Consistently rated as one of the best activities in Ottawa, the Canadian War Museum is surprisingly family-friendly. Located on the LeBreton Flats, an industrial area that was destroyed by a fire in 1900, the building is itself an example of regeneration built with recycled materials and home to a green roof that spans 10,684 square meters.

Once inside the museum, you will find artifacts from the earliest days of Canada’s military history, when the land was still known as New France stretching through to 2016. It’s a great place to catch on Canadian history, see real tanks and escape the rain or snow on bad weather days. The museum spotlights the past through artwork, interactive presentations, photos and personal stories. It features a Memorial Hall and the panoramic LeBreton Gallery, which houses artillery pieces, vehicles, tanks and a Voodoo jet. The museum is open daily, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and stays open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays.