My wife and I visited this museum on a recent trip to Ottawa. We have visited in the past and enjoyed the exhibits but this time we were extremely disappointed. We were not told, when buying our tickets, that a large part of the museum was closed for the construction of a major new exhibit (which is not scheduled to... plus

Museum is located across the river from Ottawa but is worth seeing. There are numerous exhibitions ranging from Greek history to a collection of totem poles. It's a well laid out museum and you need to invest at least 3 hours to do it justice. The exhibits are accompanied by a detailed commentary which helps to enhance your knowledge of... plus

Kids had an amazing time

We spent the entire day at the Children's Museum inside the Museum of History. The kids had an amazing time while we were there. I highly recommend for young children (3-5 years).
I didn't get to see the rest of the museum by my friend said it was nice. Overall great experience, however a bit pricey I think if you're... plus

Incomplete history

We enjoyed the First Nations artifacts, history up to confederation. There was a special exhibit on Terry Fox which was very well done. The stamp collection was interesting too. However we did not see any content post confederation. E.G. Great Depression, World wars, Olympics hosted in Canada. We spent about 2 hours there.

Good so far, but exhibits not finished

This museum is currently (as of 2015) halfway through a major revamp. Only the First Nations section and the Children's Museum are open, and the rest will not open until 2017.
The First Nations section is really excellent with some superb exhibits (although the heavy emphasis on the Pacific Coast nations seemed odd in an Ottawa-based museum).
It was annoying,... plus

Fun

This is my favourite museum in Canada, and I recently had a chance to visit it again for the first time with my kids. I was disappointed that Canada Hall was closed for renovations, but it didn't matter because we spent a whole morning with my almost 3 year old in the Children's museum. We all had a great time!

Breathtaking Exhibits

I have wanted to see this museum for quite a while because of the excellent First Nation Exhibit and it took my breath away. The totem poles were amazing as well as the weaving and about every thing else. They also had an excellent Ancient Greece exhibit that was put together beautifully. If you are in Ottawa this place is... plus

Always an awesome place to spend a day

We have been going to this museum formally know as the civilization museum for almost 20 years and have never been disappointed!
Something for everyone and at the moment there is a really neat exhibit about the life of Terry Fox which is well worth attending!
This museum is suitable for ages 1-100!

Worth admission seeing First Nations level

My spouse and I thought that over two hours would be enough to see all we wished, but we never got out of the impressive first level, and the Grand Hall of the First Nations display. There is a lot to take in, and we were very pleasantly surprised to find that time flew by as read about and admired... plus

They close at 5

So, we got kicked out halfway into the Terry Fox exhibit. Disappointing for sure. Obviously our fault, but give us some warning before we use our tickets an hour before closing.

Attended a wedding here in June. Beautiful spot. Did not get to see the entire museum but dined amidst the Totem poles. Wonderful Cardinal designed building. I must admit I spent more time looking at the detailling of the door in the curved stone wall than at the Bride.
Must visit.

On my trip to Ottawa, we visited a lot of museums in a 5 day period. Probably more than any one person should in that short of a time period.

Out of all of the places we went in Ottawa on the trip.. this one seemed to disappoint the most.

You should know, I am huge museum buff, and I usually am the one to be dragging along because I am attempting to soak up as much information I can from... plus

The museum of Civilization has never disappointed me. I've visited many times over the last 12 years and have consistently blown away by their quality of their exhibits and staff. This museum has helpful, considerate, and truly bilingual staff.

On a seasonal note, the Vodou exhibit is exquisite. It was somewhat terrifying and truly enjoyable. I'd highly recommend it, maybe not for young children.

This is a review of the cafeteria, not the museum. The museum is a first class institution both in terms of its architecture and its collection. Alas, the same cannot be said for its cafeteria food.

Last spring, we visited several museums in Stockholm and I was most impressed by the quality of the food served in their cafeterias. It was so good that people who weren't even visiting the museum... plus

Fun and educational. Good for families. The smaller exhibits that change over are a bit more intriguing than the remaining historical areas of the museum's permanent collection, while informative are not as thought provoking.

If you don't get a chance to visit the interior, the promenade and view are amazing. Very few museums have wowed me with their care to detail and maintenance of the grounds as well as this one does. It should be on every visitor's list.

The Maya exhibition was hands down OUTSTANDING. I've been fortunate enough to have seen numerous Maya "cities" and museums; this collection exhibited actual pieces, not photos or copies. Amazingly, I know for a fact that a few of the pieces were extremely heavy, think limestone lintels. As for the permanent collection, a number of interesting pieces related to the First Peoples knocked my socks... plus

My husband and I drove from Kingston to Quebec City for our summer vacation this year. We both really liked Ottawa, and this museum was one of the big things we did in the city.

I know more about Canada than your average American (thanks to getting the CBC and Rick Mercer while living in Seattle), but this museum was fascinating to me as someone who knew very little about the Famous Five or... plus

It's definitely a fun place to visit and walk thru. The highlight is the third floor walking thru several hundred years of Canada history from early native times to more recent. There are also very interesting sections where you feel like you're walking thru a early village with the "sky" ceiling. My tour group have us an hour at this stop, but I definitely could gave spent much more time there... plus

i have been to this museum five times and it is, hands down, my favourite museum in canada, and ties with chicago's art institute as my favourite museum in north america... the architecture of the building alone and the well-manicured landscaping and view of the parliament buildings is worth the trip across the ottawa river... the native people's exhibit is always interesting and the canada... plus

In a city full of museums, this is easily the best destination for families with children. If you plan on visiting, plan for the bulk of the visit taking place in the Canadian Children's Museum. It has always been a huge hit with our kids, as well as our friends' & family's little ones.

Hence, my review focuses on the youngster experience. The Canadian Children's Museum is housed within the... plus

This is a fantastic museum. I would say it is one of the best museums I have visited in the world, let alone Ottawa. It is the best I have visited in Canada, hands down.

The museum is BEAUTIFUL. The architecture and layout of this museum is phenomenal in just about every aspect. Well lit, excellent exhibits, easy to get around, well placed washrooms, amazing scenery outside and some of the... plus

I came by for the Japon exhibit as posters are all over Ottawa buses.

I forgot how cool the architecture of this building was! It has a very dated look but cool either way. The area that it's on is beautiful and you could probably hang out around the museum for a good portion of the day without going in. They have awesome IMAX theatres that have some great films through the year.

- First... plus

The Museum of Civilization is a good museum, but it just didn't really pique my interest. I am sure that this would be great for kids and field trips. It's a very large museum (it better be, for $13+ per person!) and can take most of the day to go through. However, it just didn't feel like it made my visit to Ottawa any more spectacular.

The First Peoples and Canada Hall are where you'll want... plus

This has got to be one of my favorite museums in the world. I love the exhibit that takes you through time and place all through Canada. It is set up so you feel that you are in that place - not a museum. It's almost like time travel. It has been some years since I have been, but it is a place I always wish were closer. I hope I have a chance to go back someday. My favorite Ottawa area stop for... plus

Quite possibly tied for the best museum in Ottawa with the War Museum. The civilization museum is so full of life.

The coolest part of the museum has got to be the the walk through of the eras. The little towns they have set up are very neat and the people they have working there make it all the better! You get a really good feel for what life looked like a long time ago.
The school house part... plus

Pretty cool exhibits that seem to change every so often. They had one exhibit of Ottawa in the 1800's and it was all life like a mini town to walk through. Very cool.
I was with my niece when we went and they had a children's museum exhibit that was far out. She loved it!
Reasonable prices for a museum, and lots of wings, we only did 3 exhibits and there were many more that we missed.

I really, really enjoy the Museum of Civilization. The thing is, I don't feel like it's changed very much in the last few years, and that's actually a good thing! They've kept all of the really popular displays and permanent exhibitions while adding more. That way, there are some that you've loved as a child, and others that are new and fun to see. The Grand Hall has been there for years, so... plus

This is and always has been my favourite museum in the capital region even with the creation of the war museum and the re-opening of the nature museum.

The Museum of Civilization is extremely interactive. You walk through Canadian history in a very well produced layout. Kids will love this place and adults will be fascinated.

