Comprehensive list of museums in and around Ottawa

​Here’s a comprehensive list of museums in and around the Ottawa-Gatineau region, covering a wide array of topics from history to art, science, and culture:

National and Major Museums

  1. National Gallery of Canada

    • Location: Ottawa

    • Focus: Canadian and international art.

  2. Canadian Museum of History

    • Location: Gatineau

    • Focus: Canadian heritage, Indigenous cultures, and social history.

  3. Canadian War Museum

    • Location: Ottawa

    • Focus: Canada’s military history.

  4. Canadian Museum of Nature

    • Location: Ottawa

    • Focus: Natural history, including fossils, minerals, and wildlife.

  5. Canada Aviation and Space Museum

    • Location: Ottawa

    • Focus: History of aviation and space exploration.

  6. Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum

    • Location: Carp (just outside Ottawa)

    • Focus: Cold War history and nuclear preparedness.

  7. Canada Science and Technology Museum

    • Location: Ottawa

    • Focus: Innovations in science, technology, and engineering.

  8. Canada Agriculture and Food Museum

    • Location: Ottawa

    • Focus: Agricultural history and modern farming practices.

Local and Specialized Museums

  1. Bytown Museum

    • Location: Ottawa (beside the Rideau Canal)

    • Focus: Ottawa’s history and the construction of the Rideau Canal.

  2. Bank of Canada Museum

  • Location: Ottawa

  • Focus: Economics, currency, and monetary policy.

  1. Vanier Museopark

  • Location: Ottawa (Vanier neighborhood)

  • Focus: Francophone culture and maple syrup production.

  1. Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG)

  • Location: Ottawa

  • Focus: Contemporary and historical art, with a focus on local artists.

  1. Watson’s Mill

  • Location: Manotick (Ottawa suburb)

  • Focus: Historic gristmill and pioneer heritage.

  1. Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

  • Location: Ottawa (Cumberland area)

  • Focus: Rural life in the 1920s and 1930s.

  1. Billings Estate National Historic Site

  • Location: Ottawa

  • Focus: Ottawa’s oldest estate, showcasing local history and the Billings family legacy.

Unique and Lesser-Known Museums

  1. Goulbourn Museum

  • Location: Ottawa (Stittsville area)

  • Focus: Local history of the Goulbourn Township.

  1. Osgoode Township Museum

  • Location: Ottawa (Osgoode area)

  • Focus: History of rural Ottawa communities.

  1. Musée de l’Auberge Symmes

  • Location: Gatineau (Aylmer sector)

  • Focus: History of the Gatineau River region.

Outdoor and Living Museums

  1. Upper Canada Village

  • Location: Morrisburg (an hour from Ottawa)

  • Focus: Living history of 19th-century rural Ontario.

  1. Saunders Farm

  • Location: Munster (near Ottawa)

  • Focus: Agricultural tourism and seasonal activities.

  1. Macdonell-Williamson House

  • Location: Pointe-Fortune (near Hawkesbury, an hour from Ottawa)

  • Focus: Historic 19th-century mansion and cross-border trade.

This list includes both major and smaller, community-focused museums to cater to a variety of interests.