This is something that we are desperately missing in Ottawa. Although a tad expensive to get in, 21…read morebucks-ish per adult, 14 for a 4 year old..... I get it, the prices need to be on the higher side so they can make sure the animals are being well taken care of. We went on a very quiet Saturday, so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. Staff were so friendly. This place would be great for a rainy day, but it was hard to stay couped up indoors when it was such a nice day outside. We were able to leave and have lunch else where (there was no cafeteria that I noticed on site), and we were able to come back after and hang out a bit more. The kids were not too impressed with the fish, but they LOVED the water table activity center. I'd recommend a visit at least once.

amazing experience! highly recommend for families! The staff is very knowledgeable and the animals…read moreare well taken care of. Otter and beaver education and training times are worth a visit.

It's a wonderful place to visit, I saw people of all ages here to enjoy the beauty of this area…read more Just a note that they do not let anyone in even to park, before their posted hours. The entry works pretty smoothly though, and since we had prepaid tickets, they were able to look us up, give us a map and we were parked quickly. I was there specifically for the Thomas Dambo exhibit. He is a Danish sculpture artist known for his giant trolls made out of recycled wood. Each troll is unique and has a name and purpose....to save the Humans and teach them about sustainability. The trails are beautiful in the woods and clearly marked. There was a beautiful section of the forest where an original piece of music was being played from 24 speakers as you followed the trail. An enchanting small lake filled with water lilies was out the back door of the main building. They have a small cafeteria and a nice gift shop.The building was full of interesting exhibits, including a tank with otters.

I had a wonderful time here with a friend recently. Even adults an enjoy the experience! Here are…read moresome highlights: 1. The otters! They were so active and playful, I could have watched them for hours. 2. Daily critter encounters - not sure what it's called exactly, but they have multiple opportunities throughout the day to hear a presentation and see an animal up close. On our visit we got to see the Kestrel. The presentation was quite interested. The small theater area is quite nice. 3. The Wild Walk is so nice and accessible! The interactive opportunities along the walk are great as well. 4. Lots and Lots of things to look at and explore inside and outside. Many trails. Tons of artifacts. The Troll exhibit was so cool. You really could spend an entire day here and still not do everything. 5. Lastly - THE GIFT SHOP. Seriously? I'm in love. So many wonderful, beautiful things. I had to keep myself from spending money this trip, but OH! Be still my nerdy nature-loving heart! Definitely make this a part of your next ADK adventure.

The original farm house of the Wilder family, as in the family of Almanzo Wilder, husband to Laura…read moreIngalls Wilder, with some reconstructed outbuildings, all as described in Farmer Boy. There's a tour of the barn buildings and farm house, which ran us $25 for a family of of four but was well worth it and clocked in at about an hour. Arrive by 3:30 to make sure you get the full tour on a given day. It helps quite a bit to have read the book Farmer Boy (or other Little House books) before the tour, although not necessary to enjoy it as a slice of American life. This is essentially an idealization of the historical American farm (no manure smells or tetanus) and is private history, so it's not necessarily completely accurate or authentic, but the narrative they put together is quite decent. The guide (Kyle) was extremely knowledgeable although not afraid to say 'I don't know' to some questions, and was diligent about finding the answers to questions he didn't know about later. Extremely well-done tour guiding. I'm a little ambivalent about the political uses of the Little House books (the story's been co-opted a bit by Randian philosophers, in no small part because Rose Wilder Lane was one herself) but even with their gauzy views of pioneer history and selective editing of the Ingalls' real story, they remain classic reads and real musts for kids. There is a small museum which is a free entry, and a pretty decent gift shop featuring a library of the Little House books (and the somewhat more questionable "authorized by the estate" series, albeit out of print titles) and a number of related history books. The crafts are not tacky at all and are in keeping with the Americana theme. (One notable lacuna - the Eric Sloane books on heritage American farm tools, buildings, and methods, which are an obvious inspiration.) Both our enthusiastic ten-year-old and normally bored by such stuff seven year old enjoyed it very much, as both adults did. The one missing part is the demonstration garden and orchard are quite small, and there aren't many actual farm animals (just some sheep). That hardly seemed to matter to either of them in the end, though. This is a long way away from most things, but if you have a Laura Ingalls Wilder nut in the household or are interested at all in American social history, it's worth a side trip if you're in the area.

