Barbies! Shoes! Clocks! Kick-ass Victorian women! Whatever floats your boat, there’s probably a museum devoted to it within a day’s drive of Ottawa. Heck, speaking of boats, there are at least two museums devoted to those. Here’s a list of some of the most intriguing specialized collections in our backyard.
Barbie Museum, Stittsville, Ontario
The Barbie Museum has been a mainstay at the Stittsville Flea Market for almost a decade. Local collector Elizabeth Kondruss displays about a quarter of her collection of 20,000 dolls and accessories and also has Barbies for sale. If you’ve ever wondered what Mountie Barbie or Pilgrim Barbie looks like, this would be a good place to start.
Miss Chocolat, Gatineau, and ChocoMotive, Montebello, Quebec
The Outaouais is home to not one, but two, chocolate museums. Both are mainly shops where you can buy yummy treats, but there are small exhibits devoted to the history and production of chocolate at both Miss Chocolat in the downtown Hull sector of Gatineau and ChocoMotive in Montebello, part of the Quebec-wide network of economusées (industrial museums).
Centre d’interpretation du Doré jaune, Grand-Remous, Quebec
It doesn’t get much more specialized than this: an interpretation centre in the northern Outaouais devoted to the yellow walleye. Fascinating fish facts! Open from mid-May to early September.
Canadian Clock Museum, Deep River, Ontario
Billing itself as Canada’s only clock museum, the Canadian Clock Museum in Deep River has over 2,500 timepieces and related articles. Beginning in 2000 with some 600 pieces amassed by local collector Allan Symons, the museum has expanded its collection largely through eBay, Kijiji and antiques fairs. It’s open year round, but call ahead to confirm hours.
Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum, Montreal, Quebec
Did you know you can see archaeological artifacts dating back some 2,400 years deep below Old Montreal? Long before French colonists built a chapel in 1675, native people had been using this site near the shore of the St. Lawrence. Find out more—and, if you’re feeling macabre, visit a centuries-old crypt—at the Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum.
Insectarium, Montreal, Quebec
If you have small kids, you probably already know about the Insectarium, a centre for all things creepy-crawly (OK, I’m a bit biased; bugs give me the willies). The brave can check out 250,000 specimens, including live cutter ants doggedly going about their anty business.
Canada’s Penitentiary Museum, Kingston, Ontario
This small but sobering museum—housed in what was once a prison warden’s home—gives visitors a taste of life behind bars in Canada over the last two centuries or so. Read prisoners’ stories, see a reconstructed cell and examine vintage guard uniforms. Note: The museum is currently closed until March 15, 2015.