There’s something wonderful about walking into the Museum of Nature. It’s a stunning, castle-like building right in the heart of downtown Ottawa. The variety of the exhibits mean there is something for visitors of every age to enjoy.

Memberships Pay Off

Since we moved to Ottawa two years ago, I have frequented the museum with my family. Just recently we decided to buy a membership, and it makes sense. If you go even three times a year the admission price would pay for a membership. I especially love having a membership with little kids, because even if you only go for a short amount of time (and you never know how long toddlers are going to last) you don’t feel badly about paying the full price of admission.

Reptiles Up Close and Personal

On this particular visit I grabbed the kids and headed straight to the top floor to visit the new reptiles exhibit. I wasn’t super wowed by the museum’s last special exhibit on dinosaurs, so I wasn’t expecting a whole lot this time around however, I was pleasantly surprised.

Although not a very big exhibit, there are some impressive specimens. Snapping tortoises, chameleons, rattlesnakes, vipers and an american crocodile are just some of the live animals on display.

After running around and pounding on the glass of a few dozen creatures, I decided it was time to leave the poor frightened creatures alone. The reptile exhibit will be at the museum of nature until April 8, 2017. I’m sure we will make it back at least one more time to check it out.

Hitting Up Our Favourites

After visiting the new exhibit we took a rip through some our favourite parts of the museum. Seeing the dinosaur exhibit never gets old for me or my kids. There is an impressive number and variety of complete dinosaur skeletons. The water gallery is also a wonderful area for little ones. It holds a few aquariums of fish, some interactive displays, a real skeleton of a blue whale and a ocean liner complete with toy kitchen where children can play and steer the ship. If you head up to the bird gallery you will find another fun area for kids, where they can help take care of and heal toy birds in a rescue hospital setting.

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You Can Always Count on Me to Find the Food

My favourite children activities always include coffee and something delicious for me to eat. So I really appreciate that so many of Ottawa’s museums offer somewhere to grab a meal. The Museum of Nature is no exception. The cafe there has a nice selection of sandwiches, baked goods, and hot and cold drinks. There is also a large seating area and plenty of high chairs.

Take Advantage of Thursday Nights

Before we bought the family membership we often took advantage of the free Thursday evenings. Usually, the museum closes at 5pm. But, on Thursdays the museum stays open late, and it is free to visit between 5pm and 8pm. There are plenty of visitors during this time, but it was never as busy as I thought it might be. So I highly recommend hitting up the free Thursday nights!

for more information on the museum, admission and operating times check out  http://www.nature.ca