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Visit the centre

Home Research and collections Military History Research Centre Visit the Centre

Research facilities and services

The Military History Research Centre (MHRC) is open, by appointment only, Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Access to the MHRC is free and does not require a Museum entrance ticket.

Visitors to the Military History Research Centre will find a comfortable main reading room overlooking a landscape design inspired by the First World War battlefield of Beaumont Hamel, France. There is also an Archives Reading Room for researchers accessing archival documents, photographs, and rare books. Photocopy and reproduction services are available.

Our staff is always pleased to answer your questions and to assist you with accessing our collections and with completing your research.

We offer:

  • orientation to our collections and services
  • assistance in using our databases, finding aids, and equipment
  • assistance in planning your search
  • assistance in locating items in our open collection
  • written documentation on the most frequently used services
  • referral on other resources suitable for your research

Research help

If you have a military history question or are researching a person’s military service or a military history object, please consult our “Have a research question?” page. It offers answers to frequently asked questions and includes a form to submit questions related to military history. MHRC staff do our best to answer questions or point you to relevant resources.

Have a research question?
A row of bookshelves in at the Canadian War Museum Research Centre.

Consulting our collections

To consult archival material, appointments must be made at least one week in advance. Library appointments require at least 72 hours’ notice. To ensure availability, we recommend booking your appointment at least two weeks in advance. To book an appointment, please email us at mhrc-crhm@warmuseum.ca.

For security purposes, personal belongings including briefcases, backpacks, purses and bags larger than 30 cm x 40 cm, folders, umbrellas, and outerwear such as overcoats and raincoats must be stored in the cloakroom or in the lockers near the entrance to the Military History Research Centre. Small purses, wallets, research notes, personal computers without carrying cases, and personal dictation devices may be taken into the Research Centre. Eating, drinking, and cell phone use are not permitted in the Research Centre.

 

The Canadian War Museum, located in Ottawa, is a large building that is beautifully lit up at night.
The Canadian War Museum, located in Ottawa, is a modern building that is beautifully lit up at night.

If you are requesting items from the archival or rare book collections, you will be asked to complete a Visitor Registration Form, as well as review our Guidelines for Handling Material in the Military History Research Collections.

For more information, please see:

Hours of operation

The Military History Research Centre will be closed from December 23 to 27 and from January 6 to 10.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10 am to 4 pm
Saturday, Sunday, Monday: Closed