Kid-friendly museums in Ontario
Canada Science and Technology Museum | Ottawa
Whether your child is a train enthusiast, history buff, or a fan of magic tricks, you’ll want to visit these Ontario museums with your kids.
Southwestern Ontario
London Children’s Museum
It’s a child’s playground at the London Regional Children’s Museum, where playtime is the main attraction.
Kids can interact with activities that introduce them to science, history, technology and nature, through play in a fun environment.
Not only will the kids view the exhibits, but they are encouraged to touch, explore and experience them, using their imagination to interact with the exhibits.
Some educational activities include architectural digs and an interactive farm and factory experience, allowing visitors to make connections about how food is produced, processed and sold. Kids can also pretend they are piloting a spacecraft, or they can learn about weather and mechanical energy—the possibilities are endless.
Location: 100 Kellogg Lane, London
Komoka Railway Museum
There is a lot to learn about steam locomotive logging at the Komoka Railway Museum. The museum was inducted into the North American Hall of Fame in 2016. It was constructed to preserve records and artifacts relating to the history, exploration, settlement, development, and culture of and influence of railroads in Komoka and the surrounding area.
There are various exhibits to see, including the exclusive full-size Shay locomotive and a baggage car with a HO scale model train layout and a caboose. Kids will want to ride on the miniature steam locomotive at the back of the museum.
Location: 131 Queen Street, Komoka
Niagara Region
Niagara Children’s Museum
Rooted in the philosophy of K.I.D.S. (Kreate, Investigate, Discover and Solve), Niagara Children’s Museum is the ideal place to bring your child to foster imagination and learning.
Three spacious floors filled with educational fun are available for your child to explore and expand their mind. Funded by the Niagara Falls Art Gallery, the Niagara Children’s Museum entertains kids as young as three with activities that will keep them occupied for hours. Programs such as art classes open the door to discovering new hobbies and encourage kids to roll up their sleeves and enjoy painting, drawing and making sculptures.
Location: 8058 Oakwood Drive, Niagara Falls
Hamilton, Halton and Brant
Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology
Learn something new and fascinating about steam power technology and the Industrial Revolution in Canada.
Keep an eye out for the year-round STE(a)M workshops designed to ensure your group learn something new in a hands-on, interactive way.
Tours are available for all ages. Interactive exhibits are entertaining and engaging.
Location: 900 Woodward Avenue, Hamilton
Huron, Perth, Waterloo and Wellington
THEMUSEUM
Kitchener’s THEMUSEUM is the ideal blend of exciting family-friendly exhibits and an elevated learning experience.
The museum is filled with all sorts of tools to sharpen young minds. Kids over three years old can learn about science through interactive demonstrations.
Older kids can visit The Underground Studio MakerSpace, where they can try a hand at 3D modelling, coding or screen-printing.
Seasonal programs are also available. Check the daily programming schedule for available activities.
Location: 10 King Street West, Kitchener
Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
With an exciting line-up of exhibitions and interactive galleries, there are lots for visitors of all ages to enjoy and discover at the ROM.
Home to 18 million objects spanning art, culture, and nature, the ROM is an epic ode to life—and the most-visited museum in Canada.
Experience one of the world’s great museums in the heart of downtown Toronto.
Location: 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto
Toronto Railway Museum
Treat the railway enthusiasts in your family to a full day exploring the outdoor Toronto Railway Museum, located minutes from the CN Tower in Toronto’s historic Roundhouse Park.
Beyond learning about the history of Canadian railroads, you can also take an exciting ride on the mini-train with your little ones. Tickets for the mini-train can be purchased on-site at Don Station.
Check out the big locomotives that were responsible for developing much of Ontario, learn about the people who built the railroads and explore the inside of a historic train car at this kid-friendly museum.
Be sure to visit the gift shop for fun train-themed toys and figurines, so your family can remember your day at the roundhouse.
Location: 255 Bremner Boulevard, Toronto
Museum of Illusions
Is it real or is it an optical illusion? Use your senses to navigate through perplexing, brain-teasing installations that defy logic.
The Museum of Illusions is jam-packed with an assortment of activities that kids of all ages will enjoy. Take photos of your kids walking on the ceiling in the upside-down room or get lost in the mind-bending infinity room that plays optical tricks on you as you walk through.
Tickets are available online for timed entry.
