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Outaouais Region
Gatineau
Things to do in Gatineau
Canadian Museum of History
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Canadian Museum of History

See all things to do
See all things to do
Canadian Museum of History
4.5
#3 of 38 things to do in Gatineau
Speciality MuseumsHistory Museums
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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About
Experience Canada’s history in exciting new ways. The Canadian Museum of History is a destination of choice in the National Capital Region. An architectural jewel designed by Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal, the Museum is less than five minutes from downtown Ottawa and Parliament Hill. Explore Canada’s rich history and the outstanding achievements of First Peoples. Marvel at the world’s largest indoor collection of totem poles. The Canadian History Hall, our signature exhibition, will let you discover the events, personalities and historical currents that have shaped Canada — from time immemorial to the present day.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Admission tickets
from C$26.96
All you need to step foot in the door.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
2,287 reviews
Excellent
1,427
Very good
564
Average
180
Poor
81
Terrible
35
Shane B
Brisbane Region, Australia59 contributions
A great place for history buffs to visit
Oct. 2023 • Solo
This is a fantastic place to visit if you want to understand the history of Canada - I walked away with loads of information and a good appreciation of the history of Canada and the wars leading to independence. The first nations exhibits are outstanding.
Hint: Check the website, on Thursdays entry is free between 5-7pm, it closes at 9pm. You need to book on line and collect your ticket on arrival with the booking reference number.
Review of: Canadian Museum of History Admission Ticket
Written October 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fiona M
Huntly, UK210 contributions
Needs better signage
Aug. 2023 • Couples
Interesting enough, but quite a confusing layout. Signage was quite poor, and when you go in it's not clear where to buy tickets. It just looks like a foyer of a cinema. I understand that the shape of the building does not help the layout, but better signage would be useful. We met a few other people wandering around looking confused.
Review of: Canadian Museum of History Admission Ticket
Written October 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alex_Tallinn
Hanover, NH403 contributions
All about "political correctness"
Aug. 2023 • Couples
It doesn't really feel like a museum - it is a walking tour through several floors of subtle and not-so-subtle indoctrination.
Written September 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AmarilisVos
Jabbeke, Belgium2,318 contributions
A lot of history
Jul. 2023
We visited the museum on the 4th of July. There is a parking lot under the museum (13$ for a day). The entrance fee includes access to the Cine+ with various films (see timetable at the box office). There are 4 levels and it will take you a whole day to see them all. There is a Children's Museum for the children. Take time to wander through the building and check out the Zen garden outside.
Review of: Canadian Museum of History Admission Ticket
Written August 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roadrunner
Asheville, NC70 contributions
An excellent museaum.
Jul. 2023 • Couples
An excellent museum. The exhibits are very well done, and interesting. I would recommend this museum to anyone who has interest in Canadian history.
Written August 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie F
2 contributions
I had such fond memories - disappointed with renovations
Jul. 2023 • Family
It has changed so much!!!! I grew up going to this museum as a child. I loved exploring the ships hull, school, hospital and buildings depicting life back then. It was so engaging and interactive. I had such fond memories visiting as a child. I moved away but was back visiting and was so excited to share this experience with my kids who are 8 and 12. I told them all about it. Unfortunately I didn’t realize renovations had been done and we were all disappointed. Only the church remained. Why mess with such a good thing?
Interactive games on tv screens are not what memories are made off and what has replaced the interactive aspect of this area.
Happy the children’s museum has remained much the same and the beloved bus is still there at the entrance.
My kids are older so we didn’t spend much time in the Children’s museum.
Happy we went on their free Thursday evenings so we didn’t have to pay.
Review of: Canadian Museum of History Admission Ticket
Written July 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad C
9 contributions
Nice Museum
Beautiful grounds and exhibits, but very poorly executed on levels 1 and 2. Uppers levels a bit more intuitive to navigate.
Review of: Canadian Museum of History Admission Ticket
Written July 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mellie2013
Port Moody, Canada2,718 contributions
Impressive!!
Jun. 2023
One of The Best Museums in Canada!

We definitely enjoyed wandering around the museum. Very impressed with the Grand Hall, filled with traditional house fronts and the world's largest collection of totem poles!! An amazingly beautiful building housing very important artifacts.

My favourite piece was the Bill Reid sculpture...the original cast from the piece (Jade canoe) that sits at Vancouver Airport! The Canadian History Hall was also well done if you have time to follow the time line.

Of great importance is also the "MORNING STAR –
GAMBEH THEN" by Alex Janvier’s, painted in 1993. Take a moment to sit in the red Adirondack chairs on the first floor and enjoy the piece in comfort.

The admission fee was well worth the price...a priceless experience!
Review of: Canadian Museum of History Admission Ticket
Written June 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MikeyTravel
Mount Holly, NJ649 contributions
A great place to learn about the history of Canada
Jun. 2023 • Family
This museum offers a comprehensive history of Canada from the beginnings to present day. Honestly, if you wanted to read everything, it would probably take three days to go through the museum. We spent about 4 hours there. The first floor is dedicated to the native 'first nation' people, and has exhibits on their tools and clothing, etc. The second floor is for exhibits that change periodically. The third and fourth floor includes the history from the European settlers through modern day Canada. It talked about the formation of Canada, and building of railroads, and other formative events. As someone from the US, there was a lot I didn't know about Canada, and found it quite interesting. On the fourth floor there were exhibits that covered topics such as Quebec separation efforts, as well as what it is like being the "neighbor to the US" which I found to be among the most interesting of the exhibits.
Review of: Canadian Museum of History Admission Ticket
Written June 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle H
Spruce Grove, Canada177 contributions
Needs two days
This museum had a lot of information about indigenous people and their history in Canada. Viewing this portion of the museum took us almost a whole day. We just got up to the war of 1812 and we had tired ourselves out. We left and hope we can pick up the history we missed at the next museum.
They had a very thorough accounting of the history but you really need to devote two days to see this museum. I was disappointed that we had to leave before finishing.
It is, however, a great museum. Definitely worth the visit.
Review of: Canadian Museum of History Admission Ticket
Written June 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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CANADIAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Canadian Museum of History
Canadian Museum of History admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost C$27.80, while a popular guided tour starts around C$27.80 per person.
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