It's the only museum I've never been able to really do in one day.... plus

The best of its kind in Canada

The Canadian Museum of Civilisation in Ottawa (or rather, as it's over the river, in the Quebecois Gatienau) is a large and lavish anthropological museum occupying an extraordinary building designed by the Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal. The building has a prominent position on the riverside, opposite the Parliament Hill, almost as if it was making a statement about a relationship between... plus

I really enjoyed the first floor of this museum. The totem poles were gorgeous and fascinating to look at. If you ever read Joseph Campbell, or received condensed notes on his teachings, he helps you understand symbolism in concise way that can be applied to totem poles. So I walked throughout the first floor in awe.
The second floor had horses and Canadian fur trade. My experience of the... plus

My girlfriend wasn't a huge fan of the idea of going here. She was worried it would be as boring as the tour at Rideau Hall was.

"Here's the room where stuff happens sometimes. I'm not allowed to tell you what or let you explore. Just understand that it's awesome."

Thankfully I can say that wasn't our experience here. Though the bottom floor felt a lot like Grade 10 history class about the... plus

The best part of the Museum of Civilization is the 3rd floor. With a detailed model town under a simulated sunset, you can step back in time to see what life was like when technology was steam and coal.

Canada's aboriginal culture is given a thorough and immersive treatment on the lower floor of the museum where towering totem poles seem to touch the sky.

The Canadian Postal Museum is worth... plus

Our favourite museum in Ottawa, this attraction has something for everyone. The Children's Museum will keep children under 7 busy for a few hours, while the other parts (particularly the Canada Hall) are a fascinating look into Canada's past. Additionally, the special attractions floor has had fascinating exhibits from Israel (Dead Sea Scrolls) and Afghanistan, and they've had these exhibits... plus

Staff at this museum aren't helpful or friendly. They're stuck up and snobby and it's sad because it's a tourist attraction and it's not a school. I believe if you speak French, you'll get better service at this museum. This is your typical Canadian museum with lots aboriginal displays. Very similar to the museum of Anthropology at UBC except it's bigger.

I confess that below a high threshold of art museums, my favorite genre of museum are the nerdy historical, scientific, or civic museums.

The Canadian Museum of Civilization is all three at once. You get the IMAX movies. You get the natural resource exhibits. You get the summarized history of Canada, anthropological, political, and commercial.

Dioramas! Giant carvings! A salute to the... plus

I walked over from the other side of the river, and had a little bit of a tough time finding the entrance. But once I did and got inside, the massive museum and hall beckoned.

There was a lot to look through here and unfortunately I didn't have much time so had to rush through. But I read relatively quickly and had my camera, so was able to learn some more about Canada's history, including the... plus

The architecture of the building is really cool. We only stopped by for about an hour and a half and I wish we had more time to really go through all the exhibits. The Grand Hall was being set up for some fancy event so there were tables and chairs set up everywhere and lots of spiffily dressed people. The Grand Hall actually looks like a great place to have an event. I really liked the Canada... plus

The architecture is truly magnificent - worth a visit for that in itself!

As far as it goes as a museum, the aboriginal collections are beautiful and informative, and they have some nice special exhibits (a good one on pianist Glenn Gould was running during our visit).

Upper floors suffer from "dumbed down" exhibits with too many photo reproductions and building mockups and not enough substance.

Perhaps the country's most popular museum and cultural institution, and definitely among its largest, the Canadian Museum of Civilization is in the heart of the National Capital Region, across the river from Ottawa in Hull, Quebec.

The first thing that struck me as a visitor was the sheer magnitude and brilliance of its architecture. It's just flat-out beautiful! Not to mention the picturesque... plus

Canadian Museum of Civilization

The Canadian Museum of Civilization emerges from the banks of the Ottawa River, extending in smooth contours, twisting angles, and rippled curves for four floors and 100,000 square metres in front of Gatineau’s shabby smoke stacks, sex shops, and office blocks. The symbolic representation of the wind forged, weather eroded, and glacial landscape of a country inhabited since the end of the ice... plus

Museum of Civilization

This museum is one of Ottawa’s main attractions but it often gets missed because it is located in Hull, Quebec, just across the river. It’s an easy 10 minute walk or 3 minute drive from the National Gallery, across the Pont Alexandra (Alexandra Bridge).

There are four floors of exhibits. The first floor or Grand Hall, is devoted to west coast native history. As well as totem poles, there are 6... plus