Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum

10/15/2026

🕵️ In 1959, Soviet Embassy personnel were spotted driving around the Diefenbunker construction site. A secret military memo documented the sightings, along with other concerns about keeping the project under wraps.

What did Canadian officials know about Soviet interest in the site? Read the full story on our blog, featuring a formerly top-secret document that is housed in the Diefenbunker’s archives: diefenbunker.ca/blog/soviet-interest-in-project-ease/

10/14/2026

🎃 Games night is getting spooky! Join the Diefenbunker for a Halloween edition of Games Night in the Bunker.

📅 Saturday, October 24
🕕 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

🎟️ Get your tickets: diefenbunker.ca/events/october-games-night/

10/13/2026

🎃 Halloween fun for the whole family!

Celebrate Halloween at the Diefenbunker on Saturday, October 31, with free family-friendly activities, a spooky photo backdrop, and trick-or-treating from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Keep the fun going with a museum visit and a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt until 3:00 p.m. Costumes are welcome all day!

Plan your Halloween visit and get ticket details: diefenbunker.ca/events/halloween-at-the-bunker-2026/

10/09/2026

Are you ready for a night on the town, 75 feet underground? 🎄☢️

Operation Wh**ky: A Festive Fallout Fundraiser is coming to the Diefenbunker on November 21.

The Diefenbunker will be decked to the nines and ready for a swell time, with wh**ky tastings, festive drinks, food, and all the trimmings. It’s our annual fundraiser, bringing the community together for some good clean fun while raising funds for the preservation of the Diefenbunker, our exhibitions, and year-round educational programs.

🎟️ Get your tickets today: diefenbunker.ca/events/2026-wh**ky-tasting-fundraiser/

10/07/2026

The final performance of “Dief the Chief: October ’62” on Friday, October 9 is officially SOLD OUT!

Thank you to playwright and performer Pierre Brault, actor Peter Haworth, their crew, and everyone who joined us for this special production throughout the 2026 season.

We’re grateful to everyone who helped bring “Dief the Chief: October ’62” to life at the Diefenbunker, and to every audience member who came along for the journey. Thank you!

10/06/2026

📣 New volunteer opportunities at the Diefenbunker!

We’re looking for volunteers to join our team as:
Volunteer School Tour Guides
Volunteer Collections Assistants
Volunteer Library Assistants

Interested in history, education, museums, or working with collections? We’d love to have you join our volunteer team.

Learn more and apply at diefenbunker.ca/volunteer

10/05/2026

🏗️ Happy World Architecture Day!

Here’s Stefan, our Registrar, sharing one of his favourite architectural features of the Diefenbunker. 👀

What’s your favourite feature of the Diefenbunker?

10/02/2026

🕵️‍ What did Canadian intelligence think the Soviet threat looked like during the early Cold War?

On October 15, join Alan Barnes for a look at the development of Canadian intelligence assessments from 1946 to 1964. Drawing on recently declassified archival sources and his book, "Watching the Bear," Barnes explores how Canadian analysts assessed the Soviet threat to North America, including moments when Canadian assessments differed from those of the United States.

📅 October 15, 2026
🕖 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. ET
💻 Virtual | Free

Continue exploring the history of Canadian intelligence and the Cold War, and learn more about the assessments that helped shape Canada’s defence planning.

Register now: diefenbunker.ca/events/speaker-series-oct-2026/

We invite you to join us for the Diefenbunker’s 2026 Cold War Speaker Series! In this series of free events, hear from experts on a variety of topics to bring you new perspectives on the Cold War.

10/01/2026

Something spooky is stirring underground . . .

Join us Saturday, October 31 for Halloween at the Bunker! From 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., stop by the museum entrance and Blast Tunnel for free Halloween programming, with activities for youth and families, a spooky photo backdrop, and trick-or-treating.

Our former Toddlers’ Halloween programming has been reimagined as an all-ages experience, with even more ways to get into the Halloween spirit. Want to venture deeper underground? The Diefenbunker is open 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with general admission and guided tours, plus a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt along the way.

Costumes are welcome. 👻

Ready to get spooky? Plan your visit: diefenbunker.ca/events/halloween-at-the-bunker-2026/

09/30/2026

Today, we recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Reconciliation is about more than taking time to reflect. It calls on us to keep learning, listening to community, and finding meaningful ways to put that learning into action. We continue to learn from the people and communities connected to the stories we share, and to consider how we can support and participate in reconciliation through our work at the museum.

We invite you to explore our exhibitions, "An Inuit Story: The DEW Line" and "Canada and the Cold War", which highlight Inuit experiences and the broader impact of the Cold War on Indigenous communities across Canada.

Admission to the Diefenbunker is always free for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals. We also offer a free Audio Guide in Inuktitut and Ojibwe.

We are grateful to the people who continue to share their knowledge, perspectives, and stories with us as we work toward reconciliation on the unsurrendered and unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. 🧡

Read our blog post from last year to learn more about the Diefenbunker’s efforts in reconciliation: diefenbunker.ca/blog/truth-and-reconciliation-at-the-diefenbunker/