Originally known as the “National Museum of Natural Science”, the Museum of Nature was founded in 1856 by the Geological Survey of Canada (which, itself, was founded in 1842). The original building was built on the site of a former farm field - then known as Appin Place - by a Scottish-born merchant by the name of William Stewart. The Canadian government bought the land in 1905 with the hopes of constructing a stone structure to compliment Parliament Hill. The massive stone structure envisioned required the importing of 300 skilled stone masons from Scotland. While the official title of the structure was the “Victoria Memorial Museum Building,” locals called it “The Castle,” because it was constructed in the style known as “Scottish Baronal” (as the design was based upon that of Hampton Court and Windsor Castle). In 1916, when fire destroyed the Centre Block of Parliament, the museum building became the temporary home of the Senate and House of Commons (1916 to 1919). By 1990, the museum’s name was officially changed to “The Canadian Museum of Nature” and designated a National Historic Site. It now houses more than 14 million specimens.
Known as “The Castle” by locals, the Canadian Museum of Nature was constructed to compliment the buildings of Parliament Hill, less than a mile away.... ...and this 1911 photograph shows why the locals called it what they did. From its four collections (botony, mineralology, paleontology, and zoology) humble beginnings... ...the museum now hosts over fourteen million specimens. There are exhibits about deep sea exploration... ...indigenous peoples... ...including some from the newest technology, such as this drone aerial photo over the artic. This 4.57 billion year old meteorite was found in Chihuahua, Mexico. We’ve said it before; we love history and museums. This was a fun place to visit!
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Carl and Lorraine Aveni are two retirees planning on traveling through Europe for at least one year.
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