The museum was very butiful and i had fun with my friends. The tank reproductions were really cool and well done. The models were very well done too. It was the best museum I have visited in my life.

The museum serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military history and a place of remembrance. The museum houses a number of exhibitions and memorials, in addition to a cafeteria, theatre, curatorial and conservation spaces, as well as storage space. The building also houses the Military History Research Centre, the museum's library and archives. Now with that said, you can see Memorial Hall as the only exhibition that is free to the public, with Memorial Hall being accessible through the lobby. Basically the museum follows a timeline and I would suggest that follow this which will inevitably lead you to the World Wars, and beyond. The suprise for me was the The LeBreton Gallery: this jumps out on you, firstly from above and then on the ground floor. Here you will find most of the heavy equipment - Tanks/Armour, Artillery and military vehicles. Another highlight for me was the Victoria Crosses on display. The theme of regeneration inspired the museum's architect, Raymond Moriyama, to incorporate energy-efficient features, recycled materials and a green roof where poppies grow in the summer. Meaningfully, the design also features windows that spell out “Lest We Forget” in Morse Code. As well, a single window in Memorial Hall is designed so that the sun illuminates the headstone of the Unknown Soldier each year at 11 a.m. on Remembrance Day, November 11.

A good museum but it’s a shame that all the vehicles is the Lebreton Gallery don’t have more room to be more prominently displayed. They have a great collection of vehicles packed in a relatively small space

Disappointed that we couldn’t visit the museum as planned on July 18. The website said it was closed for a private event till 2pm. The tour bus wouldn’t drop us off as they were told that the museum was closed. By the time we sorted it all out it was too late to take the tour bus back. Better communication with the tour buses would have been great. As out of town guests we don’t have access to own vehicle, I also heard that parking is a problem.

I wasn’t sure that I would have enjoyed myself going to the Canadian War Museum because it’s not really my scenery but I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. We went there early and there was already lots of people roaming the Museum. Once there, I knew I would stay there for longer than I anticipated because there was so much to see and I wanted to take my time to see everything. Every corner of the Canadian War Museum had something to offer and could be learned about. I went with the mindset that I wasn’t going to like it but I left the Museum feeling grateful that I had the opportunity to visit this place. I recommend everyone to visit the Canadian War Museum at least one time in your life.

This is an excellent museum to visit in Ottawa IF you have strong interest in military history. If you are on the fence because of limited time in Ottawa and don't have a particular interest in military history, then it may make sense to skip it - in part because of the time required to see it well and the total cost (with parking). There are four main exhibits (early days, WWI, WWII, Cold War). For each exhibit, you are routed through a one way, circuitous (but clear) path - and then you end up back at the central "hub" so you can tackle the next exhibit. I spent about three hours walking though the four exhibits, moving fairly quickly; more time would be needed to see things in greater detail, reading most of the text, etc. In addition to charging for admission, this museum also charges for parking (even though they have their own dedicated museum parking lot under the building!). Plan on paying an extra CAD 15 for three hours of parking (plus CAD 24 for the museum itself). My one big complaint with this museum is that it does a very disappointing job displaying their impressive collection of vehicles. There is a large, well-lit hall for the collection (the LeBreton Gallery), but the many of the vehicles are jammed close together around the edges of this hall. Many are packed so close together, you can't see the sides of the vehicles. Some are jammed in with and surrounded by other vehicles so that you can't see them well at all. This is odd as there seems to be plenty of empty space available. From a discussion with staff there, it seems a key goal for the museum management is keeping lots of empty space available in the hall so that they can host weddings there, as those events bring in good revenue. Prioritizing weddings (at a war museum?) over the core mission of displaying military artifacts seems like a really odd and unfortunate decision by the museum leadership. I noted a surplus of staff at the museum. For example, after you pay for your ticket at the counter, you go through some doors and then there are three (!) nice staff members waiting to validate your ticket; it reminded me a bit of hidden unemployment work in the USSR in the old days. I guess the wedding revenue (and poorly displaying the vehicle exhibits) is necessary to keep all the staff employed? In the WWII exhibit, the museum has a Supermarine Spitfire, one of the most famous aircraft of all time. And this particular Spitfire is one of the very oldest Spitfires in existence in the world! The curators/exhibition designers have this very special artifact positioned so that you can only see it's underside (with the sides obscured in darkness). In a museum with more interest in displaying significant military artifacts (vs. hosting weddings), it would make sense to move this to a plinth in the well-lit vehicle hall (like their very well displayed CF-101 Voodoo aircraft). Despite those complaints, this is still a worthwhile museum for military history enthusiasts.

First class museum. Always interesting to see the views of other players in wars, especially in respect of wars of the 20th Century. Displays showed that Canadians have been fighting since the English, French and Scots etc, arrived. Museum shows the sacrifice made by Canadians in WW1 and WW2. Took about three hours for my self guided tour. Use underground car park for easy access.