Location: 132 Front Street East, Toronto
Great War Flying Museum (GWFM)
Located inside the Brampton Flight Centre and Flying Club is the GWFM, a museum with the passion to enhance knowledge about World War I (WW I) aviation history.
Bring the little pilot or history buff in the family to this local period heritage attraction, where children under 12 are free. The GWFM’s WW I collection ranges from flags and uniforms to models and fragments, from machine guns to lovingly embroidered mementoes sent from loved ones.
Mark your calendars for unique upcoming events at the museum that the whole family will enjoy.
Kids will be fascinated by the vast fleet of operating war planes, both replicas and originals. Witness the flight of one of the museum’s aircraft on weekends and holiday afternoons, weather permitting and subject to pilot availability.
Location: 13691 McLaughlin Road, Cheltenham
York, Durham and Headwaters
Pickering Museum Village
A variety of events, programs and entertainment are available at Pickering Museum Village. Young artists can join woodworking workshops or learn about natural and magical creatures on a whimsical fairy walking tour. There are so many things to do at Durham’s largest history museum.
Guided tours are included with general admission, offered daily at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Location: 3550 Greenwood Road, Greenwood
Bruce, Grey and Simcoe
Simcoe County Museum
Located North of Barrie, there are several historic buildings to visit along with the exhibits at Simcoe County Museum.
Engage with the immersive exhibits, like the reconstruction of actual stores of Barrie’s Main Street from the early 20th century. Stroll this faux main street and pore over the detailed storefronts and shops.
Outside the museum are ten historical buildings that were restored or relocated. Visit the old jail, the Anglican church, or even the old-fashioned bread oven, where you can see how pioneers baked over 100 years ago. The exhibits at the museum are designed for interactive education, making it fun to learn about the area’s fascinating history.
Location: 1151 Highway 26, Minesing
Ottawa Region
Canada Science and Technology Museum
The home of the Crazy Kitchen, ZOOOM Children's Innovation Zone and the Exploratek maker studio has a lot up its sleeves when it comes to showcasing new tech innovations, paying homage to the pioneers and cool science demonstrations that everyone will love.
It’s a place to take the kids where they will see the world from a new perspective. For example, the Hidden Worlds exhibition allows kids to get a closer look at things around them using microscopes and other technology. There’s a mixture of sound, light and vision and so many delightful discoveries that will keep you returning.
Location: 1867 St. Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa
Algonquin Park, Muskoka and Parry Sound
Muskoka Heritage Place
Spend a day at the Muskoka Museum, Muskoka Pioneer Village and the Rotary Village Station.
Learn about the history of Huntsville. Next, take a 25-minute train ride along the Muskoka River to Fairy Lake Station aboard the vintage Portage Flyer Train. Get the inside story from the train’s conductor about the type of maintenance that keeps the train running.
Enjoy hands-on workshops and events. Make candles the old-fashioned way.
Discover cattail dolls and learn how to make them, or try your hand at churning butter and enjoy a scone or bannock.
Location: 88 Brunel Road, Huntsville
Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre
Cruise around Lake Muskoka on the RMS Segwun, the oldest operating steamship in North America. Or ride the Wenonah II, which was built in 2002 to resemble the older steamship from the turn of the 19th century.
At the Discovery Centre, learn about steamships and other types of boats from engaging exhibits. Special features like Watershed Wonders have state-of-the-art technology to learn about aquatic life forms. The KidZone offers activities influenced by STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) learning.
Year-round programs mean that there’s always something new and exciting to discover.
Locations:
Northwest Ontario
Science North
As Northern Ontario's most popular tourist attraction, Science North consists of two snowflake-shaped buildings located on the southwestern shore of Ramsey Lake, just south of Sudbury’s downtown core.
Kids and adults will love the variety of interactive exhibits offered, including a 3D IMAX with Laser theatre, a Planetarium and F. Jean MacLeod Butterfly Gallery. With the variety of different stimulating learning opportunities present, you’ll have a hard time fitting everything in.
After exploring Science North, take some pictures with the Big Nickel, the largest coin in the world, only a nickel’s throw away.
Location: 100 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury
Experience a world of wonder and learning at Ontario’s kid-friendly museums—where every visit sparks curiosity, creativity and unforgettable family fun!
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Last updated: August 21, 2025