ottawa museum reviews.com

Canada Space and aviation museum

aviation.technomuses.ca

Take off....to the Aviation Museum!  It's like stepping into an airplane hangar with its massive open spaces and planes everywhere, parked and suspended.  There's even a runway behind the main building.  (The storage area for the museum actually is an airplane hangar right beside the museum.  Tours there are always fun.)  Secondly, with its open spaces, kids are welcome to run around and expend major energy.  No shush-shushing here!  Lastly, this museum is the unofficial place to party on Canada Day with loads of picnic space and demonstrations out on the runway.  So if the massive crowds along Parliament Hill are just not for you, check out the Aviation Museum but come early though for parking...

Right at the front of the main area is a great little exhibit detailing the history of aviation...and I mean, going way back, starting with all the myths and legends of flight.  This long-view perspective is really helpful and shows just how exciting the field of aviation really is.  Between the early planes to the actual Canadarm 201 of the space shuttle, a walk through this museum is truly eye-opening.  The Museum's collection includes war planes of both World Wars, rescue helicopters and mail carriers to small passenger jets and even the nose cone of the Avro Arrow.  A big project still in the works by dedicated volunteers is the restoration of the North Star military plane.