Canadian War Museum

The Canadian War Museum is a national museum covering the history of Canada’s participation in war, peacekeeping missions and other military conflicts.

It is located a bit to the west of Parliament Hill, at 1 Vimy Place, near the corner of the Ottawa River Parkway.  During the summer, the museum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily, with extended hours until 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.  During the rest of the year, the museum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, except Mondays when it is closed.  On Thursdays, the museum is open late until 9:00 p.m.  Admission for adults is $10, and $6 for children 3 and up. 

The museum has been at its current location since 2005, and the building that houses it has won numerous awards for its modern srchitectural design. 

The War Museum houses four main permanent exhibits, as well as temporary ones.  The first permanent exhibit is “Battleground” which covers the pre-Confederation period, including military conflicts with Natives, the conflicts between the British and the French, and the conflicts between the British and the Americans.

The second permanent exhibit is “For Crown and Country” and covers wars in Canada’s early days up until 1931.  There is extensive coverage of the First World War and the Boer Wars.

The third permanent exhibit is “Forged in Fire” which primarily covers the Second World War and Canadians involvement in it.

The fourth and final permanent exhibit is “A Violent Peace” which covers the post World War Two world, including the Korean War, the Cold War, and recent peacekeeping duties.

You can find out more about the War Museum at their official website.