Canadian Museum of Nature

The Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Ontario

This building once served as the emergency headquarters for the Canadian government after a fire destroyed the Parliament Buildings in 1916, and former Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier lay in state here. Yes, the castle-esque Victoria Memorial Building has had a lively existence, and today the excitement continues as it serves as the home of the Canadian Museum of Nature. The recently renovated Museum, transforming it into one of the most contemporary museums in the world, features awe-inspiring exhibits that bring everything from the ocean to dinosaurs into focus. Lots of interactive features, including a limestone cave and life-size dioramas, ensure that visitors of all ages will be entertained.

Fast Facts

  • Housed inside a beautiful heritage building, the Museum has undergone a massive renovation. Now open are beautiful, modern galleries, amenities, rental spaces, and a new HD Theatre.
  • The RBC Blue Water Gallery is filled with fascinating things to see and learn – all exploring the vital role that water plays in sustaining all living things. Peer into a 4,550-litre river aquarium, play in an Arctic research ship and say hello to an impressive 19-metre blue whale!
  • The Vale Earth Gallery showcases more than 1,000 dazzling minerals and rocks. Visitors will learn about the powerful forces that have shaped our planet, and how geology and mineralogy connect with everyday life.
  • Animalium offers a bright and cheerful place to examine some unusual museum “occupants”. Get nose to nose with an awe-inspiring collection of insects, arachnids, and even slimy banana slugs, housed in attractive terraria.
  • The Talisman Fossil Gallery is a favourite with kids, with life-like dioramas and an Extinction Theatre. The gallery shows the end of the dinosaurs’ reign on Earth and the rise of mammals, from 65 to 35 million years ago.
  • The Mammal Gallery features the wildlife of Canada, from polar bears to white Arctic hares, moose, bison, caribou and cougars.
  • The Bird Gallery features an impressive collection of 500 specimens of Canada’s finest feathered friends.
  • Step outside the Museum and see a cast of a 112-milion-year-old dinosaur footprint, then take your picture with life-like dinosaur and woolly mammoth models.
  • The Discovery Zone features fun and discovery for kids, including close-up examination of unusual and spectacular specimens, crafts and a trading post where kids can check out fossils, minerals, animal skulls and more.
  • In 1916 the Victoria Memorial Museum Building served as the interim home for the Canadian government while the Parliament Buildings were rebuilt after a major fire that destroyed everything but the Parliamentary Library.
  • Nature Nocturne – Monthly parties so cool, they’re hot! Dance until midnight while the DJ rocks the castle with great music. Meet artists in the galleries. Discover four floors of exceptional exhibitions.

Getting to Canadian Museum of Nature:

 

Canadian Museum of Nature Photos

 

Contact Information for Canadian Museum of Nature:

Telephone: 613-566-4700
Toll-Free Telephone: 1-800-263-4433
Email: Contact Us Online

 

 

 

 

 

Visit the Canadian Museum of Nature Web Page