Canadian War Museum

Canadian War Museum Canada’s national museum for military history. Visit our website. Since its opening in 2005, the Museum has welcomed approximately 500,000 visitors every year.
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Canada’s national museum of military history and one of the world’s most respected museums for the study and understanding of armed conflict. Pour notre page Française : http://www.facebook.com/museedelaguerre

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The Museum traces its origins back to 1880, when it consisted primarily of a collection of militia artifacts. The Museum opened at its new location on the LeBreton

Flats site in downtown Ottawa on May 8, 2005. Its opening not only marked the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe (V-E Day) but also the 125th anniversary of the Museum itself. The Museum’s exhibition galleries and public programs have been designed to emphasize the human experience of war. The Canadian Experience Galleries present the military history of Canada from earliest times to present day, as well as Canada’s history of honouring and remembrance. Each gallery highlights defining moments in Canada’s military history and the ways in which past events have shaped the nation. The Museum’s collections are among the finest military holdings in the world, including rare vehicles, artillery, uniforms, medals, personal memoirs and 14,000 works in the Beaverbrook Collection of War Art. In total, the collection comprises more than 3 million artifacts, specimens, works of art, written documents and sound and visual recordings. The Military History Research Centre houses the George Metcalf Archival Collection and the Hartland Molson Library. These extensive collections of primary and secondary research material document Canada’s rich military history.

Close to Conflict – Canada and the American Civil War is an exhibition that explores the ways that the American Civil Wa...
08/31/2026

Close to Conflict – Canada and the American Civil War is an exhibition that explores the ways that the American Civil War (1861-1865) shaped Canadian society, politics and military ― and why its legacies still matter today.

📅 On view until February 28, 2027

Plan your visit 👉 https://www.warmuseum.ca/plan-your-visit

A mug of hot cocoa meant more than comfort. ☕ In *Kye on the Middle Watch – Murmansk*, James Stewart captures two sailor...
08/28/2026

A mug of hot cocoa meant more than comfort. ☕

In *Kye on the Middle Watch – Murmansk*, James Stewart captures two sailors sharing a warm drink during the coldest hours of the Arctic convoys.

Having served on the Murmansk Run himself, Stewart later turned those memories into this powerful painting.

*Kye on the Middle Watch – Murmansk*
James Stewart, 1960
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 20060150-001

They landed together. They endured captivity together. 🎖️ Brothers-in-law Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Labatt and Captain John...
08/26/2026

They landed together. They endured captivity together. 🎖️

Brothers-in-law Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Labatt and Captain John McGill Currie led Canadian soldiers during the Dieppe Raid. Both spent the next three years as prisoners of war and were decorated for their courage under fire.

Their story reflects the leadership and sacrifice of those who served at Dieppe.

📷 George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20160239-010 / 20160239-016
Captain John McGill Currie Medal Set
CWM 20160239-003

Final call for free summer visits!  🇨🇦⏳ There’s only a few days left to use the Canada Strong Pass and visit the Canadia...
08/25/2026

Final call for free summer visits! 🇨🇦⏳

There’s only a few days left to use the Canada Strong Pass and visit the Canadian War Museum for free or half price.

📅 Offer ends September 7
🎟️17 and under: free | 18–24: 50% off

Don't miss out—plan your visit today.

🔗 https://www.warmuseum.ca/plan-your-visit -strong

Canadian Heritage

The war ended. The celebrations began. 🎉 In *Victory Japan Celebrations*, Molly Lamb Bobak captures the joy that filled ...
08/24/2026

The war ended. The celebrations began. 🎉

In *Victory Japan Celebrations*, Molly Lamb Bobak captures the joy that filled London's Hyde Park as news spread that the Second World War had come to an end in the Pacific.

Her painting preserves a moment of relief, hope, and remembrance shared by millions around the world.

*Victory Japan Celebrations*
Molly Lamb Bobak, 1945
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 19710261-1650

A journey into a war that would change Canada forever. When the First World War began, thousands of Canadians answered t...
08/21/2026

A journey into a war that would change Canada forever.

When the First World War began, thousands of Canadians answered the call to serve. What started as a commitment of 25,000 volunteers grew into more than 620,000 serving in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), with approximately 424,000 serving overseas before the conflict ended.

This photograph captures members of what would become the 3rd Canadian Overseas Contingent departing Sault Ste. Marie for training in 1915.

📷 George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20120160-002_2

Step into a pivotal chapter of Canada’s military history. This month, visit our presentation cart in the LeBreton Galler...
08/20/2026

Step into a pivotal chapter of Canada’s military history.

This month, visit our presentation cart in the LeBreton Gallery to explore Operation Medusa, one of the largest and most intense combat operations undertaken by the Canadian Armed Forces since the Korean War.

Engage with Museum staff as they share objects, documents and photographs that reveal the experiences of Canadian service members in Afghanistan. Learn about the challenges of deployment, the realities of combat, and the human impact of serving in Kandahar.

📅 August 2026
🕘 9 am to 5 pm (English and French)
📍 LeBreton Gallery
🎟️ Included with Museum admission

Drop by anytime throughout the day — presentation times may vary.

A wrong turn led to a lifelong partnership. 💍 While cycling with friends through the English countryside, Gwendoline Gre...
08/19/2026

A wrong turn led to a lifelong partnership. 💍

While cycling with friends through the English countryside, Gwendoline Green stopped to ask four Canadian airmen for directions. One of them was John McDonald.

The two married in 1943, one of thousands of wartime marriages between British civilians and Canadian service personnel. With clothing in short supply due to wartime restrictions, Gwendoline wore this pink suit instead of the ivory wedding dress she had imagined.

Wedding Suit Worn by Gwendoline (Green) McDonald
CWM 20080052-004

08/19/2026

On August 19, 1942, a pigeon carried the news of the Canadian landing at Dieppe across the English Channel.

Beach Comber flew through dangerous conditions to deliver that message. For this act of service during the Second World War, the bird became the only Canadian war pigeon awarded the Dickin Medal, often called the animals’ Victoria Cross.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19760355-028

A place of remembrance for generations. 🍁 The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a tribute to those who served in the Fi...
08/17/2026

A place of remembrance for generations. 🍁

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a tribute to those who served in the First World War. Among 66,000 Canadians who lost their lives, this memorial honours the 11,285 Canadian soldiers who died in France with no known grave.

For many Canadians, Vimy Ridge remains a place of reflection, remembrance, and pilgrimage.

Unveiling Vimy Ridge Monument
Painted by Georges Bertin Scott, 1937
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 19670070-014

Address

1 Vimy Place
Ottawa, ON
K1A0M8

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18005555621

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