I came by during their Scotland festival and wasn't offered a tour, but I did have access to…read morehighland dancing, cows, and haggis in addition to a lovely couple of hot dog trucks and a small outdoor market. Apparently it was super crowded for them, but I thought it was the most pleasant and laid back Scots festival I've been to in the US (I was at one in Newfoundland that was a bit less hectic). The house and barns were staffed by workers in period costume (as well as cows). I was told about spinning and the reconstruction and weaving and cooking. The staff members were lovely and funny and nice. They also were very, very kind when I accidentally broke the house. The displays are excellent of their kind and grounded really strongly not only against Laura Ingalls Wilder's books but also against period reference books. I was really impressed, but I do think it's a lot of reading for small children. The volunteers were excellent about explaining things, though. The gift shop was lovely and stocked a great selection of books...I've read or own most of them, but it was nice to see them all in one place. The only drawback is the isolated location. I stopped on the way back from Montreal, going probably 2 hours out of the way (I know map quest says it's only an hour and half, but customs took a long time).

When I went to the museum to pick up my guitar from a cancelled exhibit, the museum assistant…read morelaughed at me. I've have previously done volunteer work at the museum... BUT NEVER AGAIN. The museum is plagued now by elected officials and a village administrator obsessed with their power and authority. It is apparent this administration is in over their heads and are incapable of leading the village in a civil manner.

A significant amount of Potsdam history in this small local museum. The staff was friendly, and…read morevery knowledgeable.

We were able to come here and use our ASTC passport which was awesome. The parking lots have plenty…read moreof space and some EV chargers which is great. The staff was friendly and got us in with our passport. They have a nice little cafe with Beavertails in the back, so we stopped there for a quick breakfast and coffee. The displays here are great, so many interactive displays from bicycles, to trains, to audio and visual displays there is a lot to take in. This is a great spot for families or just adults who can tolerate kids being around. The history of sporting for people with disabilities was really interesting. This place really has something for everyone, whether you are interested in the human body, space, housing, etc you will probably find a section that interests you. The kids specific area was a lot of fun, although one of the displays was a bit broken unfortunately. Being able to race cars you build on a track and climb a rock wall was a ton of fun for our daughter. Being able to go race other kids on the bikes was something she really enjoyed too. We certainly had a good family outing and I think we all learned a few new things.

We visited this museum. Parking is a bit confusing without proper signage. The other thing is…read morethat the parking near the front, the lines are marked with different coloured rocks but it's hard to see so people park very poorly and the spots are quite tight too. The exhibits were pretty interesting. Lots of things to see and read, somewhat interactive. There is a dedicated kids area for kids to play in which is nice for families. The huge train that you can go into was another fun highlight. The demonstrations were really fun, there was one on ice and one on fire that day though the ice one didn't quite work. Overall a pretty enjoyable museum especially if you have kids.

The Canadian Museum of Nature is an architectural masterpiece, blending Beaux-Arts symmetry with a…read morehistoric exterior and a striking glass tower. The Earth Gallery's gem collection and the Bird Gallery are exceptional, and the gift shop is high-quality. However, my visit was heavily disrupted by large school groups monopolizing the interactive displays. To avoid these groups, try visiting after noon, as morning hours are peak time for field trip arrivals.

It was as much fun touring this museum as it was watching the smaller kids get excited looking at…read morethe dinosaur fossils and the live insects. There was so much content even limiting it to just Canadian flora and fauna. The building itself is impressive, and everything is nicely organized inside. Parking would be my one peeve. You can walk to it from the light rail if you're okay with that and it's night weather, but we found that for a group, it was actually cheaper to take a Lyft, ironically. While this museum is designed to be a great source of information for kids, adults will like it too.

The Canadian Museum of History is an architectural wonder. Designed by Douglas Cardinal, its fluid,…read morecurved forms mimic the natural erosion of the land--evoking wind, water, and glaciers. The main entrance is designed as a symbolic mask, while the limestone exterior harmonizes perfectly with the riverfront landscape and the Parliament buildings across the Ottawa River. Inside, the Grand Hall's massive windows frame stunning views of the river, which serves as a breathtaking backdrop for the impressive totem pole collection. This museum is a must-see for anyone who values the combination of outstanding design and cultural history.

This place is a gem! So much about it is breathtaking, from the architecture, to the views of…read moreOttawa on the other side of the river, to the totems on display - everything! The layout is well organized, the history is thorough, the exhibits are interesting. One thing I truly appreciated is the total frankness of the documentation. They kept it real. Nothing was sugar-coated, nothing was whitewashed, they didn't attempt to erase or hide any history, and they made a point of trying to learn from past mistakes. Other places could learn from this. I hope the museum will be able to add on, to cover events in Canada's more recent history.

Frederic Remington (1861-1909) was born nearby in Canton NY and his family moved here to Ogdensburg…read morewhen he was eleven. At an early age, he had a talent for art. He attended the art school at Yale University and eventually went out west to Montana at age nineteen, returning to Ogdensburg and eventually his first publishing in 1886 at the age of twenty-five. He is perhaps best known for the sculpture "The Broncho Buster" which has a copy here on display. As well, a number of his other paintings of the west. The images have captions and there are art tours/discussions on a regular basis. I have encountered his works at the Great Plains Art Museum in Lincoln NE, the Denver Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. You will know it when you see it. [Round number review 22600 overall - 1577 of 2024 - 493 in New York]

The online museum shop does not respond to emails or phone calls…read more I wanted to purchase a small Cowboy reproduction sculpture that weighs 10 pounds and would be shipped by UPS. According to the UPS web site the shipping cost would be $25.66 to $40. The museum shop checkout shipping cost was $225. I tried to email and phone them about this cost but the shop never responded. Gary C.

As a history buff making this trip was a no brainer…read more This cold war era bunker is maintained exceptionally well and really lays out what would have happened if a nuclear attack was going to occur and how the Canadian government would continue to operate. They mentioned that a lot of the sinks, showers, etc still worked also. Seeing equipment that was considered top of the line back the bunker was first operational was truly extraordinary also.

The Diefenbunker is a must-see in the Ottawa area. Built in just 18 months (1959-1961), this…read morefour-story underground bunker was designed to protect 535 people for 30 days during a nuclear attack. The tour is unforgettable: you walk through a blast tunnel, go through decontamination, and see the medical bays and command rooms. The details are fascinating--from the propaganda rooms and rows of rainbow-colored typewriters to the simple cafeteria and commissary. It is history kept perfectly in time. The museum's leadership is just as impressive as the history. They have turned this site into a busy, successful business by offering escape rooms, summer camps, and private events. They make sure every inch of this bunker is used. Before you go, check out their event calendar. You aren't just taking a tour; you are seeing a masterclass in how to keep a museum thriving.

What an amazing, broad collection of planes of all eras. Worth a visit if you are aroundread more

We came here to use our ASTC Passport. The staff was friendly, handed us a map and told us about…read morethe demonstrations that they were going to be doing over the next couple hours. This place is really large and they have a lot of planes, helicopters, and a few ground based vehicles. It can get quite loud since everything echoes in this massive warehouse. Most of the displays are static displays that you will pause to read. A lot of really interesting aviation history going back over 100 years. I was a big fan of the display regarding the engines used in planes. Their kid section is pretty small, so it can get crowded and chaotic. They did have a great demonstration for the kids and adults about how to land a plane. Being able to sit in a cockpit really makes you appreciate what fighter pilots go through. Overall it is a really interesting museum with a lot of interesting planes. It's not really a place I would bring a younger child as there isn't much for them to do and interact with. If you have time to walk and read this is a good place to go.