A Visual Story for Families

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What to expect during a visit to the National Gallery of Canada

I am going to the National Gallery of Canada. There is art of all kinds, in all shapes and sizes. I know I will enjoy looking at the art, and talking about it with my family and friends.

Exterior view of the National Gallery of Canada building in summer

What to Expect at
the Gallery

The Gallery is a very big building made of glass. It is filled with pictures and sculptures made by artists.

Exterior view of the National Gallery of Canada’s Main Entrance, a large modern building made of glass with geometric architectural features.

Entering the Gallery

When I come to the Gallery, I will choose which entrance to use. The main entrance is right behind a giant sculpture of a spider. Her name is Maman, and she is as tall as a three-storey house!

Two adults and three children enter the Gallery through the glass doors of the Main Entrance.

There is another entrance near the Happy Goat Cafe. All of the doors are automatic, and will open towards me when I get close to them.

Two adults and three children enter the Gallery through the glass doors towards a large abstract sculpture.

Storing my Things

I can leave my coat, umbrella or bags at the free coat check, to help me be more comfortable as I walk around. They will be safe there until I am ready to leave.

An adult hands belongings to a uniformed security staff memeber behind a counter, with lockers and a coat rack in the background.

Welcome and Admission

Once I am inside the Main Entrance, my family and I will buy tickets from a person behind a desk. They will give me a sticker to wear.

 

One visitor consults a map, while another visitor receives a ticket from a staff member at the ticket desk.
An adult places an admission sticker on a young child’s shirt. An older child presses an admission sticker onto their own shirt.

Inside the Gallery

I can borrow a wheelchair, stroller or folding stool if I need one. I can ask someone who works at the Gallery, or we can just take one to use. The wheelchair is free, and I will bring it back when I am done.

A person seated in a wheelchair interacts with a visitor and staff member at the box office. Two children nearby are reviewing the paper floorplan.

Sensory Kits

I can also borrow a free sensory bag. This bag has a few things that can help me enjoy my visit. It has noise-cancelling earphones, fidget spinners and more.

Two hands play with a fidget spinner with surrounding items on a white table including a purple stress ball, sunglasses, a Pop It toy and noise dampening headphones.

People at the Gallery

I will see different people who work at the Gallery. Some will wear Gallery passes and regular clothes. The
security guards wear uniforms. They help keep the art and the people safe.

If I have a question or need help, I can ask a security guard or someone with a Gallery pass.

A Gallery employee, standing behind a desk with a computer and colourful brochures, smiles and interacts with an adult visitor. A nearby child reaches towards the brochures.
A uniformed security guard smiles at a child as the child and parent walk into a large space with thick columns.

Visiting the Gallery

Once my family and I have our tickets, we can walk up the long ramp, or take the elevator up to level 1 and walk to the nearby Great Hall.

 

Two adults and three children walk alongside large, bright windows.
A child holds open the elevator door for two visitors, one in a wheelchair.

Getting Around the Gallery

The Gallery has two levels filled with different types of art.
On level one, I can look at art made by Indigenous and Canadian artists.

On level two, I can look at art made by artists from other countries.
I can move between the floors using the stairs or the elevator.

An adult and two children walk toward the entrance of the Indigenous and Canadian galleries.
An adult and two children descend a wide shallow staircase. Colourful banners hang from the glass ceiling.
An adult and two children approach the open door of an elevator. In the background, two visitors walk up the stairs.

I can get a floor plan to help me move around. Most rooms have a number high in the door frames. I can find the same numbers on my floor plan.

An adult holds a paper floor plan and looks toward a room number and arrow, located high up on a white wall. A dark coloured wall and painting are in the next room.

In the Galleries

In the galleries, I will see pictures and sculptures. I like to use my eyes and my mind to look at each picture or
sculpture.
With my eyes, I can see colours, shapes, animals, objects, buildings and people. With my mind, I can make up a story about what I see. It’s fun!

An adult and two children sit on a wooden bench in the galleries.

How to Explore Art

This is how I will explore an artwork.

  • I will approach a picture or sculpture and stop an arm’s
    length or further from it.
  • If I am too close, I will back up by two steps.
  • I will use my eyes and my imagination, but not my hands,
    to look at the art. I must never touch an artwork.
  • I can fold my hands, cross my arms, or hold my hands
    behind my back when I consider an artwork.
An adult and two children stand in a gallery at a safe distance from the artworks hung on a wall. An adult and child stand close together considering a colourful framed painting.
An adult and two children stand in a gallery at a safe distance from the artworks hung on a wall. An adult and child stand close together considering a colourful framed painting.
An adult and two children consider a small sculpture on a stone base in a brightly lit space.

What I Can Do
at the Gallery

I will look closely, and talk about the art with my family and friends. Here are some questions we might talk about:

  • Why do I like this artwork?
  • Where do I see my favourite colours?
  • How did the artist make this artwork?
A young child, held by an adult, points at a framed artwork, in a room with red walls and framed artworks in the background.

Weekends and
Special Days

In the summer, on weekends, and on special days, I can make art to take home with me. The people who work at the Gallery will explain how to use the materials.

Children sculpt clay at a table in an art making studio as a gallery instructor watches approvingly.

Taking a Break

I might need a break from walking around. My family and I can rest on the benches inside the galleries.

We can also sit on the benches around the Garden Court, where I can look at plants. Or we can sit in the Water Court, where I can listen to bubbling water in a shallow pool.

A smiling adult sits balancing a child on their lap. A second child kneels nearby, leaning on a white tabletop. All three face another seated adult. The group is surrounded by tall grey stone walls, and colourful Gallery banners.
Two people are seated on a long stone bench facing a shallow reflective pool while two others face away towards small sculptures against a teal wall.

Washrooms

I can find washrooms and water fountains inside the galleries, or in the long hallway going away from the Great Hall.

I can use the gender-inclusive washroom with anyone I’d like to help me. This washroom can be found on the level below the Great Hall with stairs or an elevator nearby.

A Gallery employee gestures toward an alcove where the washrooms are located.
A visitor approaches an open doorway. A toilet symbol and wheelchair accessibility icon are partially visible.

Food at the Gallery

If my family decides to eat while we are at the Gallery, we can visit the Cafeteria or the coffee shop.

My water bottle, and any other drinks or food, must stay in my bag when I’m near artworks.

An adult offers a water bottle to a child as they sit on a cushioned bench.
An adult and two children sit at a table with trays of food in a busy cafeteria.

Other Visitors

Other families will also be at the Gallery. They are here to look at and talk about the art – just like me!

A Gallery employee gestures toward a framed painting to group of visitors. Other paintings hang on blue walls around the group.

The Boutique

If I want a souvenir or a book to take home, I can go to the shop near the Main Entrance.

A wide opening to a shop displaying colourful items. Blurry figures exit and move within the shop.
A Boutique employee stands behind a glass counter with jewelry. In the background are colourful items displayed on shelves.

Exit

When it is time to go home, I will leave the Gallery by walking out the same door I came in. I had so much fun! It is also okay if I did not see everything in one day. I can always come back another time.

Two adults and three children exit the Gallery's Main Entrance onto the brick plaza.

Visit