Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography 🇨🇦

When you explore Ottawa's artistic heritage, you will discover the legacy of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (CMCP). Founded in 1985 and affiliated with the National Gallery of Canada, this institution served as a premier gallery for Canadian contemporary art and documentary photography. Although the museum closed temporarily in 2006 due to a leak and was permanently closed in 2009 to be converted into committee rooms, its remarkable legacy lives on.

You can now experience its extensive collections and exhibition programs, which were absorbed directly into the National Gallery of Canada and later folded into the Canadian Photography Institute in 2016. Originally established under founding director Martha Langford, the collection grew from its origins at the Still Photography Division of the National Film Board of Canada to hold around 160,000 photographic works by 2005. The museum once welcomed visitors through a glass and concrete entrance at 1 Rideau Canal, leading patrons below street level into a unique space adapted from an old railway tunnel alongside the Chateau Laurier.

Today, as you visit Ottawa, you can appreciate these historic works by significant Canadian artists and photographers through the displays showcased at the National Gallery of Canada on Sussex Drive.

What to see at Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography

• A collection of around 160,000 works by significant Canadian photographers
• Exhibitions now showcased at the National Gallery of Canada
• Photographic holdings folded into the Canadian Photography Institute
• Origins rooted in the National Film Board of Canada's Still Photography Division
• Historical site adapted from an old railway tunnel beside Chateau Laurier

Visiting tips

Since the original site permanently closed, visit the National Gallery of Canada on Sussex Drive to view these absorbed photography collections.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: During gallery hours

How to get there & what’s nearby

Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography is easy to reach on Ottawa’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Rideau Hall and Bank of Canada Museum. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Ottawa travel guide.