What's on at the Canadian Museum of Nature

Ottawa Travel Guide

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Wednesday, 05 December 2012 14:14

Following major renovations, the Canadian Museum of Nature opened its Vale Earth Gallery on the last day of November. Now with interactive displays, new pieces and ample space for additional artifacts, the Vale Earth Gallery is sure to be a hit with guests at Ottawa hotels with a desire to learn more about the planet.

It's sometimes difficult to convey just how spectacular the world of minerals is, and while museumgoers have undoubtedly visited other spaces with similar displays, the new gallery takes an entirely new approach to presenting challenging subject matter.

Taking a journey through time
When visitors first walk into the gallery, they'll take a step back in time as they retrace what happened to the planet from the moment of its creation. The geological history of Earth is most fascinating, as museumgoers will see when they first glance at the six-foot-tall globe in the centre of the space. This interactive sculpture will display the shifting tectonic plates in the exact path scientists believe they've taken over millions of years. Further along in the space, visitors will have the chance to make their very own rocks by playing with machines like the Magmanator, Sedimentator and the Metamorphicator.

Perfect for the kids
Does anyone in the family have a passion for geology? Do minerals make their eyes glow? Then the Vale Earth Gallery would be perfect for them, particularly because the space has more than 1,000 different kinds of mineral samples paired with a touch screen that'll tell them everything they want to know. Curious minds need only tap their finger a few times to soak up knowledge.

Life-size models
If anyone in the family has ever wondered what it would be like to walk through a limestone cave but never had the chance, the Vale Earth Gallery now has a life-size replica of this amazing geological formation. Complete with a dripping waterfall and some bats popping out here and there, museumgoers will feel like they're in the real thing. Best of all, they won't have to worry about damaging nature and are more than welcome to touch the cool, wet walls.

The Vale Earth Gallery is a permanent exhibition, so anytime individuals plan to travel to Ontario, they can certainly pay the Canadian Museum of Nature a visit.