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Canadian Museum of History: Cultural Journey
4.5
143 Ratings
Gatineau
Discover the rich and diverse Indigenous cultures at the Canadian Museum of History. Explore galleries, art, and personal stories that have shaped Canada. Fun for all ages!
Discover the rich and diverse Indigenous cultures at the Canadian Museum of History. Explore galleries, art, and personal stories that have shaped Canada. Fun for all ages!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Canadian Museum of History - An architectural gem crafted by the Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal, this Museum is a mere stone’s throw from Ottawa’s downtown and the Parliament Hill.\n\nDelve into the vast tapestry of Canada’s history and the remarkable contributions of its First Peoples. Be in awe of the largest indoor collection of totem…
- Canadian Museum of History - An architectural gem crafted by the Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal, this Museum is a mere stone’s throw from Ottawa’s downtown and the Parliament Hill.\n\nDelve into the vast tapestry of Canada’s history and the remarkable contributions of its First Peoples. Be in awe of the largest indoor collection of totem poles in the world. The Canadian History Hall, our premier exhibit, invites you to explore the defining moments, influential figures, and powerful forces that have molded Canada from the dawn of time to contemporary days.\n\nExperience a fresh perspective on the continuously unfolding story of Canada through genuine artifacts and captivating narratives. The Hall presents a panoramic view of Canadian history by embracing stories from a variety of viewpoints, celebrating the nation’s triumphs while also confronting its more somber episodes.\nFueled by personal narratives, historical gems, and innovative design, this flagship exhibition is a distinctive space where you can appreciate the breadth and variety of the Canadian narrative.
What's Included
- Admission ticket includes access to special exhibitions
- Access to CINÉ+
- Access to Canadian Children’s Museum
- Admission ticket includes access to special exhibitions
- Access to CINÉ+
- Access to Canadian Children’s Museum
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Transportation to/from attraction
- Guided Tours
- Food and drinks
- Transportation to/from attraction
- Guided Tours
Additional Information
The Canadian Museum of History in the National Capital Region gives you a fulfilling museum experience that is hard to miss. The Museum, conceived and built by the Native architect Douglas Cardinal, is one of Canada’s most visited. It brings to life the rich history, narratives, and cultures of its Indigenous Peoples with its compelling gallery exhibits…
The Canadian Museum of History in the National Capital Region gives you a fulfilling museum experience that is hard to miss. The Museum, conceived and built by the Native architect Douglas Cardinal, is one of Canada’s most visited. It brings to life the rich history, narratives, and cultures of its Indigenous Peoples with its compelling gallery exhibits and remarkable artworks. The Museum dives deep into the fascinating personal tales that have formed Canada, from the earliest eras to the contemporary period. The Canadian Children’s Museum, a part of the main museum, provides an educational and enjoyable experience to the little ones and their families through interactive play. Furthermore, visitors of every age can relish the exciting large-screen experiences at CINÉ+.
- Children ages 2 and younger are free
Location
Canadian Museum of History
100 Laurier St,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(143 Ratings)
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N8delaney
Sep 17, 2025
Amazing layout for the history and great children's museum - We came here to learn more about the indigenous cultures of Canada and for the children's museum. They have a great set up here, we were able to go to the children's museum right after getting our tickets to wear out our daughter a bit before going to the main museum. The children's museum is really interesting, much more than we had expected. It is really great that they have so many interactive and educational displays about different cultures around the world. Following the path from Asia, to Egypt to Mexico was a lot of fun. They have the room to rent marbles and other things to build as well. Definitely a must stop if you have kids.
After she got a bit of her energy out we went upstairs to see the main exhibits. The long hallway with the mirrors telling the stories of places around the country was really interesting, a bit tricky to read, but very unique. The layout to walk through is fantastic. Walking through history from the indigenous communities, to the invasion from the French and British, to the modern day is so well laid out. Not too many interactive displays to keep our daughter entertained, but just enough. It was absolutely fascinating to basically walk through the history of Canada. Going downstairs to the great room/hall was incredible, the totem poles are enormous. Getting to see them in person and read about how the people carve them out was really impressive. I'm really glad we made the trip here and feel we got our money's worth.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hec286
Sep 7, 2025
Interesting and comprehensive museum of Canadian History and life - Excellent museum experience. The museum is on several levels and starts on the lower ground floor with a large hall of First People’s history, including several totem poles, sculpture and artifacts. On this level is also an exhibit of every stamp issued by Canada Post.
Next level is a coffee shop, children’s museum, gift shop and special exhibit area. Carry on up and you then move through a fairly chronological history of Canada, displayed in an interesting and informative way.
Allow plenty of time if you want to get the most out of this museum. I did not go to the children’s museum but did take about 30 minutes for lunch and was there 4+ hours and could have stayed longer.
Enjoyed this museum, I can see it is not for everyone but if you like history or are interested in Canada’s historical story this is a good place to visit.
There is a cafe/ restaurant on the lower ground floor as well as the main floor coffee shop.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A3131ktvincentr
Aug 24, 2025
Nice way to spend a few hours! - Lets start with how impressive the architecture of this building is! Wide open and unique with floor to sky windows! The Indigenous first nations exhibit and the Retro Rock exhibits were our favorites - lots of amazing stories tucked into every corner of this museum! Visiting here was a great way to spend an afternoon and learn some history we never knew before!
Nice location and the views from behind the cafeteria across the Ottawa Rive are spectacular! (They even have a kids exhibit ....surprise! .. although we never actually checked it out we thought it was a nice touch -- especially for those families bringing young'uns along!
Definitely worth seeing if you are checking out the sights in the Ottawa/Gatineau area.
Vince & Cath
August, 2025
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Js99-99ax
Aug 15, 2025
Fantastic museum - Visited with two kids and two nephews this week, ages 11-13. They loved reliving their childhood memories of the Children’s Museum :) as well as the rest of the displays, especially the WWI and WWII eras of the Canadian History hall.
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Charlotte
Jul 13, 2025
A must visit to understand more about Canada! - Fantastic museum with in depth and expansive presentations from all eras of Canada's history, warts and all. A must visit to understand more about Canada.
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Rhnaks
Jun 24, 2025
Visit Recommended - Very nice museum. We learnt a lot about Canadian history. We only had 2 hours and it's definitely not enough. Would definitely recommend a visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G8963kegeorgeo
Jun 18, 2025
Highy recommended and very educational! - Excellent museum! The hall with the totem poles and First Nations exhibits were very well done. We learned a great amount about Canada on the upper floors that we did not know previously. Highly recommended!
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Dianeb845
Sep 24, 2025
A walk through their shoes - One learns a lot about the indigenous people of Canada, their lives, struggles, and their way of doing things. The exhibit about Canadian musicians and stamps were very interesting, too. One can easily spend 3-4 hours looking at the various exhibits.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Forespa
Aug 2, 2025
Not for everyone - You have to allow at least 3 hours for the visit, so it is recommended only to true history buffs, also bearing in mind the fact that it is not cheap ($24). Spectacular room with totems.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Knitlove
Aug 24, 2025
So-So - The museum is lovely on the outside, but not as interesting on the inside. It would have been better to have more opportunities for interaction and immersive learning. We found that the exhibits were hard to connect with (despite being Canadian) and that they did not necessarily accurately reflect the experiences of Canadians who were actually here during many of the events shown. The museum felt biased and lopsided, and there seemed to be a lack of staff around to provide additional information or answer questions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor