We came here to learn more about the indigenous cultures of Canada and for the children's museum…read more 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.

Lots to see and learn - indigenous, history, political, music, art! There's group of 7, old…read morestereotypes, historical facts in Canada

Great place with thoughtful displays for many audiences. Reverence for nature and environment…read more Awe-inspiring. Some taxidermy displays old to the point of some humour but that was also endearing and its own form of awe. Came on a free Thursday and it was full of many families, youth, all ages, cultures, so much enthusiasm and conversation and learning. Great stuff.

Have been several times but finally decided to leave a review. During public holidays, sometimes…read morethere is no entry fees. The parking on site is limited ($12 etc). There is street parking around (paid). Once inside, there are 4 levels, level 1 has the cafeteria serving beverages and pizza/ sandwiches, Fairly pricey. This level also features the fossils. There's even a video on how became extinct. Plenty of sensory experiences, lots of information. You can easily spend several hours checking it out. The bathrooms were clean and despite it being extremely busy when I went I didn't feel claustrophobic. Also checked out their bug adventure. Lots of information on bugs, several mini exhibits. Overall, informative.

I had a great experience at this gallery. It was our first time with my family and we were able to…read morelearn about different art installations, it was cool. It wasn't too busy and it was clean and well-maintained. They also had multiple security stationed inside. Fairly priced and would definitely recommend checking it out at least once.

We spent about two hours here as the last activity of a busy day touring around Ottawa. The museum…read moreis amazing with a wonderful collection of works by contemporary Canadian artists including indigenous artists. They also have galleries that include works by Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh and many others. Parking is easy and very affordable in the underground parking garage. This is definitely a good option if visiting the city! It is walking distance to parliament hill so easy to combine visits to multiple attractions.

We were able to come here and use our ASTC passport which was awesome. The parking lots have plenty…read moreof space and some EV chargers which is great. The staff was friendly and got us in with our passport. They have a nice little cafe with Beavertails in the back, so we stopped there for a quick breakfast and coffee. The displays here are great, so many interactive displays from bicycles, to trains, to audio and visual displays there is a lot to take in. This is a great spot for families or just adults who can tolerate kids being around. The history of sporting for people with disabilities was really interesting. This place really has something for everyone, whether you are interested in the human body, space, housing, etc you will probably find a section that interests you. The kids specific area was a lot of fun, although one of the displays was a bit broken unfortunately. Being able to race cars you build on a track and climb a rock wall was a ton of fun for our daughter. Being able to go race other kids on the bikes was something she really enjoyed too. We certainly had a good family outing and I think we all learned a few new things.

We visited this museum. Parking is a bit confusing without proper signage. The other thing is…read morethat the parking near the front, the lines are marked with different coloured rocks but it's hard to see so people park very poorly and the spots are quite tight too. The exhibits were pretty interesting. Lots of things to see and read, somewhat interactive. There is a dedicated kids area for kids to play in which is nice for families. The huge train that you can go into was another fun highlight. The demonstrations were really fun, there was one on ice and one on fire that day though the ice one didn't quite work. Overall a pretty enjoyable museum especially if you have kids.

We came here to use our ASTC Passport. The staff was friendly, handed us a map and told us about…read morethe demonstrations that they were going to be doing over the next couple hours. This place is really large and they have a lot of planes, helicopters, and a few ground based vehicles. It can get quite loud since everything echoes in this massive warehouse. Most of the displays are static displays that you will pause to read. A lot of really interesting aviation history going back over 100 years. I was a big fan of the display regarding the engines used in planes. Their kid section is pretty small, so it can get crowded and chaotic. They did have a great demonstration for the kids and adults about how to land a plane. Being able to sit in a cockpit really makes you appreciate what fighter pilots go through. Overall it is a really interesting museum with a lot of interesting planes. It's not really a place I would bring a younger child as there isn't much for them to do and interact with. If you have time to walk and read this is a good place to go.

Up, up and away!…read more Canada Aviation and Space Museum is located at the Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport. The museum hangar houses a large collection of aeronautical artifacts highlighting Canada's achievements in the area. Upon entering the building, we noticed an upside down Snowbird overhead. How typically Canadian! The exhibits take you through time, starting from original biplanes, to WWI fighters, WWII bombers, utility aircrafts, modern fighters and helicopters. A highlight is undoubtedly the nose section from the cancelled Avro Arrow. Other unique exhibits include the "Engines: Power to Fly" display, and a 9/11 display with Come From Away. I particularly enjoyed the small but interesting Canadian Space Agency exhibit "Life in Orbit: the International Space Station." It was too bad some interactive displays were closed due to COVID safety. We felt that 1-2 hours was more than sufficient to walk through the museum. There were limited interactive displays including one for kids to fly using their arms as the wingspan. Tickets are reserved ahead & free daily between 4-5pm. Thanks Bill N. for this recommendation!

Very powerful museum and maybe the best one we have been. We came here about an hour before close…read moreon Rememberance Day so only saw the Women and War exhibit and parts of the permanent collection. What is unique is they show various aspects of war from all perspectives including persecuted populations. Highly recommended for all and we hope to see the rest of the museum sometime.

The fam and I came here during a quiet Saturday, and ended up spending the afternoon here. The…read moremuseum itself is stunning and I love the grand hall when you first walk in. With someone who is sensitive to light, I do enjoy that this museum is on the darker side. They made good use of the space in the museum and split each section into four galleries, plus a room for the special exhibit and a room for the tanks. There are a lot of nooks to check out and I feel like I missed a lot of things, so I may have to take a second trip back. I loved the small nook( I believe in gallery three) that we stumbled upon. We almost walked right past it, but I noticed this shiny red diner seating and grabbed a seat. There was an option to play some oldies music and it was so fun and took us back in time. The fam and I spent a good 20 minutes jamming out to some music and dancing. Of course we had to check out the cafe. They didn't have a lot of prepared items. A couple salads, cookies, typical egg sandwiches. They did have staff to prepare fresh food though like fries, poutine, chicken nuggets. We went with the poutine and it was outstanding to be honest. Tons of cheese curds, perfect chip wagon style fries and a tasty gravy. Plenty for sharing, but I ate most of it myself. The food was pricey, so bring extra snacks if you want to save some $$$. The LRT stops close by, and there is plenty of green space for picnics. I can totally see myself coming back in the Summer.

This was so much fun and had so many interesting things to learn about. We had family visiting us…read morefrom out west and they wanted to go see something cool and we took them here and we had a blast! We had a tour guild who took us through the museum, they didn't show us all of it but he took us to the bottom and then let us work our way back up on our own terms or go back and check out the places we didn't see. The guide was very knowledgeable and definitely had a passion for this type of thing which made the whole experience just that much better.

The Diefenbunker has been on my list of museums to check out for years. I absolutely love the…read more1950's era, and was in awe at how the whole bunker has been left untouched. From the pastel yellow and blue paint used to the decorations in each room, it was quiet the experience to look at, and a step back in time. Walking through the tunnel upon entrance was chilly, literally, cold. Bring a sweater. The temperature in the rest of the museum was fine. My 5 year old thought it was cool in the beginning, but got extremely creeped out mid tour, and decided it was time to go. My 2 year old loved it and was laughing the whole time. Keep in mind there is not much for children to do here, but walk, and look. Keep an eye out for the TV and green chair that is set up. They were rolling commercials and announcements from that time era. It was pretty cool to watch. Parking on site, bring a lunch as there is no food to purchase on site (that I could find anyways). 5 and under free entry.

TLDR: Fun museum for kids. Lots of farm animals. Some parts are very smelly, lol…read more My husband and I went here with a friend and his kids. I think it's a great museum for kids, especially if they like animals or are interested in farming. There are lots of farm animals. They had horses, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, alpaca, turkeys, ducks, chicken, quails and rabbits. You can even pet some of them. They had some live demonstrations, which are amusing for kids. They have lots of exhibits, some of which are interactive. They had quizzes, and even video games like tractor driving simulators. There's a park with a play structure if kids need to burn off some energy. They have lots of picnic tables, some of which are covered. The only food sold on-site is from vending machines, so feel free to bring your own food. They do have an indoor area to eat by the vending machines if you don't want to eat outdoors. I like that they have lots of washroom throughout the site and also a few handwashing stations. They have water fountains where you can also refill your water bottles. They also have lots of hand sanitizer everywhere. They encourage you to sanitize your hands before and after touching the animals. I support good hand hygiene! Lol. There's lots of parking on-site. It's $3.75 an hour and the daily max is $9. (107)

Wonderful Place to take children. There was an ice cream…read moremaking demonstration and many lovely farm animals to be seen and learn about. The property itself is gorgeous and with many shaded areas to take refuge was a great place for the kids in a sunny afternoon.

I've never been to a mint and was very excited to learn more about coin making. Canadian coins used…read moreto be made in the UK but the production shifted to Ottawa last century. Today, they only make collector and investment coins while the facility in Winnipeg makes normal coins that circulate with the public. The Ottawa mint offers a 45 minute guided tour and has a boutique where you can shop for coins afterwards. You will learn a couple of things here and there during the tour, but it's nothing to write home about. Overall, it's a fun way to spend an hour if you're near the National Art Gallery or the Basilica. I would also suggest checking out the Bank of Canada Museum, which has a free admission and an interactive exhibit about money.

Oops...I should have read more in detail first, but our tour of the Royal Canadian Mint was still…read morecool to learn about the collector coins. This mint does not mint coins used in circulation nor does it print bills (but the Royal Bank of Canada does....and their tour is free!). We enjoyed some of the displays you could stick your face into just outside the mint to make you look like a coin...sort of lol. Inside, the gift shop was definitely aimed towards collectors but it also sold a hodgepodge of items like that for the Canadian Air Force, indigenous tribes, and generally cute Canadian stuffed animals. If you are looking for a specific coin, they probably also won't have it as they only carry the most current collections given their "first to handle" policy. I thought it could have done better by including some general "royal canadian mint" souvenir items. Downstairs is where the tour takes place - bummer the manufacturing floor wasn't active when we were there. No photos or videos are allowed either. Our tour was informative but only because we had a pretty inquisitive group, otherwise our guide seemed to try to use the silent videos to guide the tour and only pointed to a few machines along the way. It's an interesting tour but compared to say Parliament, this is definitely lower tier.

I came here for the Vintage Village of Lights…read more Similar to Upper Canada Village,closer for the "east enders" It was just under $20 to get in. Babies are free. Free parking, and everything was included in the entry free: parking, visit with santa, gingerbread cookies that you can decorate, wagon rides and games. If you come here during the winter, I recommend dressing VERY warm as most of the activities are outdoors, and to skip the stroller and bring a sled if anything. Strollers are also not allowed in the indoor exhibits, so your stuck leaving them outside. Much smaller than Upper Canada Village, but did the trick for a festive night out.

This place was such an amazing, fun and educational way to spend the afternoon. It was inexpensive,…read moretoo. What's more, the staff were very friendly, helpful and the demonstrations of skills from the period were interesting and informative to watch. Having travelled to Ottawa more times than I can count, the only thing I wonder is why I hadn't discovered this gem sooner. The place is very family-friendly and has lots of space for young ones to burn off steam - as they often don't have the patience to see everything that's offered. If you want a great way to spend a few hours with the family, it's worth considering the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum.