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Canadian Children's Museum
Canadian Children's Museum
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until further notice
About
Located within the Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization) Hands on adventure! The Canadian Children's Museum is one of the most popular attractions at the Canadian Museum of History, and has been since it opened its doors in 1989. Passports in hand, visitors discover one incredible destination after another. Whether on a visit to homes in the International Village, a trek to a desert pyramid, a jaunt to the Port of Entry to help unload a cargo ship, or a stroll through the bustling Market Bazaar, visitors encounter endless ways to learn about the world and one another. A world of discovery where parents have as much fun as their kids!
Duration: 2-3 hours
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4.5
395 reviews
Excellent
292
Very good
79
Average
12
Poor
5
Terrible
7
Natalie D
Toronto4 contributions
July 2023 • Family
Great interactive place for kids to have fun and learn. Lots to explore and great way to spend 2-3hrs. You also have access to thw other museum attached so plan more time if you want to do both.
Written 21 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DebRussell49
Carman, Canada123 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
Visited with my 2 year old granddaughter. A wonderful experience. So many different areas and cultures to explore. Lots to do for littles and older children as well. Lovely that it is also connected to the History Museum. The grand hall was amazing
Written 2 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MariaS33
Kingston, Ontario8 contributions
We have made several trips to the Children's Museum, and our son loves the place. He is 3 and loves being able to play and run and make as much noise as he wants. It is a completely interactive experience for your kids, and allows them to "travel" to many different parts of the world. It is colourful and there are many opportunities for great pictures of the family. Another highlight is that it is located in the Museum of Civilization minutes from downtown Ottawa, so even the adults can enjoy some culture. It is a definite must for families with young children!
Written 4 June 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fobba
Montreal, Canada46 contributions
July 2017 • Family
I spent the afternoon with my 8 yr old son and 3 yr old daughter here.
The kids had a good time jumping in and out of the taxi, bus and car. Playing shopkeeper with the plastic fruit and veg. And being captain and crew on the cargo ship.
I found it a bit eclectic. I thought the deal was that you travel around the world...try the bus from Pakistan, the taxi from Thailand, the kitchen from Mexico, the pyramid from Egypt. But you'd often find yourself trying to find the little blue plaque to tell you where you were and what you were supposed to be looking at.
But that's me. The kids didn't care much, they just played. Which is great. I would have just liked more opportunities to teach them something (and teach me something!). I'm pretty sure my kids would've left with no further knowledge about the world than when they arrived... I tried to tell them what clogs were and that that was a phone box from England. But selling plastic bread to each other was way more captivating!
There's also a cool play room with lots of big (soft) blocks and balls where the kids can let their imagination run and build bases, boats and track.... or whatever they can think of. My kids loved that and spent nearly an hour there.
Some of the exhibits and pieces look a bit worn. Especially those plastic food pieces (grey cheese anyone?). But again, the kids didn't mind.
My only real criticism is the pricing. It's part of the History museum, and there's one flat fee for everything. But my 3 yr old is not much into Canadian history. It would be much better to be able to just purchase a children's museum ticket.
Overall i thought the visit was worth it, but I felt the price was a little high for what we got. I'd probably visit again, but I'd consider carefully depending on budget.
The kids had a good time jumping in and out of the taxi, bus and car. Playing shopkeeper with the plastic fruit and veg. And being captain and crew on the cargo ship.
I found it a bit eclectic. I thought the deal was that you travel around the world...try the bus from Pakistan, the taxi from Thailand, the kitchen from Mexico, the pyramid from Egypt. But you'd often find yourself trying to find the little blue plaque to tell you where you were and what you were supposed to be looking at.
But that's me. The kids didn't care much, they just played. Which is great. I would have just liked more opportunities to teach them something (and teach me something!). I'm pretty sure my kids would've left with no further knowledge about the world than when they arrived... I tried to tell them what clogs were and that that was a phone box from England. But selling plastic bread to each other was way more captivating!
There's also a cool play room with lots of big (soft) blocks and balls where the kids can let their imagination run and build bases, boats and track.... or whatever they can think of. My kids loved that and spent nearly an hour there.
Some of the exhibits and pieces look a bit worn. Especially those plastic food pieces (grey cheese anyone?). But again, the kids didn't mind.
My only real criticism is the pricing. It's part of the History museum, and there's one flat fee for everything. But my 3 yr old is not much into Canadian history. It would be much better to be able to just purchase a children's museum ticket.
Overall i thought the visit was worth it, but I felt the price was a little high for what we got. I'd probably visit again, but I'd consider carefully depending on budget.
Written 30 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wai_and_Mark
Toronto, Canada6 contributions
Nov 2016 • Family
My husband and I visited back in 2008 and had a blast. We decided to visit again in 2016 once we had children. The staff said that 2 hours would be plenty of time, but our toddler could easily have spent 4 hours there playing and exploring.
They don't advertise the Canada's National Museums Passport at the box office, but you can get a pass to visit any 3 of the 6 listed museums for 3 days for $30. This is a great deal if you love museums.
