Canada Science and Technology Museum

After a $80-million renovation completed in 2017, the Canada Science and Technology Museum reopened as a thoroughly modern, interactive science centre that happens to sit in south Ottawa — making it the closest major museum to the airport and to Adam's Airport Inn. The transformation was dramatic: what was once a dated collection in a converted bakery warehouse is now a sleek, open-plan facility where nearly everything is meant to be touched, pulled, spun, or tested.

The Crazy Kitchen is the museum's signature experience and has been for decades. You walk into a room that appears level, but the floor is tilted 12 degrees — your brain insists you're standing straight while your body disagrees completely. Adults stumble and laugh as hard as children do. It's a masterclass in how perception works, and it's more disorienting than you'd expect.

The ZOOOM gallery dedicated to innovation and design thinking lets visitors build, test, and iterate on engineering challenges — constructing bridges from limited materials, designing wind-resistant structures, racing vehicles they've assembled. It's structured enough to engage school-age children but open-ended enough to keep teenagers and adults interested. The space exploration hall includes components from the Canadarm program, satellite technology, and interactive exhibits about life aboard the ISS.

The steam locomotive collection outside — visible from the parking lot — includes massive early-20th-century engines that you can walk around and, in some cases, climb aboard. The outdoor technology park also features communications satellites, radar equipment, and maritime technology.

What makes this museum particularly valuable for families is its combination of genuine educational depth with physical interaction. Children don't just read about physics — they experience gravitational forces, build circuits, and watch chemical reactions. And unlike some children's museums that skew very young, the exhibits here engage kids from about age 4 through teenagers.