Canadian Museum of History, National history museum in Gatineau, Canada
The Canadian Museum of History is a national museum in Gatineau along the Ottawa River shoreline facing the capital. Its curved exterior walls of pale limestone and copper-green glass follow the riverbank and create open interior spaces with multiple floors of exhibition halls.
The Province of Canada founded the collection in 1856 as part of its geological survey and initially displayed minerals and fossils. During the 20th century, the focus shifted toward human history of the country, and in 1989 the institution moved into a new building at its current location.
Visitors gather around carved wooden figures and full-scale coastal dwellings that tell stories of family lineages and clan traditions from Pacific regions. People pause before the tall windows to study the carvings while taking in the river view beyond.
The entrance sits near the roadway, and elevators connect all levels for visitors with mobility needs. The building opens every day in the morning, and on Thursdays the halls remain open into the evening so there is time for a visit after work.
A full wall in the upper part of the building displays a large color photograph looking down over forests, lakes, and rivers of the northern land. Under the tall glass roof of the main hall, several tall totem poles stand side by side, originally raised on the west coast and now forming the largest indoor collection of their kind.
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