Canada is fortunate enough to be loaded with awesome museums, whether you are interested in learning about the dinosaurs that once ruled the badlands of Alberta or the first people that set foot in British Columbia. From coast to coast impressive museums continue to amaze visitors and while some may be suited for adults, there is plenty of fun for the kids too! Check out the 7 coolest museums in Canada, and why you should drop everything and visit them today.
ROM — Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, Ontario)
It is considered by many to be one of the best museums in Canada and also happens to be one of the coolest. Located in Toronto, this museum is dedicated to art, world culture, and natural history and attracts over a million visitors a year. Visitors will want to spend an entire day discovering the 40 odd galleries that feature over 6 million items including a notable collection of dinosaurs, minerals, and meteorites.
Royal Tyrell Museum (Drumheller, Alberta)
This popular Canadian tourist attraction is both a museum and a center of paleontological research. Hosting more than 130,000 fossils, this museum is located in the middle of the Late Cretaceous Horseshoe Canyon Formation. Visitors will love wandering through the ten signature galleries devoted to paleontology that include 40 dinosaur skeletons, including one huge T. Rex. There are plenty of hands-on experiences to be had here including strength tests where you will discover how strong these fascinating creatures really were.
Royal British Columbia Museum (Victoria, British Columbia)
It is known as one of the world’s top regional museums, one of Canada’s most visited, and located on the picturesque Inner Harbor in Victoria. Three permanent galleries trace the natural and human history of British Columbia and include life-sized mammoths, live tidal pools, and replica streets, and shops. The First Peoples Gallery is especially impressive with its ceremonial masks, totem poles, and full-sized log house recreation. Visitors here can even watch as native carvers work on new totem poles in a longhouse located just behind the museum.
Human Rights Museum (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
This impressive museum is the newest on this list, opening in September of 2014, dedicated to exploring the subject of human rights with a special emphasis on Canada. Offering a journey from darkness to light, visitors start off on the ground level and gradually make their way up to seven floors that reveal more and more daylight. With a total of six levels of exhibits and 11 galleries and one Tower of Hope that offers panoramic views of Winnipeg, expect to spend at least a day here.
Canadian Museum of History (Gatineau, Quebec)
It is Canada’s national museum of human history, and its purpose includes collecting, studying, preserving, and presenting material objects that illuminate the human history of Canada. One of the most impressive parts of the museum is the Grand Hall where a beautiful wall of windows gives way to a picturesque view of the Ottawa River and Parliament Hill. The museum attracts over a million visitors a year to gaze at the collection of huge totem poles, First Nation artifacts, streetscape galleries, and life-size replicas recreations such as an airport lounge circa 1970.
Biosphere Environment Museum (Montreal, Quebec)
It is the only environment museum in North America and both kids and adults go crazy for this unique attraction that is both indoors and out. These architectural masterpieces and symbols of Expo 67 invite visitors to learn more about meteorology, climate, water, and air quality, and other environmental issues in a fun way. An outdoor Arctic photo exhibit celebrates the region’s biodiversity and beauty while educating visitors on the environmental changes that are happening there.
Canada Science and Technology Museum (Ottawa, Ontario)
It is the largest of its kind and located in the capital city of Canada, Ottawa. This museum displays all sorts of cool exhibits, focusing on the past, present, and future of science and technological developments in Canada. What makes this museum so cool is the fact that much of it is hands-on, climb-on, and walk-through exhibits. From trains, planes, automobiles, rockets, and space travel simulation; this museum will offer a plethora of excitement.
