Journey through the history of Canada - This is a large and really excellent museum with tons to see. The comprehensive Canadian History Hall starts on the third floor and includes three galleries covering early, colonial, and modern Canada. As an American, I learned so much about the country, particularly the development of its unique national identity. The lower level focuses on Indigenous history, and includes models of native houses and displays on the first peoples of Canada. Also on the lower level is the Stamp Collection, which houses every stamp issued by Canada. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to view the special First Royals exhibition on the ground (second) floor. The building also houses the Canadian Children's Museum, a large-screen theater, two cafes, and a nice gift shop. With all of these engaging exhibits, it's probably best to allot several hours to explore. Although the museum is actually in Gatineau, Quebec, it's an easy 25-minute walk from Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

A beautiful architectural experience at the museum - The experience was amazing - starting with the architecture of the building. Each element of the building and each exhibit was perfectly assembled. I have visited numerous museums and have never seen the quality and professional assembly of not only the attractive buildings, but also each and every exhibit. My regret is that I didn’t allow more time. But there will be a time in the future to devote more time. I would only recommend a little more variety in the restaurant menu.

Best Museum I've Been To - This is probably one of the best museums I've visited! The museum has four floors, each with different themes. It has a vast collection and information about aboriginal people as well as the history of Canadian Royals, the colonists, and the modernization of Canada. I was surprised that I spent two hours on just the first floor alone (the aboriginal). Unfortunately, I had to speed through the rest of the floors since I was in a rush. It also seems like a great place for kids since there's a floor/section dedicated to kids. Scattered throughout the museum are also audio recordings, videos, short films, and games to interact with. So if you take your time like I did, I'm sure you'll spend a whole day there.

Great Inuit experience and much more - A great location to experience a short walk through Canada’s history, from early Inuit period to current days. The Grand Hall with all those Totem Pols is just incredible! Definitely worth a visit (have at least 4 to 5 hours available in your schedule).

Giant ! - The building, seen from the outside, is very imposing! The interior is just as interesting and you need to plan a good time slot to enjoy it. The collections and scenography are really successful. We discover the whole history of this immense territory and its peoples, with their customs so different and so rich. The emotion is strong when listening to the testimonies of Canada's indigenous people. And in front of the totem poles, we feel very small! The must-see museum if you come to visit Ottawa.

A great place for history buffs to visit - This is a fantastic place to visit if you want to understand the history of Canada - I walked away with loads of information and a good appreciation of the history of Canada and the wars leading to independence. The first nations exhibits are outstanding. Hint: Check the website, on Thursdays entry is free between 5-7pm, it closes at 9pm. You need to book on line and collect your ticket on arrival with the booking reference number.

Very good but overwhelming - This certainly is a good museum; however, it’s totally overwhelming. Plus, the lower floors, with many indigenous artifact on display, are better than the higher ones, which include unappealing corridors of Canada’s modern history with hundreds of artifacts impossible to go through (not to memtion remember). Coming from Stockholm, Sweden, where we have the fab Skansen with numerous original houses and other buildings from different epochs, which you can enter and see/explore from the inside, I was extremely disappointed to learn that The Canadian Museum of History used to use the same interctive and truly appealing concept. But then everything was changed into something more ‘educational’. Meaning, you’re going to walk around among innumerable artficts and, unless you spend days reading their lenghty descriptions, which is impossible for an average person, you won’t remember a thing. What a shame. The only original building left on display is a Ukrainian church - it’s really great that you can enter it and explore the architecture and atmosphere hands-on. Many other visitors were looking for it as well. Why change the winning concept…? No idea 🤷‍♀️

Worth a visit - There is great amount of history which is very well laid out. For someone who has no knowledge of Canadian history, the volume of information will need more than one visit if you wished to gain a deeper understanding. Having said that, the layout and clarity of information allows for a clear oversight on one visit. What is impressive is that all artefacts appears be be very well preserved and not looking tired.

Museum has interesting sections, many many artifacts - Contains the complete history of Canada from the First Peoples to today. The museum is laid out well moving from early to modern times. A few notes: Some displays are more interesting than others. Kids will find some sections tie into what they are studying in school but then the rest will lose their attention as there is ALOT of “stuff”. Some items are just on display with very little info - it loses your attention quickly. Some items do not contain enough info (the first floor First People’s artifacts often have little or no explanation). Some overlap with War Museum - we found some quite repetitive. Overall we recommend it but if detailed museums aren’t your thing just pick areas of interest and focus on those. Trying to do it all is too much…it starts blending together as the artifacts are just one after another and displays vary in the level of presentation.

Needs better signage - Interesting enough, but quite a confusing layout. Signage was quite poor, and when you go in it's not clear where to buy tickets. It just looks like a foyer of a cinema. I understand that the shape of the building does not help the layout, but better signage would be useful. We met a few other people wandering around looking confused.