The Canadian Canoe Museum
The Canadian Canoe Museum things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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The Canadian Canoe Museum is awesome! Anyone who has a love for canoeing will enjoy this museum. They have a very impressive collection of canoes. My favourites were Bill Mason's, Pierre Trudeau's, Gordon Lightfoot's, The royal family, and The Starkell's canoes! I will be returning for another visit once the museum moves to the new location on the river. The current building looks a little depressing from the outside but once you get inside you realize how amazing this place is. The only complaint I have is that while I was there, the Gordon Lightfoot plaque with the music wasn't working, so I couldn't hear what the song Canary Yellow Canoe sounds like. This song is hard to find because it is not on Youtube or Spotify or anywhere else on the internet and the only way to hear it is by buying the 4 CD box set that costs $55!. Hopefully they get the speakers fixed soon. When we arrived the person at the front desk gave us a great introduction and he was very excited to see us. We also had the whole museum to ourselves as we were the first to arrive all day. Other people did show up throughout the day. I hope you enjoy the museum as much as I did!
Doug BaileyDoug Bailey
00
The Canadian Canoe Museum presents how indigenous peoples and their creation of canoes and kayaks allowed this country to be discovered, mapped, goods transported and communities built. The Hudson Bay company giant transport canoes were mind-boggling! The display on recreational canoeing (and sail canoes!) was great. It was and is a way to see this magnificent country from angles it could not otherwise be seen. The differing styles of dugout, birch bark and wooden strip & plank canoes and seal skin kayaks was amazing. I especially appreciated the extensive information on how different indigenous communities shaped them differently to suit the kind of water they were dealing with. It is also the story of the passion and vision of people who collected & preserved this important part of our history. The gift shop is also wonderful and I bought several gifts - and a comfy Canadian-made sweatshirt for myself. The volunteers were extremely helpful & COVID-19 protocols carefully observed. It was a wonderful outing for myself and my niece. She actually got married there a few years ago. I recommend it if you are in Peterborough.
MaryMary
10
Never really knew that canoes had such a huge contribution to what we are today! Must visit this museum at least once. It's so informative, will definitely widen your perspective. The whole place is beautifully maintained with staff who have a very good knowledge on the subject. Each & every object has detailed information and explains the historical impact & importance. Being an immigrant myself, this place helped me gain so much knowledge about Canadian history. Definitely worth the time for people all ages. Their is also a memoir shop inside with things such as miniature canoes, books & magazines, collectables, t-shirts and so on. Price for an adult is $14 but you can avail a discount if you're a student. My friends definitely did. We paid $28 for the three of us. Totally worth it!
Libin PhilipLibin Philip
20
The Canadian Canoe Museum is a museum dedicated to canoes located in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The museum's mission is to preserve and share the culture and history of the canoe. The Canadian Canoe Museum's exhibits explore how the canoe defines the Canadian character and spirit. As well as the canoe collection, the museum features a dramatic waterfall, and a traditional Mi'kmaq wigwam where visitors can hear creation stories. Visitors can also try their hand at building a birch bark canoe in the Preserving Skills Gallery, plan a prospecting expedition like in the gold rush days, feel what it was like to be a voyageur during the fur trade era, and enjoy the cottaging lifestyles of the early 20th century.
exploretogether PKexploretogether PK
10
Pretty niche museum but as a someone who does a lot of canoe camping it was cool to see how the technology and designs have developed over the years. There is also some great info on how Canoes were used commercially back in the day which we found interesting. We didnt know they still had a mask wearing policy. They gave kn95 masks to walk through which I know a lot of people dont like. Id consider bringing your own mask.
John JamesJohn James
00
The fact that this museum was only about canoes and nothing else made it a kind of boring and after a while you have the feeling of already having seen everything already. On the other hand it's an awesome service to get in for free on thursdays and the souvenir shop has many things to offer! I think I actually spent more time in there than in the museum itself.
YannikR9YannikR9
20
Nearby Attractions Of The Canadian Canoe Museum
Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site
Greenup Ecology Park
Little Lake

Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site
4.7
(128)Click for details

Greenup Ecology Park
4.7
(63)Click for details

Little Lake
4.6
(35)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of The Canadian Canoe Museum
One Eyed Jack Peterborough
Papas Pizzaland
Porch & Pint Pub
The Cabin
Tim Hortons
Papa Johns Pizza
Dairy Queen Grill & Chill

One Eyed Jack Peterborough
4.4
(1.1K)Click for details

Papas Pizzaland
4.3
(254)Click for details

Porch & Pint Pub
4.4
(228)Click for details

The Cabin
3.4
(87)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
2077 Ashburnham Dr, Peterborough, ON K9L 1P8, Canada
Map
Phone
+1 705-748-9153
Call
Website
canoemuseum.ca
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.7
(389 reviews)
Ratings & Description
attractions: Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site, Greenup Ecology Park, Little Lake, restaurants: One Eyed Jack Peterborough, Papas Pizzaland, Porch & Pint Pub, The Cabin, Tim Hortons, Papa Johns Pizza, Dairy Queen Grill & Chill
