Canadian Aviation and Space Museum (https://ingenium.ca/aviation/en/)

11 Aviation Pkwy, $16.75 adults, $14.50 students and seniors + parking

Daily 9-5, closed Tuesdays

At the north end of the Aviation Parkway, where it turns back east when meeting the Ottawa River, is a converted old air field that has become home to the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum.

This place is fantastic for someone who loves planes… which is not me.  While I found it a little boring, I saw a lot of little kids who seemed to be having a great time.  There were some scale activities for them, with little cockpits and things to climb, so the under six crowd seemed to be delighted.

For me, it was a hanger full of old de-commissioned planes.  There were panels that explained the significance of the aircraft, and there was a little alcove at the entrance that would explain the history and dream of flight, but the real stars were the planes.  So much so that it felt like an Air Force marketing project targeting children. 

The exception to that was the space section, which while small, had some interesting artefacts, and caught my interest more than the rest of the giant hanger. 

The Aviation Museum is part of the Ingenium group, so if you’re planning on visiting a lot of museums, I’d recommend looking at the passes, because it includes this one, the Agriculture Museum, and the Museum of Science and Technology, so you might get a better deal than if you’re paying for each one individually.  This is quite possibly the most niche of the three. 

If you love planes and/or the Air Force, this is for you, if you love space, then the Museum of Science and Technology might be more up your alley.  I found this place to be limited and expensive.