The glass Great Hall provides an unobstructed view of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.
The gallery houses the Rideau Street Chapel interior, a salvaged 19th-century gothic-revival chapel reassembled within the museum.
The building is constructed using 2,500 tonnes of Tyndall limestone from Manitoba.
The collection includes the Voice of Fire by Barnett Newman, a controversial large-scale painting acquired in 1989.
The museum holds over 75,000 works of art spanning from the 8th century to the present day.
The National Gallery of Canada is home to one of the world's most extensive collections of Canadian and Indigenous art. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, the building features glass pavilions and a Great Hall with views of the Ottawa River. The collection includes significant holdings of European, American, and contemporary art alongside historic Canadian masterpieces. The gallery houses the permanent collection of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. A notable architectural feature is the interior ramp system that provides gradual elevation changes between gallery levels. The site also serves as a center for art research and conservation. The exterior grounds showcase Maman, a large-scale bronze sculpture by Louise Bourgeois. It acts as a primary national repository for Canadian visual culture.
Beside the giant bronze Maman spider sculpture on the plaza with the gallery glass architecture in the background.
Use the free lockers provided near the entrance to store coats and bags before entering the galleries.
Visit the secondary galleries on the lower levels, which are often less crowded than the main exhibits.
Check the gallery's online calendar for special curator-led tours before arriving.
Attempting to see the entire collection in a single visit, which is physically exhausting due to the building's size.
Closed on Mondays during the off-season; check official site for holiday closures.
Maintain a quiet volume and refrain from touching artwork; flash photography is generally prohibited in designated sensitive areas.
