recognized as having the most extensive aviation collection in Canada and one which ranks among the best in the world.
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canada’s national museum of human history and the most-visited museum in the country. The museum showcases the human history of Canada and the cultural diversity of its people. Many special exhibits and special events, and also home to Ottawa's IMAX theatre.
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
A collection of photographs spanning more than forty years, from the 1960s to the present. It's one of the few national museums devoted to photography in the world. It's housed in the National Gallery.
Canadian Museum of Nature
Kids will probably know this one best as the "dinosaur museum" for its gallery of dinosaur skeletons. But there's more: From valuable minerals and fossils hidden beneath our feet to the trees that make the oxygen we breathe, from Arctic plants to zebra mussels and everything in between. The Museum of Nature recently re-opened after extensive renovations. Check out this special coverage from the Ottawa Citizen.
Canadian Museum of Science & Technology
A world-class collection that celebrates Canadian scientific and technical innovations. Lots of hands-on activities for kids, including buttons to press and locomotives to ride on.
National Gallery of Canada
One of the world's most respected art institutions, renowned for its exceptional collections, revered for its scholarship, and applauded for its unique ability to engage audiences of all ages and all levels of artistic knowledge. Created in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada is among the oldest of Canada's national cultural institutions.
Canadian War Museum
Located in a spectacular new building on Lebreton Flats, the museum presents Canada's military past and how it shaped the country. Its outstanding exhibitions explain Canada s rich military history from earliest times to the present, featuring the experiences of people on the battlefields and at home.