Home - Diefenbunker Museum

The museum is closed temporarily.

Until further notice, the museum will be closed as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 virus.

Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum - Ottawa's most unique historic site

The Diefenbunker is a four-story, 100,000 square foot underground bunker, built between 1959 and 1961. During the Cold War, government and military officials were to take shelter here in the event of a nuclear war. It was active as Canadian Forces Station Carp until it was decommissioned in 1994.

For years it protected us from 75 feet underground and we knew virtually nothing about it. Today, it operates as a not-for-profit, charitable museum and boasts award-winning tours and programs. Visit us to experience how close we came to a nuclear disaster.

Experience the Bunker from home!

We’re excited to share some of our online resources.

We’ll be sharing regular updates, home-based activities, and fun facts here.

Be sure to check back regularly and follow us (@diefenbunker) on your favourite social media platforms to be the first to know when we share new resources.

The Machine Room

Did you know?

The bunker ran on hydroelectric power during its years of operation, much like it is today. In the event of a lockdown situation it was important that the bunker continued to be powered.
The machine room would have had 4 diesel generators to power the bunker if necessary. Only two of the four generators would have been required to keep the bunker powered in an outage. The first generator to come online was designed to provide power to communications only while the second was to provide power to the rest of the bunker.

Click on the image to learn more about machine room and all its functions. We also interview one of the employees who worked in the machine room.

Virtual Tours:

You can view the Diefenbunker from any device and even with VR goggles if you have them! Click on the image to open the tour.

Machine Room

400 Level

300 Level

200 Level & Vault

When we reopen, we would love to see you underground for our traditional ways to visit the museum:

HOURS AND ADMISSION

For the best experience, give yourself at least one hour to explore the Diefenbunker.

Monday to Friday
10:30 am – 4:00 pm*

Saturday and Sunday
10:00 am – 4:30 pm*

Holiday hours & special closures here.

*The Admissions desk closes 30 minutes before the museum closes, Tickets cannot be purchased during this time.

Admission
Adults: $17.50 | Seniors: $16.50
Students: $13.00 | Youth: $11.00
Family rate: $48.50
Children 5 and under: Free
Members: Free
Parking is always free!