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Canadian Museum of Nature / Musée Canadien de la Nature
Category: Arts & Entertainment Museums Museums [Edit]
240 McLeod StOttawa, ON K2P 2R1
(613) 566-4700
- Hours:
Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun 9 am - 5 pm
Thu 9 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
7 reviews for Canadian Museum of Nature / Musée Canadien de la Nature
7 reviews in English
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Review from Chris Y.
10/5/2011 1 photo
Perfect spot for a school field trip, or to take your kids to see just because. That being said, I am not a kid and didn't go with any to the museum, so I wasn't really enthralled.
The building architecture seemed so cool on the outside, I was a bit disappointed after going inside. The museum is set up in a very non-linear fashion; after viewing each wing, you have to backtrack through all the exhibits and return to the center of the museum to visit the next wing. It was a hassle for me, but a potential godsend for parents who easily lose their children, since each wing only has a single exit point.
To the museum's credit, each wing, be it dinosaurs, marine life, birds, or geodes and gemstones, had informative displays set up in interesting fashions. There are even a few hands-on exhibits, where you can touch polar bear fur, or a sabre-tooth tiger's tooth!
HOT TIP: Personally, I wouldn't have paid to go see this museum, but there is FREE admission on Thursday nights!! That's how they earned four stars from me!
(Parking is just a couple bucks in their own lot).
It was also interesting to learn that Parliament resided here in the years after a fire burned down their original building!Listed in: Canadia! - The Experience
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Review from Amanda B.
Ottawa, ON
11/10/2010 6 photos
My boyfriend and I hadn't been to the Museum of Nature since we were kids, so we thought it would be fun to see how much it's changed. He had a day off in the summer, so we went on a Friday afternoon in August 2010. Since children and students were still on their summer break, the museum was pretty busy with many families, but even so, we only stood in line for about 10 minutes to buy our admission tickets, which were only about $25 with tax for 2 adults. We were offered tickets to a movie about water in their 3D theatre, but the show times were every few hours, so we declined. We were also given a very much needed floor plan before we began exploring.
As the museum has been renovated quite a bit, there were now areas that were very new or that were still in a reconstruction phase. The Animalium, in what was more like the basement, seemed a bit out of place because it was a little out of the way. The Special Exhibitions area on the third floor was empty, but not closed off, so it was slightly confusing at first when we walked through the doors. The Salon on the top floor was also a fairly empty space with a few inexpensive chairs and tables, which would have been nice for taking a rest if the space was cleaner and more inviting - it did not seem renovated by any means. Other than this area, there weren't too many other places to sit. After walking up and down the stairs, and waiting 15 minutes for an elevator, more seating areas would have been useful.
The exhibitions and galleries themselves were fantastic. The dinosaurs are a classic display (if you have ever been to the museum in the past, those dinosaurs are still there). The skeleton of a blue whale in the RBC Blue Water Gallery is huge and amazing to see. They have live animals and insects in some of the galleries, plus a play area and washrooms on every floor, so it's an overall great experience for kids and families. They also have days and times when admission is free, such as Earth Day or on Thursdays from 5-8pm, when they're open later. It does take some time to see the entire museum (it took us a few hours), so make sure to wear proper footwear!Listed in: The Nation's Capital
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Review from Darren M.
Ottawa, ON
12/7/2010 2 photos
Whatever your thoughts were about the original museum -- let them go and go check out the revamped Museum of Nature.
It re-opened this spring and they've done a pretty bang up job of updating the place. The building itself is worth the price of admission. It's an old space with high ceilings and marble floors but most impressive of all is the new lantern they built to make the place look more modern and edgy.
The exhibits range from fake dinosaurs to artifacts and bones to even real animals. I must admit that I was expecting a few more live small animals but then again you have to consider it's a museum and not a petting zoo.
I bypassed most staff here because I went in the first week it was opened and managed to score some passes. The layout is really easy and unlike the other big museums like Civilization and War, this one is laid out so that you can easily pick up where you left off should you return.
The rooms are split by floor and east and west so you can remember what you did or didn't see the last time you were there.
My only complaint about this place was that it was TOO popular so avoid going on school holidays or busy long weekends and try to get in there when it's free or reduced prices and you'll probably really enjoy it.
Civilization and War are still my favourite two museums but this one is a very close third. -
Review from Courtney W.
Kingston, NS
4/10/2011
Very fun for the entire family! Lots to see and do there. Their animal exhibit could be a bit more interactive though.
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Review from Amanda D.
Ottawa, ON
10/17/2008
The Canadian Museum of Nature is a great way to spend a few hours in Ottawa and the exhibits are accessible and interesting for all age groups. There are four floors, each one devoted to an ongoing gallery (e.g., fossils, mammals, birds and discovery zone). The discovery zone is especially great for children since there are so many hands on exhibits and movies. The temporary exhibits and programs are also usually targeted at children and parents.
My favourite ongoing exhibit is probably the mammals. I also love the architecture of this old building: its castle stature always serves to spice up car trips across the 417. Interesting rumour: the building is apparently haunted.
The museum is also free on Saturdays before noon. -
Review from Doreen L.
11/13/2010
My family and I came here with an hour and half till closing. The museum is free on Thursdays, so we paid for parking and rushed in. We spent our time at the fourth floor and rushed through the third, second and first floors. Their bird exhibit was more extensive than I expected, describing different bill types, extinct birds, different types of falcons and their prey. The bird exhibit had an area for teaching kids how to take care of the birds and throughout the exhibit there are interactive learning modules for adults and kids to learn. we also saw exhibit that was a gallery of moths. Connected to the moth exhibit, there was a frog exhibit. Love looking at the different types of frogs. You read about the frogs on one side and look at the live specimen in the tank.
I also enjoyed looking at the tank depicting oceanic creatures. Once you enter, the first thing you see is a small tank with anemone, mussels, clams, clown fish, and sea cucumber. Then you stroll though the rest of the exhibit and there is only one other tank in the back.
The first floor had fossil exhibit and frankly, I was a little disappointed. I've been the Museum of Natural history many many times and their fossil exhibit is much more extensive. The exhibit at the Museum of natural history has many large fossils, different types of fossils and how they are related to another and with each fossil shows the evolution tree.
I did enjoy this Museum but I'm not sure I would come back if I had to pay. -
Review from Karen R.
Omg what an awesome museum! Pass on the cafe though because not only is the service dis-organized and dismal, they don't offer soymilk (bummer) and are expensive. However sitting in the cafe was a nice rest after being on our feet. If you have a short time here be sure to start with the dinosaurs then go onto the earth and sea exhibits.
