One of the most popular attractions at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, and rightly so, is the larger-than-life historic panorama known as the Canada Hall.
The Canada Hall is a vast permanent exhibition that occupies most of the third floor of the museum, and encompasses over 3,000 square metres of exhibition space. The Hall is dominated by a stunning 17-metre, sky-blue dome that gives visitors the impression they are actually strolling through history -- outside.
And because it is so rich, the Canada Hall brings many visitors back for a second (or third) visit -- just to take in this exhibition again and again.
The Hall includes dozens of actual or reconstructed buildings from Canada's past. The space is divided into several zones, one flowing into the next, and each representing a period of history and a region of the country.
The first section includes reconstructed scenes of European activity on the country's Atlantic Coast between 1000 A.D. and 1750. Here we discover a Norse settlement in northern Newfoundland, the interior of a Basque ship, a whaling station, and a depiction of Acadian life.
The next section focuses on Central Canada from 1750 to 1870. It features scenes from New France -- an inn, a farmhouse, a hospital, and a public square, among other. We also find a lumber camp, a voyageur camp, a British officer's study, a shipyard, an Ontario main street complete with storefronts, and a railway station.
Moving westward (and on through the Canada Hall), we find ourselves on the Canadian Prairies, c.1870-1920.
Here we discover a grain elevator, an authentic Ukrainian church (actually transported here from Alberta), a music shop, a one-room schoolhouse, an oil rig, and scenes from the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919.
In the West Coast section, the period illustrated is from 1920 to 1970. Here we find a fishing boat, an airport scene, and a section on immigration.
The final section of the Canada Hall focuses on the country's Far North, and includes a reconstruction of Yellowknife's famous Wildcat Café.
From one end to the next, the Canada Hall is a treat for adults and children alike. And because there is so much to see here, it is almost impossible to take it all in during one visit.
The whole family will thoroughly enjoy wandering in and out of the historic buildings, and exploring the displays, which together so vividly bring our country's past to life.
Editor's note: The Canada Hall underwent a major redesign in 2017 and is now named the Canadian History Hall. Click here for more information: https://www.historymuseum.ca/history-hall/
The Canadian Museum of Civilization was also renamed The Canadian Museum of History and you can visit their website here: https://www.historymuseum.ca/