They don't advertise the Canada's National Museums Passport at the box office, but you can get a pass to visit any 3 of the 6 listed museums for 3 days for $30. This is a great deal if you love museums.
Written 17 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul-YUL
Montreal, Canada977 contributions
Kids from 2 to 12 will love it, only complaint is too many stations close together so hard for kids to focus, make a deal with the kids: 90 minutes there and then 90 minutes calmly visiting adjoining Civilization Museum, one entry fee covers both...don't forget to buy 9 museum family passport for 85$ all-in
Written 26 June 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Claudio
Ottawa, Canada154 contributions
Apr 2019 • Family
Think about a funny place. This is what defines the Canadian Children's Museum. Excellent infrastructure, each environment is a trip to a different country. Collect the stamps along the way and take every single minute of your visit to explore all the details of this fantastic museum.
Written 21 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Gondoc,
Thank you for your comments. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your visit at the Canadian Children's Museum. We hope to see you and your family again soon!
Cheers,
Stephanie Fortin
Head, Tourism
Canadian Museum of History
Written 23 April 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ancas15
185 contributions
Feb 2019 • Business
Have visited this museum so many times with my kids. We can easily spend so many hours and not get bored. The idea of the passport is such an excellent idea.
Written 28 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pengemex
Budapest, Hungary1,334 contributions
July 2018 • Family
The only negative things were the high ticket price and the staff member lady walking in her shoes in the caleidoscope shoeless room.
The museum is rather a multicultural playhouse with lots of interactive spots. Really nice, our kids loved it - including the passport to collect stamps from the sites.
The museum is rather a multicultural playhouse with lots of interactive spots. Really nice, our kids loved it - including the passport to collect stamps from the sites.
Written 9 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AllSeasoned_traveler
Toronto, Canada26 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
Was expecting a better experience.
Having been told about the great interactive "Canadian Civilization Museum", I was disappointed by the government forced change to the new name of "Canadian History Museum" for Canada 150.
I feel like it has missed the mark on being a great Canadian museum. The Canadian War museum is a better experience in my opinion.
This museum had much reading, plain boring artifacts behind glass, and limited interactive experiences. No thought into what makes for a good museum experience. I feel like it focused too much on certain aspects of Canadian history and not enough on others.
The Children's part of the museum was a very interactive and nice addition but didn't make sense as it wasn't Canadian.
The price didn't match the experience; however we didn't visit the theatre, so maybe this would have improved the letdown.
It's sad that this renovated museum missed the mark. I would recommend visiting one of the other museums in the Ottawa area.
Having been told about the great interactive "Canadian Civilization Museum", I was disappointed by the government forced change to the new name of "Canadian History Museum" for Canada 150.
I feel like it has missed the mark on being a great Canadian museum. The Canadian War museum is a better experience in my opinion.
This museum had much reading, plain boring artifacts behind glass, and limited interactive experiences. No thought into what makes for a good museum experience. I feel like it focused too much on certain aspects of Canadian history and not enough on others.
The Children's part of the museum was a very interactive and nice addition but didn't make sense as it wasn't Canadian.
The price didn't match the experience; however we didn't visit the theatre, so maybe this would have improved the letdown.
It's sad that this renovated museum missed the mark. I would recommend visiting one of the other museums in the Ottawa area.
Written 23 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My 2 grandchildren are 10 and they loved it!
Written 17 October 2018
Is there an ideal place for children's naps... I'd like to take my nephew but he needs a nap in the middle of the day. I'm sure he won't nap if he's in the middle of all the fun stuff...
Written 8 July 2018
Although I didn’t notice any designated spots , depending on his age and if he has a stroller there are definitely quieter exhibits and spots that would be conducive to a nap ( including comfy chairs for you to sit and look up at the ceiling ).
Written 11 July 2018
is this part of the canadian history musem and included in the same fee? if so, can you just visit the children's museum for a seaparate fee?
Written 15 November 2017
Good Day "Occams-Razor":
The "admission/fee" policy of the Cdn, History Museum is that one pays for entrance with no additional fee for visiting any of the component parts [like the Wonderful Children's Museum] or special exhibits...
I hope that this is both clear AND helpful...
Written 15 November 2017
Good Day:
Many three year old children are very inquisitive... and would love the Museum... BUT their memory often precludes a "lasting impression"...
It is certainly worth the effort!!
Written 18 August 2017
How suitable would this be for 2 ten year old males? Thanks
Written 19 June 2017
A 2 yr old would definitely have a fun time but a 10 yr old, might be a bit old for it. But it does depend on the child... my 10 yr old niece enjoys it together with her younger cousins.
Written 3 August 2017
I think you could but there are geese everywhere so droppings could be a problem!
Written 14 August 2016
How do I get there from the Westin hotel using public transportation?
Written 21 June 2016
Hello,
We have promotional offers through the websites and brochures of Attractions Ontario, Summer Fun Guide and 101 Things to do with kids.
We hope to see you soon!
Written 13 July 2015
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