Exploring the cultural findings in history and art, museums provide visitors with an experience that sends
them back in time. In addition to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, the province is home to a variety of
different museums that showcase automotive history, artistic culture and Canada’s illustrious heritage.
Offering an educational experience for their visitors, these four museums represent some of the province’s
finest in their displays of the country’s historical works.
Canada Aviation and Space Museum (Ottawa)
Tackling flight and space, this museum soars to great heights with its exhibits from the pioneer era
and the First and Second World War through to postwar and modern aircrafts.
Offering a variety of tours that provide a guide through the “Walkway of Time,” visitors can learn about the
history of aviation and Canada’s contributions.
The museum’s guided tours provide a general overview of the entire museum. Self-guided tours give visitors
the opportunity to browse the museum at their own pace, while the guided tours of the museum’s Storage Wing
give visitors exclusive access to Canada’s aviation icons.
Opened in 1960, the museum carries approximately 130 pieces of aircraft and artifacts and has expanded its
collection to include human space flight. It has earned them the reputation for providing the most extensive
aviation collection in Canada — one of the best in the world.
For more information visit aviation.technomuses.ca
Canadian Canoe Museum (Peterborough)
For a museum filled with exhibits that showcase Canadian heritage, the Canadian Canoe Museum
provides just that and more with its extensive collections of canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft.
Professor Kirk Wipper began the collection in the 1950s, but it was only in 1997 that the museum opened its
doors to the public.
In a fun and interactive fundraising initiative, Adopt-A-Canoe offers visitors the opportunity to adopt a
canoe in the museum for a monthly fee, for which they are presented with a certificate and their name is
displayed alongside the canoe’s exhibit.
The museum’s galleries include The Peterborough Tradition, Artisan Gallery, Kayak Gallery, Origins Gallery,
Preserving Skills Gallery and Treaty Canoe. Visitors can take a virtual tour of the galleries on the museum’s
website. But in person, the environment is something that makes the saying “Seeing is believing” ring true,
thanks to its dynamic exhibits and displays.
For more information visit canoemuseum.ca
The Bata Shoe Museum (Toronto)
Putting their best “shoe” forward, The Bata Shoe Museum houses more than 10,000 shoes — enough to
make any shoe-aholic gasp in envy.
The famous feet that have walked in these shoes range from historical figures to modern-day celebrities —
musicians, actors and others.
However, it is not just the shoes that make this museum an eye-catching masterpiece. Architect Raymond
Moriyama designed the award-winning four-storey building that houses the collections of shoes.
The museum is divided into different galleries, with four of the exhibits displaying some of the world’s most
historical shoes. From Chinese bound foot shoes to ancient Egyptian sandals, to wooden clogs and retro
platforms, the museum provides visitors with a detailed timeline of shoes from around the world.
There are changing exhibits to provide visitors with different themed displays. With its dynamic exhibits,
the museum provides a truly unique experience for its visitors.
For more information visit batashoemuseum.ca
Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art — MOCCA (Toronto)
Located in the heart of Toronto’s art and design district, MOCCA is a hotspot for Canadian modern and
contemporary art. In its quaint space, the 5,000-square-foot main space and 1,000-square-foot project room
provides visitors with exhibits of art that are relevant to modern times, and work that helps engage its
audience with challenging issues and themes.
Founded in 1999 from the former Art Gallery of North York, MOCCA has become a leader in dynamic arts. The
non-profit organization runs on a pay-what-you-can admission basis, allowing all people to explore the world
of modern art. Today, it continues to provide emerging artists with a forum for work that has been often
considered influential and groundbreaking.
For more information visit mocca.ca
