The 15 Best Museum Visits in Canada

1.Royal Ontario Museum Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,237 reviews · 1 day · from $19Our pick

Spend a day exploring the Royal Ontario Museum’s four floors of natural history, world cultures, and art. See Canada’s largest dinosaur display, the Barosaurus Gordo, a Ming Dynasty tomb, First Peoples galleries, Egyptian artifacts, and rare fossils. General admission costs $19, with special exhibits available through selected ticket options.

“I have been to a lot of museums but this one was by far the best I have visited. There is so much interesting information in this museum. We spent a few hours here but it would take a full day to see everything. The special exhibit was worth the extra money. This is a must see.”

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2.Royal Ontario Museum Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 411 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $19

Use your mobile ticket to explore the Royal Ontario Museum at your own pace. Set aside 3 to 4 hours for more than 30 galleries covering dinosaurs, mummies, Indigenous objects, Chinese architecture, meteorites, jewels, and world cultures. General admission covers the permanent galleries, while temporary exhibitions cost extra.

“The earth experience was my favorite!! Also the bakery in there has some nice treats. 3 floors of captivating art 10/10”

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3.Art Gallery of Ontario General Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 251 reviews · 1 day · from $21

Spend a day at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario with general admission to more than 120,000 works, including Canadian, Indigenous, European, contemporary, and maritime art. See The Marchesa Casati, Frank Gehry’s spiral staircase, and the Thomson Collection of Ship Models. Special exhibitions cost extra, and two to three hours is the minimum visit.

“It’s a beautiful art gallery with a fabulous collection. Also had a pretty spectacular lunch in the café.”

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4.Britannia Mine Museum General Admission

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 233 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $32Top rated

Set aside two to three hours for Britannia Mine Museum, where a 45-minute guided tour takes you by train into a historic tunnel and through Mill No. 3. Add hands-on exhibits, gold panning, panoramic views, and BOOM!, a live-action show about copper processing. Guides such as Anna, Chris, Spencer, Max, Glen, and Tess have made the tour lively and clear.

“was fun and boom show was better than expected. the underground tour was very informative and our host was very friendly.”

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5.Canadian War Museum Admission

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

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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6.Gatineau: Canadian Museum of History Admission

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

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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7.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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8.Museum of Illusions Admission in Toronto

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 214 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $26

Spend about an hour exploring Museum of Illusions Toronto at 132 Front St E. Test your balance in the tilted room, pose in upside-down and infinity rooms, tackle wooden puzzles, and learn how perception tricks the eye. Staff members, including Pragya, may help explain displays and take photos. This self-guided visit suits families, couples, and groups.

“It was a fun experience. If you enjoy using your imagination for the mind bending experience. The host should let you know to read the signs in order to obtain the directions on each exhibit.”

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9.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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10.3.5-Hour Bus City Tour with Gasoline Alley Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 205 reviews · 3h 30m · from $55

Ride from the Calgary Tower through East Village, Inglewood, the Beltline, Heritage Park, and Canada Olympic Park. Stop at Scotsman’s Hill and another city viewpoint, then explore Gasoline Alley Museum. English-speaking guides such as Adelaide and Amanda add local stories, while a comfortable bus covers a lot of ground in one afternoon.

“Absolutely Amazing! The guides were really knowledgeable about every corner of the town, totally recommended!”

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11.Gasoline Alley Museum Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 28 reviews · 1 day · from $10Best value

Spend a full day at Calgary’s Gasoline Alley Museum, where restored cars, trucks, working vehicles, antique pumps, and petroleum signs trace North America’s shift from horse power to motor power. On-site interpreters add context, and a lower showroom brings more artifacts into view. The museum is wheelchair accessible and open year-round.

“Extrodinary collection of gasoline pumps. Some of the rarest cars and truck’s beautifully displayed. The volunteers were very knowledgeable.”

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12.Calgary to Royal Museum | Drumheller – PRIVATE TOUR

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 27 reviews · 8 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $429

Travel from Calgary to Drumheller in a private vehicle with hotel pickup and drop-off. See Horseshoe Canyon, hoodoos, the Atlas Coal Mine, Horsethief Canyon, the giant T. rex, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Drivers including Manny, Ali, Jeff, Amman, and Arnel have helped shape the experience, though the tour is mainly transport and sightseeing rather than a formal history lesson.

“Jeff was a great guide! He was very knowledgeable of the area and gave fantastic local (and international) travel tips and recommendations. He offered to take photos of us at every stop which is super important to me.”

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13.Yellowknife City Tour + Nature’s North Wildlife Gallery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · 1 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $108

Explore Yellowknife by air-conditioned vehicle with stops at the Legislative Assembly, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Visitor Centre, Bush Pilots Monument, Old Town, and Nature’s North Wildlife Gallery. Guides including Felix, Angus, Verda, and Angela have led informative visits, with pickup available from city hotels and downtown B&Bs.

“Tour is half in Mandarin Chinese, half in English, got to see some of the really cool highlights of yellowknife, the Pilots monument and old town and ice road were really neat. The wildlife gallery exhibited the local animals and gave a glimpse of the world of Taxonomy. Felix was a great guide! Definitely recommend this tour !”

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14.Sydney: Highland Village & Bell Museum Cruise Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 20 reviews · 6 hours · from $140

From Sydney’s port, a red-jacketed Blackwood Tours guide leads you through Cape Breton’s country roads to Highland Village, across Little Narrows by ferry, and on to Baddeck’s Bell Museum. You’ll learn about Scottish settlement, Gaelic culture, Alexander Graham Bell, and Canada’s first flight before returning with photo stops.

“Great trip! Our guide was very knowledgeable and fun. I would definitely recommend her.”

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15.Badlands Tour: Drumheller with Museum, Hoodoos & Coal Mine

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 18 reviews · from $126

Travel from Calgary in a small group of up to 14 people to see Horseshoe Canyon, the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller’s giant T-Rex, the Hoodoos Trail, and possibly Atlas Coal Mine. Guides such as Jess, Jass, and Anish provide commentary, though the amount of narration can vary. Museum entry is included, mine admission is extra.

“Me and my friends had the most amazing experience on the Badlands tour, and I want to give a huge thank you to our guide for making it so special. From start to finish, he was professional, knowledgeable, and incredibly friendly. His passion for the area really shone through as he shared fascinating stories, history, and fun facts along the way, which made the tour both exciting and educational. He went above and beyond to make sure everyone was comfortable, engaged, and having a great time. The itinerary was well-planned, with just the right balance of sightseeing, photo stops, and opportunities to explore.Read more”

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