Canadian Children's Museum
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Children's Museum (CCM) is located inside the Canadian Museum of Civilization
, in Gatineau
, Quebec
. The CCM is among the most popular museums in the country, attracting about half a million visitors each year. It is also Canada's largest exhibition centre (3000 m² (3,588 sq yd)) designed specifically for children up to age 14 and their adult companions. Most of the space is devoted to the museum's permanent exhibition, The Great Adventure. The CCM also presents a changing line-up of special exhibitions curated internally or acquired from other institutions.
The Children's Museum is managed by the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, a federal Crown Corporation
that is also responsible for the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian War Museum
, the Canadian Postal Museum
, and the Virtual Museum of New France
.
, Japan
, India
, Mexico
, Indonesia
and other international destinations. They can visit a kid's café, stroll through a market bazaar, trek across a desert, and help unload a cargo ship. They can also step aboard a brightly decorated bus from Pakistan
, which is perhaps the museum's most beloved artefact. The CCM says its overall goal is to provide a fun, hands-on environment in which children can learn about the world and its cultural diversity.
(CMA), Canadian Heritage Information Network
(CHIN), and Virtual Museum of Canada
. The CCM is a member of the international Association of Children's Museums
, and the only Canadian member of the Youth Museums Exhibit Collaborative.
. The CCM has expanded twice since then, first in 1994 and again in 2007. At the end of July 2007 it welcomed its eight-millionth visitor.
Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada's national museum of human history and the most popular and most-visited museum in Canada....
, in Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The CCM is among the most popular museums in the country, attracting about half a million visitors each year. It is also Canada's largest exhibition centre (3000 m² (3,588 sq yd)) designed specifically for children up to age 14 and their adult companions. Most of the space is devoted to the museum's permanent exhibition, The Great Adventure. The CCM also presents a changing line-up of special exhibitions curated internally or acquired from other institutions.
The Children's Museum is managed by the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, a federal Crown Corporation
Crown corporations of Canada
Canadian Crown corporations are enterprises owned by the federal government of Canada , one of Canada's provincial governments or one of the territorial governments. Crown corporations have a long standing presence in the country and have been instrumental in the formation of the state...
that is also responsible for the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian War Museum
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Located in Ottawa, Ontario, the museum covers all facets of Canada’s military past, from the first recorded instances of death by armed violence in Canadian history several thousand years ago to the country’s most recent...
, the Canadian Postal Museum
Canadian Postal Museum
The Canadian Postal Museum is housed within the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec. It has been described as one of the largest postal museums in the world, ranking second in annual attendance. The museum is not primarily about postage stamps, although it has a first-class...
, and the Virtual Museum of New France
Virtual Museum of New France
The Virtual Museum of New France was established by the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation on January 22, 1997. As an entirely virtual museum, it has no physical exhibits and only exists on the World Wide Web at . The mission of the museum is to promote awareness of all facets of life in...
.
The Great Adventure
The museum describes its permanent exhibition, The Great Adventure, as an interactive, intercultural journey of discovery. With a museum-issued passport and a good imagination, visitors can travel to NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and other international destinations. They can visit a kid's café, stroll through a market bazaar, trek across a desert, and help unload a cargo ship. They can also step aboard a brightly decorated bus from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, which is perhaps the museum's most beloved artefact. The CCM says its overall goal is to provide a fun, hands-on environment in which children can learn about the world and its cultural diversity.
Collections
The Children's Museum has a permanent collection of more than 15,000 items for use in its exhibitions and programs. The items include artefacts, toys, games, clothing, art, photographs and other objects from around the world that relate to the lives of children, past and present.Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: Canadian Museums AssociationCanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
(CMA), Canadian Heritage Information Network
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
(CHIN), and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
. The CCM is a member of the international Association of Children's Museums
Association of Children's Museums
The Association of Children's Museums is a Washington, D.C.–based organization that represents more than 300 children's museums in 23 countries throughout the world. The association began in 1962 as the American Association of Youth Museums and grew out of the desire for children's museums to meet...
, and the only Canadian member of the Youth Museums Exhibit Collaborative.
History
The Children's Museum opened in 1989 when the Museum of Civilization moved into its current building on the north bank of the Ottawa RiverOttawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
. The CCM has expanded twice since then, first in 1994 and again in 2007. At the end of July 2007 it welcomed its eight-millionth visitor.
See also
- Creative Kids MuseumCreative Kids MuseumThe Creative Kids Museum, a part of the TELUS World of Science is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Children's museum, which opened in October 2006, focuses on hands-on explorations of music, theater and visual arts and is Canada's first hands-on museum dedicated exclusively to the arts...
- London Regional Children's Museum
- Manitoba Children's MuseumManitoba Children's Museum- History :The Manitoba Children's Museum is a non-profit, charitable Children's museum located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The museum was founded in 1983. It opened its first exhibit at a Pacific Avenue warehouse in 1986 and expanded there in 1988. In 1994, the museum moved to its permanent...
- Waterloo Regional Children's MuseumWaterloo Regional Children's MuseumTHEMUSEUM in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada opened to the public in September 2003 following eight years of planning and fundraising...