Canada's currency tells a story

You can do this justice in an hour--very interesting look at the beginnings of currency and Canada's approach.

Good but would be way better during the week

We enjoyed this tour but it would have been much better during the week when the machines are running.
Highlight was seeing the Olympic metals and holding the solid bar of gold.

Wow

bills from all over the world, cool run down of the world and how currency came about. Very interesting place

It's Free and we had time. So, why not

It's a small museum compared to the others but it's free and it's right around where we were. Nothing special though.

ATTENTION: Currency Museum will be closing on 2 July 2013 for a three-year period

Great little FREE museum is closing for 3 years for renovations. I look forward to seeing the new one. There will instead be " travelling exhibitions", and an " enhanced cyber-museum".

Excellent (but closing

We went to the museum on Canada day, at the request of my 9 year old. The curator has done a wonderful job of delivering what might be considered dry material in an extremely interesting fashion. There are many coins from all over the world and even from ship wrecks; and extensive paper monies which were fascinating in the creation... more

Currency Museum...hidden treasure

This museum very interesting and there was no admission charge. We learned a lot. My kids enjoyed the video on how to spot counterfeit money. I liked learning about the early history of currency and the history of currency in Canada in particular.

surprisingly interesting

As others say, you don't expect it to be interesting, but it actually is! You see currency from all around the world and different periods of history. Best of all, it is a FREE CURRENCY museum!!

Fantastic

This is a great museum. It covers the history of currency around the world, including what materials were used as currency before coins, the evolution of coins, and the advent of paper money. The impact of inflation and wars, as well as frauds are also displayed.
The displays are excellent -- full of information. In fact, my only complaint is... more

Oh No - the FREE Currency Museum is closing on 2 July 2013 for a three-year period

Hurry Hurry Hurry before this absolutely free and marvelous museum closes for three years. This museum is one of my favorite places in Ottawa and it is FREE!!!!!
Outstanding collection of coins from ancient times til the present and paper currency as well. If only they gave samples! lol.

Hidden gem of a museum

We were just walking by the Bank of Canada tower and noticed that it had a museum. I expected to spend maybe 10 minutes in there, but we spent the better part of an hour. The displays were informative and interesting. Worth the visit!

a find

For a free museum there is a lot to see. You get to view money from the beginning of civilization and what is particularly fascinating is seeing how much money has changed in just the last one hundred years. The section on credit cards is also very interesting. Remember the commercials for Chargex? This place sparks an interest in coin... more

Fun and Interesting

We took our 5-year-old and toddler with us to this museum and though it didn't hold their attention as much as it did ours it was quite interesting. There is a collection of coins and bills from throughout history. The collection of money in shelves in the back room sorted by date and country is quite impressive.
The museum does... more

Who thought money could be so interesting

This is a small but very well designed museum which gives not only the history of currency, but the reasons and motives behind it, its design, and how it has evolved through the centuries. It's not just a display of a bunch of bills! Definitely worth seeing!

If you like Money - A real Cool place to visit

Iam a collector of paper money and coins. This free museum has much to offer the interested collector! It has a great display of money through our history and world history!

Go see the gold coin wow

Every currency you can think of is there for you to look at and read about. Nice museum, but that's what it is currency. Very nice, the little kids will find this boring, and do yourself a favor, don't make stupid jokes about you robbing the place. It's just like fort knox, and anywhay the guards have heard all the... more

This was one of the few misses on my trip to O-town.

Easily the smallest museum I have been in.. but what it lacks in size.. it does make up for in quantity of coinage.

Perhaps it's because the impending flight back home was dragging me down.. or maybe it's just because other than incredibly old coins.. I don't get too giddy over currency.. but this one was just dry.

I kept feeling like... more

Memories

could be boring. depending on the visitor's interests..Forget the 100 characters. I'm only one and at 87 I'll stay that way.

Free and Interesting

Whether you're a collector, a historian, or just a consumer, The Bank of Canada's Currency Museum is worth a visit. Stay as little or as long as you like and check out the Bank's collection of paper money. It is very user friendly, and staff are available to answer questions. Best of all, it's free!

informative

We saw coins old and new from all areas of the world. There was paper money as well; many books related to coins for research

Every age

A nice museum full of itens and history. A place to spend about 1-2h even with children. The souvenirs store isn't something that you will attend.

Loved every minute of it, everybody there was very knowledgable. Very cool to see so many interesting coins and bills.

We enjoyed this FREE musuem

We really enjoyed this free museum! We weren't expecting much because it was free but it turned out to be a nice surprise. We went with our kids age 4 & 6. There are some nice photo ops in & outside of the museum. There's some activities for kids like puzzles or guessing games, they can use stamps & design... more

Very Interesting

It was great to see how money evolved through time from shells and rocks to the dollar bills today. Many things to see in a nice amount of time. Free to get in!

Nice Free Stop in Ottawa

Good displays..informative free tour with guide both English and French tours throughout the day. More interesting than the mint.

Free, gratuit, frei, gratuito

Best things in life are free...
Ton's of currency from around the world.
Canadian paper money i never saw before,Canadian bank i never heard of. (Molson Bank. Banque d'hochelaga).
It was an interesting way to spend a few hours and learn about the history of money.
The staff is very helpful and nice.

Great free fun for a rainy day

When we arrived at the museum on a rainy Saturday morning, it was empty -- we had the place for our own, which was very nice.
It's not a huge place, just one floor, but then again, coins and bills are not very large objects to display. The display cases are chronologically arranged, so you can see how money evolved... more

Very Interesting

This is a great place to spend an hour or so , very interesting and its FREE. Staff where very helpfull

Lots to see

If you like money, this is the place to go! We did a walk about and viewed the displays. I really like the layout and displays. We never expected to see anything but Canadian and was pleasantly surprised when we finished. Great museum and it was free for the viewing.

