National Gallery of Canada
National Museum Of Canada (Crown Corporation) · Ottawa, Ontario
The National Gallery of Canada is the country's national art museum, on Sussex Drive in Ottawa, founded in 1880 and housed since 1988 in a glass-and-granite building by the architect Moshe Safdie, whose Great Hall looks across the water to Parliament. Outside stands a giant spider sculpture, Maman, by Louise Bourgeois, one of the most photographed works in the country. Inside are major Canadian and Indigenous Art galleries, with Group of Seven, Tom Thomson and Emily Carr, alongside European art and contemporary work. Hidden in the building is the reconstructed Rideau Chapel, with a fan-vaulted wooden ceiling. It suits art lovers, school groups and visitors to Ottawa who want a cultural half day in the capital of Canada. Galleries rotate and some close for installations, so check what is on view before you go. Allow two to four hours; confirm admission, opening days and any free entry times.
380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 9N4, Canada
The gallery is open year round, with longer daily hours in summer and a reduced schedule, including some closed days, in other seasons. Some evenings have late opening, and free or reduced-price entry has been offered on certain evenings - confirm the current schedule before you plan around it. Special exhibitions may have separate hours or timed tickets. Galleries can close during installation, so a work you came to see may be off view. Check the website for opening days, last entry and holiday changes. The outdoor plaza and the spider sculpture are open to view at any hour, and the cafe keeps its own hours.
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