Canadian War Museum – Ottawa

By alantvuong on September 22, 2024

This past summer, a friend and I visited the Capital city of Canada, which was Ottawa. In our 5 day trip, we really wanted to learn more about our country and visit some great museums. We saw that the Canadian War Museum was nearby and we had to check it out.

Getting There

We were staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown which was only a 15 minute walk/stroll to the museum. We were just exploring the area near our hotel and having a late lunch when my friend noticed we were really close to the Canadian War Museum.

was only a 15 minute walk/stroll from our hotel downtown to the museum

When he looked up more information about the museum on his phone, we realized that there is free admission on Thursdays from 5 to 7pm. It worked out for us as it was Thursday so we quickly booked our free tickets online. Otherwise, it would cost $21 per adult.

About the Museum

The Canadian War Museum was established in 1942 and serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military and a place of remembrance. There are 2 floors with almost 440,000 square feet of space that features over 500,000 items related to military history.

Thursdays are FREE from 5 to 7PM with a free timed ticket online

Permanent exhibitions include the Canadian Experience Galleries, Memorial Hall, Regeneration Hall, and the Royal Canadian Legion Hall of Honour. The Canadian Experience Galleries are a series of 4 Canadian military history galleries arranged chronologically. Memorial is free to the public as it is located in the front lobby.

rifles

Our Visit

battleship model

Since our timed tickets were for 5:30PM, we only had 90 minutes to visit the museum as it closes at 7PM. It was a typical museum with lots to see and learn. It was easy to wheel around as there were ramps and flat grounds throughout the museum. It was quite busy since it was a free admission afternoon.

Vimy plane, 1917

Some really cool exhibits that I saw include a full size single engine plane from Vimy 1917. There were even large military vehicles that includes trucks and tanks. I really enjoyed taking pictures with these real life sized vehicles. Seeing some of the weapons up close in their displays were also eye catching.

military truck

easy to get around museum

Final Thoughts

Adolf Hitler’s car

My friend and I both had a great time visiting the Canadian War Museum. Even though we had 90 minutes to see everything on their free Thursdays, we managed to see everything. It was a bit rushed but I think 2 to 2.5 hours would be enough to really enjoy this museum. I would come back on a free night and book tickets earlier to get the full 2 hours to see everything.