Interesting museum to check out that has several areas on one floor and is free. Ideal if killing some time around the parliament area.

The best part of the Currency Museum is that it is free. It is housed in the first floor of very modern glass building which has a big $20 bill banner/sign.

Money, money, money

Interesting, free and a free tour included. Run by the Bank of Canada it gives you the history of money and it's history in Canada. Nice hour or two.

Small Museum For an Interesting Subject

It's not everyday you get to read about and explore the history of currency. The collection includes Canadian, US, European and other significant monetary items (paper, coin, beads, pelts, shells, cards, stone) used throughout history.
Free to get in, will take an hour or less to get through. It's worth the stop if nearby.

Neat stuff

Best part was the collector's room where they have tons of money from around the world and throughout history!

Interesting, quick, and free

Looking for a quick way to duck out of the cold/rain? Or just something to fill your time? Or if you really love currency (like I do), the Currency Museum is a great choice. It's quite small, but very detailed and well laid out. You learn about currency from its very inception, both abroad and in Canada, and watch how... more

Date yourself through the currency circulated when you were young

Not the easiest Ottawa museum to visit as it is only open until 5 and closed Thursday eves. That said it has free admission and super friendly staff. It will take no more than an hour to view. The collection ranges from preroman to present. If you travel you will recognize foreign currency from times gone by. The Canadian paper... more

Money Money Money

Fascinating look at the history of money, not only in Canada but throughout history.

An interesting take on History

Very interesting walk through the ages and Canadian monetary history.

Interesting and free

Worth to spend 1 hour , nice and free, entrance via sparks street

Money, money, money

It is a very small museum. There is no fee. You enter the front door where an employee behind the desk will give you some pamphlets and tell you where to start. This is a self guided tour. You walk at your own pace. I learned at one point in time, people where using sea shells and stamps as currency... more

Cute Little Museum

We popped in one afternoon when we were in the neighbourhood for something else. I wouldn't rush there, but it was reasonably interesting.

Currency museum

It's a must. great little museum. We all enjoyed learning about the coins, learning which are actually made in Ottawa and which are made in Winnipeg. The kids all agreed that they would like to visit the other mint in Winnipeg if they ever get there.

Beautiful location, interesting, and free

It's well worth it to go to the Currency Museum on a miserable winter's day - the beautiful atrium is filled with greenhouse plants, trees, and a fountain. It's a tiny taste of the tropics in the middle of a storm and very peaceful. The adjoining museum is free and a great way to spend 30-90 minutes. They feature a... more

Fun and educational

I became a coin collector a couple of years ago. This place was a total must for me. The tour was excellent, we had a very knowledgeable guide. Thank you Zoe for making this experience so fun.
The boutique could have more stuff but you can lift a 28lbs gold bar . That's over $750k in your hands !
Friendly... more

Fun with Money

This is a great museum if you have half an hour to kill and want to look at money, ancient, huge--12 foot stone yap from South Pacific, paper, and so on. Kind of a fun education and it does trigger the greedy bone a little.

An unexpected gem

Super cool, free museum with a LOT of information! Lots of coins, bills and history here.

Interesting to learn about the history of currency

We happen to walk by this place and go in for a visit. It is a small museum that offers facts and displays on the history of currency with many examples of old currency. All of our old Canadian bills are on display.

I thought it would be better

This museum sounds more interesitng than it is. I have to admit that it was disappointing and not worth the visit. More for those who love money.

Free, Free, Free

Located near Parliament Hill inside a bank, this museum has a very good collection of historical coins, paper money (including counterfeit bills) and more. Did I mention its free?

An overlooked gem--and it's free

Not enough people are aware of this intriguing museum. You can breeze through in 45 minutes, or take hours poring over the examples of ancient and modern currency. From trade beads to four-dollar bills to Depression scrip and up-to-date bank notes, it's absolutely fascinating. And it's free!

What a great surprise

We spent a wonderful 1 1/2 at the Currency Museum -- it is a bit hidden and not well marked, but persist! The currency displays are interesting, there are many interactive activities for children, and the history of money proves to be surprisingly fascinating. Staff are friendly and accessible (but there are very few tours, so prepare to work through... more

I hate to start a review like this, but there's not a better way to describe this museum... "It's not bad." Allow me to explain:
-- It's FREE. So if nothing else, it's a good value. (Suck it, Canadian War Museum!)
-- It's very *informative* ... which means it's well put-together, but can also be interpreted as dry and boring.
-- You can plan to spend maybe an hour there.

It's organized... more

Unless you're a money fanatic who loves and collects coins and bills, I'd probably advise skipping this tour in favour of many of Ottawa's other great tours.

The building is decent and has a unique tropical garden display as you walk in. It's climate controlled with rare plants and flowers and a shallow fountain that takes up much of the ground floor.

For me that was the highlight of the tour... more

For money lovers or anyone with an interest on how currency works and is made, this museum is worth a thorough scope.

The Bank of Canada Musuem has the most complete collection of Canadian bank notes, coins and tokens in the world. You can learn about the history of currency and see how it is printed and distributed today.

Perhaps the coolest thing however is the eye-popping Yap stone, a... more

Pretty cool and FREE

I thought this place was pretty cool.
It's inside a mall kind of place but easy to find and ALWAYS free.
I went there one afternoon as it was close and free and spent about 2 hours there. There's activities for kids but I would say adults would get more out of it.
It starts off with a history of... more