In early May, online tickets are not needed. We easily bought our tickets at the museum. We stayed all day - 6-7 hours. Cafe serves lunch foods from the grill (like perogies $12), soup ($7-8), cold sandwiches $10), salads ($10), and drinks. We sat inside at a table with a view of the Ottawa River, but tables outside too. Visitors can walk along the river over a bridge for a closer view of the Ottawa Falls. The roof display doesn't open until July. Lockers are available for $1, nonrefundable, or leave jackets in the room on hangers without security. The museum was a short walk from our hotel ( Hilton Garden Inn downtown) and we passed by another attraction, the Holocaust Memorial, on our way there. The Pimisi tram stop is also nearby as is a stop for bus #85. The displays about war in Canada progress from early times to present day, all organized chronologically into 4 galleries and all on one floor. The brochure suggests about 45 minutes in each gallery and the war machinery area downstairs. Labelling is bilingual with English first and French second since the museum is located in Ontario not Quebec. Sounds of war drift the air throughout the galleries and each is on the dim side due to a lack of windows and dependance on spotlights. Displays in each gallery were varied from uniforms, rifles, bow and arrows, paintings, maps, photographs and so on - never a dull moment with this variety - and each well explained. For 20th C wars, the focus is on Canadian participation so it was a surprise to see Hitler's black convertible on display. Downstairs, tanks (Russian,German, British, American - lots of them), motorcycles, missile shooters, jeeps, trucks - an array of 20th C war machinery - were on display inside in a weather protected heated area and accessible by elevator or stairs. I enjoyed the first gallery the most with its focus on the early war years in Canada with the French against the indigenous population and visa versa and also as their ally against the 13 colonies and their indigenous allies. The painting showing the murder of the French Missionary Brebeuf by the Huron natives was chilling to view especially as one could see the captors' knives being heated in the glowing fire before being stabbed into the priest's flesh.

Who knew? Comprehensive, thought provoking and very much "tell it like it was". Fascinating collections. Particularly liked the historical aspect of the museums offerings....tracing conflict from the earliest days...skirmishes amongst first nations peoples, to contact with European explorers and eventually settlers. And then of course Canada's participation in conflicts over the years...English vs French (the battles of these two great colonial empires), Canadian (comprising English, French and indigenous) with our big neighbour to the south. And then Canadian participation as the loyal British dominion in WW1 and WW2. A lot more history here than most Canadians realize. And if you are a military machinery fan, lots of tanks and armaments to gaze at. You really need 3 -4 hours to do the museum proud..or plan to come back another day. Underground parking ($13..pretty reasonable). The tours I had hoped for not available (staffing shortages) so check first by phone.

Very good museum. Allow 2 to 3 hours to complete your visit. Underground parking on-site. Great exhibits. At times, it was a bit difficult to navigate. Too many children running around and too much noise.

If you are a military history buff this is a must do activity. Make sure you start downstairs with the tanks, armoured vehicles, canons etc - a real boys toys area. The whole museum has been put together really well, representing Canada's involvement in a range of wars across history. Some of the displays are interactive, ie. a bombed out WW2 building with kitted up soldiers that you walk through to get to the next exhibit. I did find navigating the museum a little confusing, but I had little time so that could just be me. Hint: Check the website, on Thursdays entry is free between 5-7pm, it closes at 7pm. You need to book on line and collect your ticket on arrival with the booking reference number.

Highly recommended for both Canadians and tourists to visit. Plan to spend a good 4-5 hours Pros: Impressive tank & artillery collection on bottom floor; American, German, Soviet, Canadian; one the best I've ever seen Some remarkable objects on the main floor for history buffs, including one of Hitler's cars, and a sword from the Plains of Abraham, All exhibit write-ups were very well described both in English and French, along with visuals (videos, images) Really liked having a veteran volunteer walk around the tank area and field questions (and spark curiosity!) from the visitors Underground parking lot Appreciate the fact that washrooms and seating areas were well spaced out throughout the museum A game area for the young ones who aren't that much interested in war history Cons: While taking pictures is allowed, lighting isn't the best for taking photos A bit pricey especially if you include the $13 parking fee; make sure to maximize your time and viewing :) While the exhibits are classified based on the time period; they sometimes become too jumbled up to the point of information overload; one suggestion is to prioritize what you want to see and then look at the rest if time permits Can get quite busy when there are tour groups Some video demonstrations would help better explain the artifacts in the artillery section

This museum is one of the best museums that I have ever visited. And that includes the Smithsonians and museums in England, France, Germany, Czech Republic. My husband and I spent an entire day there. At end of the day, we had to hurry through a few of the exhibits. This museum explained what we were seeing, as well as offering hands on interactive activities. We are not Canadians. I am only stating this because I don’t want anyone to think that non Canadians wouldn’t get much out of a visit. Everyone, from anywhere in the world, can appreciate and learn from the exhibits in this museum. I wouldn’t recommend it for small children, but anyone over 6 or 7 can enjoy this place. The cafe in the museum offers freshly made quiches, as well as other items including salads and soups. There is indoor and outdoor seating. It’s a lovely place to refresh oneself without having to leave the museum.

Extremely educational, from a thorough Canadian history perspective. Canadian militaries have always found themselves in a "support" role, but have paid the ultimate sacrifice just as much as the parties they are "supporting". The military hardware section is amazing. After being in this museum, I have come to appreciate the efforts Canada has made in promoting world peace, despite having to take up arms to achieve that goal. The world is a better place because of Canada's global efforts. This is a must see museum, regardless of one's viewpoint towards the use of force; both hawks and doves can learn a lot within these four walls.

I'm not too sure why we need a war museum when we can have a peace musmem ? defeats the purpose imho. this place should be converted to a shelter and rehab facility to get our vets of the streets not glorify wars that didnt even occur on canadian territories and frankly we had nothing to do with!