Museum sights in Ottawa
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Canadian Museum of Civilization
This must-see museum documents the history of Canada through a spectacular range of exhibits. The stone exterior has been sculpted into smooth ripples – like the undulating wave of a current. In fact, you won’t find any corners at the museum, as it is believed in aboriginal lore that the evil spirits live in these angled nooks. Allow at least an entire afternoon to explore the museum and to take in the stunning views of the Parliament across the river.
The Grand Hall, with its simulated forest and seashore, illuminates the northwest coastal aboriginal cultures with towering colorful totem poles. Kids get a passport when they enter the Canadian Children’s Museum, a v…
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Canada Science & Technology Museum
This hands-on museum, about 6km southeast of downtown, is a wonderful place to tickle the senses. Ambient squeaks and boinks fill the air as contented visitors gingerly turn knobs and push buttons.
Clever displays are designed to teach visitors about the basic scientific laws that govern our world. Permanent collections explore optical illusions, the laws of physics, and Time, with a capital ‘T.’ A walk through the Crazy Kitchen is a must – the lopsided galley dips at a 10-degree angle causing passers-through to cling to the railings as they try to stumble from start to finish. Climb aboard the heavy-duty trains at the back of the museum to learn about the science beh…
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Canada Agricultural Museum
Nope, the Canada Agricultural Museum isn’t about the history of the pitchfork – it’s a fascinating experimental farm. The government-owned property, southwest of downtown, includes about 500 hectares of gardens and ranches. Kids will love the livestock as they hoot and snort around the barn. The affable farmhands will even let the tots help out during feeding time. Guided tours lead visitors to an observatory, a tropical greenhouse and an arboretum. The rolling farmland is the perfect place for a scenic summer picnic, and in winter the grounds become a prime tobogganing locale. The farm can be reached on the city’s network of cycling routes.
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Canadian War Museum
This museum still has that new-car smell. The metallic building is itself an eye-catching sculptural gesture, and is worth a glance even if you don’t plan on visiting the exhibits. Fascinating displays wind through the labyrinthine interior, tracing the country’s military history with Canada’s most comprehensive collection of military artifacts. Many of the exhibits were constructed on a human scale, including a haunting life-sized replica of a WWI trench. Don’t forget to take a second look at the facade in the evening – flickering lights pulse on and off spelling ‘Lest We Forget’ and ‘CWM’ in Morse code (in both English and French, of course).
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Canada Aviation and Space Museum
With nearly 120 aircraft housed in the steel triangular hangar, the aviation museum almost feels bigger than Ottawa’s actual airport. Stroll through the mammoth warehouse, try the flight simulator, and get up close and personal with colorful planes ranging from the Silver Dart of 1909 to the first turbo-powered Viscount passenger jet.
Call ahead to check opening hours, as they vary according to attendance levels and time of year. If you show up an hour before closing, you might be let in for free. The museum is 5km northeast (along Rockcliffe Pkwy). Take bus 129 from downtown.
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Canadian Museum of Nature
Sparkling after a massive, seemingly endless renovation, this vast museum pokes its Gothic head up just beyond the skyline, south of downtown. The gaping four-story museum houses an impressive collection of fossils, minerals and animals, a full skeleton of a blue whale, and an excellent stock of dinosaurs from Alberta. Everyone’s favorite section is the realistic mammal and bird dioramas depicting Canadian wildlife. The taxidermic creatures are so lifelike, you’ll be glad that they’re behind a sheet of glass.
Buses 5, 6 and 14 transport passengers to McLeod St.
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Bytown Museum
Bytown Museum, sitting at the last lock before the artificial canal plunges into the waters of the Ottawa River. This well-curated collection of artifacts and documents about Ottawa’s colonial past is displayed in the city’s oldest stone building. The 1st floor is devoted to a nature exhibit, the 2nd floor details the arduous construction of the canal system, and, if you’ve got the kids in tow, don’t miss the pioneer dress-up station on the 3rd floor.
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Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
Wedged between Château Laurier and the canal in a reconstructed railway tunnel, the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography houses the country's vast photographic archives, and offers dynamic rotating exhibits. Past displays have included artist retrospectives, surveillance videos, documentary pieces and many other convoluted themes. Call ahead before planning a visit as the museum space is often closed between exhibitions.
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Currency Museum
Make sense of cents at this small museum tucked within the greenhouse lobby of the Bank of Canada building. Various displays detail the global history of money, from seashells and whales’ teeth to banknotes and credit cards. Don’t miss the giant Yap stone – used to display a family’s wealth – sitting amid exotic foliage near the museum’s entrance.
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Aboriginal Village
This intriguing replica of an Aboriginal village offers glimpses of the original inhabitants of Ottawa and the region. Spend an afternoon in the native encampment watching vibrant dance performances, sampling authentic cuisine and learning about traditional craftworks. Turtle Island is within walking distance of downtown.
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Stray-Cat Sanctuary
A bizarre, little-known quirk worth seeing is the Stray-Cat Sanctuary, with dollhouse-like shelters. It's on Parliament Hill between the West Block and Centre Block, toward the river. Some say, loftily, that it represents the Canadian ideal of welcoming and caring for the world's needy, but then again, maybe it's just nutty.
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