HOURS: Closed Tuesdays during the winter and early spring. Visit nature.ca for more information.
WINTERLUDE ACTIVITIES
Saturdays, February 3, 10 and 17 on Sparks Street
The Canadian Museum of Nature is once again a Winterlude partner. Head to Sparks Street where you can admire a life-size ice sculpture of Edmontosaurus. This ice carving is based upon a star specimen in the museum’s Fossil Gallery—the first dinosaur mounted for public display in Canada. From 11 am to 4 pm, children can join in an ice dig activity, or warm up in a dino dance where they roll the giant dice, follow instructions and perform their best moves—dinosaur style.
On Sundays, February 4, 11, and 18 in our Fossil Gallery, chat with a science interpreter at our special Dino Cart.
SCIENCE TALKS AND ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday, February 8, 5:30 pm to 7 pm
Join us for engaging brief talks by some of our experts, with a focus on our Arctic research and collections. Preceding the brief talks will be a 10-minute year-in-review of the museum's activities, as part of the Annual Public Meeting. A question-and-answer period will follow. Registration is required to attend either in person or online (using Zoom).
FAMILY DAY
Monday, February 19
Bring the family to the museum and discover some prehistoric wonders at our Dino Cart in the Fossil Gallery. See live sea stars, anemones, sea cucumbers and other tide-pool creatures as you chat with interpreter at the Pacific Discovery tank in our Water Gallery.
MOVIES (included with museum admission)
THE WILD CANADIAN YEAR: WINTER
Until February 21
Captured in stunning 4K ultra-high definition, The Wild Canadian Year showcases the wild inhabitants of Canada through the seasons. Currently in our theatre is Winter, which reveals stories from the harshest time of year, as Canada’s landscapes are transformed by the cruel and dramatic beauty of snow and ice. For all wild animals, it’s a challenge to adapt to winter’s harsh conditions.
Duration: 25 minutes. English screenings: Hourly from 10 am to 3 pm, and until 7 pm on Thursdays (subject to change without notice). French screenings on the half hour.
DINO DANA: THE MOVIE
Starting February 22
From multiple Emmy award-winning Sinking Ship Entertainment comes an action-packed dinosaur adventure aimed at kids and their families. Based on the popular TV series, Dino Dana: The Movie follows 10-year-old paleontologist-in-training Dana as she imagines dinosaurs into the real world to solve her dinosaur experiments.
Duration: 25 minutes. English screenings: Hourly from 10 am to 3 pm, and until 7 pm on Thursdays (subject to change without notice). French screenings are on the half hour.
NATURE NOCTURNE – new season announcement February 29
Tickets for the next season of Nature Nocturne—Ottawa most memorable night out for adults—go on sale February 29. Mark your calendars, and find out about the new season dates and themes for 2024! These popular events sold out quickly in our 10th season which just wrapped up.
OTHER EXHIBITIONS (included with museum admission)
Wolves! Shapeshifters in a Changing World
Note: this exhibition will be closed from February 21 to March 1 (inclusive).
Learn about wolf evolution and adaptations through specimens, cultural stories, video and scientific research that highlights studies by museum experts Kamal Khidas, Ph.D., and Danielle Fraser, Ph.D. Eleven stunning, large images by the renowned wildlife and landscape photographer, Michelle Valberg, feature wolves from the Pacific coast and Yellowstone National Park.
Pacific Discovery Tank
Museum interpreter at the tank: Thursday evenings; Saturdays and Sundays 10 am – noon and 1 pm – 4pm; as well as Family Day, February 19.
Encounter live sea stars, sea cucumbers, tentacled anemones and spiky urchins. Our special saltwater tide-pool tank brings a bit of the Pacific coast right to you!
Owls Rendez-Vous– closing April 1
April 1 is the last day to this exhibition of live owls and an eagle. Stand in awe before a Great Horned Owl, Snowy Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Barred Owl and a Bald Eagle. These magnificent birds will be returning to their home at Little Ray’s Nature Centres.
Bugs Alive
Leafcutter ants—busy little farmers that work around the clock—are the star attraction in our renewed and permanent exhibition of live insects and arachnids. Tarantulas, Horrid king assassin bugs, millipedes, cockroaches, and death-feigning beetles are also some of the other fascinating species you can examine up close.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
TICKETS: Advance tickets are recommended, and are for a specified entry time. Book now.
The Canadian Museum of Nature is located at 240 McLeod St, Ottawa. Visit nature.ca. Follow the museum on X (twitter.com/museumofnature) and Instagram (museumofnature), and Like us on Facebook. Tel: 613-566-4700.
