Bring your kids to the Canadian Children’s Museum and they won’t want to leave! The Museum lets them travel the world, enriching their lives and broadening their experience by exploring other cultures through exhibitions, props, costumes and hands-on artifacts, including an extraordinary assortment of toys and games.
Every child will find experiences that engage their interests, increase their skills and knowledge, and help them achieve development milestones. They can clamber aboard an extravagantly decorated Pakistani bus and a three-wheeled auto rickshaw from Thailand. Or step inside a Bedouin tent and homes from India, Indonesia and Mexico. The Museum’s diversity and richness engage children of all ages, allowing them to explore and learn through play at their own pace. It’s a fun, memorable first step in a child’s understanding of the arts, culture and history.
Travel BureauFirst stop for all visitors to the Canadian Children’s Museum is our Travel Bureau. Friendly staff will take your entry ticket and give you a passport to use at over 30 permanent exhibits throughout the Museum, as part of our Great Adventure. This thematic experience is designed to help young visitors explore how people live, work and celebrate around the world – helping them discover that we’re really not so different after all.
Destination: Canada: People share stories and ideas in different ways. Read a book, make a movie, write a song, or compose a poem! Destination Canada is a bustling street where your imagination comes to life. 
The StudioYoung visitors and their families will love our scheduled programs and drop-in activities designed to explore the arts while supporting the development of creative thinking skills, cultural expression and communications. See our complete list of programs to help you plan your visit.
On the NileMany parts of a culture or civilization can last for centuries, and learning about the past often helps us to understand the present. This pyramid is inspired by the ones found along the Nile River, in Egypt, over 3,000 years ago. Decode hieroglyphics, visit a tomb chamber, and explore a secret passage.
Port of EntryThis re-creation of a cargo ship, a busy port, and a customs and shipping office shows young visitors how goods get delivered around the world, and demonstrates that trade is often just another means of communication. Become a crane operator and help unload newly arrived cargo from the hold of the Vagabond, call the bridge and speak with the captain, navigate the ship through a difficult course, watch Russian folktales, learn how to tie knots, and decode the message on the ship’s signal flags.
Market BazaarThe Market Bazaar, located at the centre of our International Village, features a currency exchange, a Dutch cheese-and-flower market, a Mexican mercado, a Chinese market stall, a Greek market stand, a French boulangerie and a North African souk. Markets bring together people and products from around the world. Bargain and trade with market vendors, or catch up on local news with friends.
Toys and GamesPlay is universal. This constantly changing exhibit space encourages young visitors to play with historical and contemporary toys and games from around the world. Sample new games, learn new skills and try out unusual games played by children around the world.
IndonesiaAll over the world, people exchange news and ideas in different ways. In Indonesia — a country made up of many islands — friends find creative ways to make connections. Our delightful Indonesian house on stilts invites young visitors to make a Balinese shadow-puppet and learn how to use it as part of a performance in our courtyard theatre.
Kids’ CaféFood is a universal need, and there are many different types of foods and ways to make them. Young visitors will learn how to make special foods, how to make and serve meals — and they may just get to enjoy a tasty treat they make themselves.
KaleidoscopeKaleidoscope is a space devoted to special exhibitions developed by the Canadian Children’s Museum, as well as those produced by other museums from around the world.
In the DesertMost of us live in houses that never move. The Bedouins, however, carry their homes from place to place across the hot desert sands. Relax in our Bedouin tent as you sip coffee, play backgammon, and experience the life of a Bedouin family.
MexicoFamilies learn and grow together by helping each other. This home shows just what hands can do — from making tortillas to producing crafts for sale in the local market. Help prepare an evening meal, try on clothing, or even work on a communal embroidery project.
IndiaPreparations are underway for a wedding at this Gujarati-inspired home from northern India, and special decorations are part of the celebrations. Young visitors can help sew a wedding quilt, listen to a radio program, help an artist decorate the exterior walls of the home, and play a game of parchisi.
NigeriaAll over the world, people exchange news and ideas in different ways. This reconstruction of a Hausa household from northern Nigeria highlights oral traditions, music, and how extended families often live together. Listen to West African folktales, try on traditional clothing, grind corn, or learn to play the talking drums.
EmbassyIn busy cities around there world, there are lots of trucks, cars, and buses. One way to beat the traffic jam is to take a ride around town in a unique taxi, such as a Singapore trishaw, or a tuktuk from Thailand.
CrossroadsCrossroads encourages you to explore the many ways in wich people share goods and information. Read the news from a far-off city, make and send a postcard to a friend, purchase a ticket for a worldwide audio journey to eight countries on our Pakistani Bus, and say hello to friends in six countries.
Cinéma CanadaCapturing and sharing experiences is a great way to create lasting memories. Enjoy awardwinning short animation from the Tale Spinners series, made by young Canadian video artists. Focussing on themes related to identity, diversity, tradition and belonging, these short films are adapted from acclaimed cross-cultural Canadian children’s stories written by such authors as Paul Yee, Itah Sadu, Rachna Gilmore and Robert Munsch.
Clothing CompanyAt the Clothing Company, our focus is on the universal need for clothing and the many ways in which people dress themselves. Young visitors can take orders for clothing, call the Japanese home to let them know their order is ready for pick-up, create a unique fabric design, or try on unique clothing worn for various occupations or special events.
Building WorksWe all need shelter, and Building Works helps young visitors explore different types of homes and building methods. Design a home, build with architectural building blocks, lay a tile floor, complete the plumbing for a sink, paint the walls, shingle a doghouse and help finish a brick wall.
JapanThis exhibit is a re-creation of the tatami room and garden of a Japanese home. Young visitors learn the importance of family traditions, as they explore the art of origami, call the Clothing Company to order a new kimono, or rest in the garden while creating a haiku poem.
Admission Information
Children under 3 are admitted free to the Museum. Children must be 12 years and older to purchase an admission ticket on their own and visit the Museum by themselves.
All visitors are admitted free after 4:00 p.m. on Thursdays. For more information on admission fees or for general information contact information@historymuseum.ca or go to Plan Your Visit.
Adult Accompaniment
One adult must accompany every 5 children. All children under the age of 12 need an adult escort. An adult escort is defined as an individual who is above the age of 16.
Coat Check
Please leave coats, bags and backpacks at the Coat Check near the main entrance of the Museum. You can bring a diaper bag into the Canadian Children’s Museum.
Getting the Most from Your Visit
Play is an important part of learning; it is an essential ingredient in all our activities. As parents, you are encouraged to use play as another means of communicating with your child(ren).
Here are some suggestions to help you and your family get the most from your visit.
- Ask your child(ren) to lead you through the exhibits. What is she/he looking at? Enjoying?
- Talk! Museums are social places. Share ideas and questions with each other. “When I was a child…”
- Imagine with your child. “What would it be like if…”
- Help your child connect experiences with something in their life. “Remember the bus ride we took downtown?” “Where do we shop for our food?”
Hours
Click here for our hours of operation.
What to Watch For
Watch for special activities, workshops and performances that highlight exhibits, seasonal events, festivals and celebrations. For more information on upcoming programs, please click here.