The Canadian Museum of History is one of the premier museums in Canada, housed in a sinuously curved building by architect Douglas Cardinal on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River. The location is deliberate: the views from the museum's riverside windows across to Parliament Hill are among the finest in the region, and the two buildings — one dedicated to democratic governance, the other to cultural memory — face each other across the water.
The museum covers 20,000 years of human presence in Canada, with particular depth on Indigenous cultures. The Grand Hall, which runs the full length of the building's riverfront facade, houses the world's largest indoor collection of totem poles. The Canadian History Hall traces the nation's story from earliest settlement to the present. The Canadian Children's Museum occupies a dedicated section. With over 3 million artifacts and more than 25,000 square metres of exhibition space, this is a full-day visit. The address is 100 Laurier Street.