The 6 Museums in Ottawa That Earn Their Price

1.Canadian War Museum Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 232 reviews · 1 day · from $18Our pick

Spend a full day exploring Canada’s national military museum at 1 Vimy Place in Ottawa. Follow the country’s wartime story through four chronological galleries, personal accounts, art, vehicles, tanks, and temporary exhibitions. Admission includes permanent and special exhibitions, a multilingual guide, and a self-serve coat check. Plan at least two hours, and six to eight if you read closely.

“It was well worth the money and very interesting and well displayed.”

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2.Gatineau: Canadian Museum of History Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 230 reviews · 1 day · from $20Top rated

Spend a full day at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, across the river from Ottawa. Explore four floors of permanent and special exhibitions, see the world’s largest indoor collection of monumental poles, visit the Canadian Children’s Museum, and watch films at Ciné+. The $20 admission includes all listed galleries and museum facilities.

“j’avais deux heures devant moi, ce qui m’a permis de voir l’exposition sur l’histoire du Canada.”

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3.Canadian Museum of Nature Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 226 reviews · 1 day · from $19

Spend a full day exploring four floors at Ottawa’s Canadian Museum of Nature. See dinosaurs, Canadian mammals, gems, birds, live insects, Pacific tide pool creatures, and a complete blue whale skeleton. Admission covers permanent galleries and special exhibits, though limited-capacity tickets, including Butterflies in Flight, must be requested on arrival.

“We took our adult children and grandchildren to the museum and we all had a fantastic time. The exhibits are highly interactive and problem or issue-based. Not just a bunch of items in a glass case. Each section is easy to navigate along a rough path rather than a huge room where we'd loose our grandkids. There were games and activities as well as "talking" exhibits is you don't like reading. The exhibit signs were large enough to actually read (I'm retired....) and placed in logical positions to avoid confusion. Loved it and would visit Ottawa just to go back again.”

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4.Canadian War Museum Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 213 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $18

Set your own pace at Ottawa’s Canadian War Museum with admission to permanent galleries and special exhibits. Allow about three hours for tanks, aircraft, uniforms, weapons, personal stories, photographs, and interactive displays. Guided tours cost extra, and a mobile ticket makes entry simple, though printing ahead can save time.

“I feel peace ☮️ during my visit — my first time at this museum in Ottawa — that’s why I took the membership…”

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5.Ghosts of the Bytown Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 9 reviews · from $24

Follow a cloaked guide from Sparks Street through Ottawa’s oldest ghost stories, then enter the Bytown Museum after hours. The 75-minute tour covers tales linked to the Rideau Canal, Barrack Hill Cemetery, and the Gatineau River, with guides such as Véronique sharing accounts from staff, visitors, and guides.

“We were just two people, unfortunately. The guide was competent, but we weren't scared at any point. There was too much light in the place, and a group was already there.”

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6.National Gallery of Canada Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 9 reviews · 1 day · from $18

Spend a day at Ottawa’s National Gallery of Canada, where Moshe Safdie’s glass and granite building frames Canadian, Indigenous, and international art. Your $18 ticket includes exhibitions and artist talks, with art-making activities available. Allow time for the garden court, Parliament Hill views, and Louise Bourgeois’s Maman spider outside.

“Super musée à découvrir, personnel très professionnel, accueillant. Endroit très agréable, vous pouvez allez voir la vue sublime d’Ottawa au Kiweki point view. Je recommande !”

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