A vintage brown leather camera case next to a retro camera on a shelf.

Museum collections

Our collections

The Diefenbunker’s mandate(opens in new tab) is to increase, throughout Canada and the world, interest in and a critical understanding of the Cold War, by preserving the Diefenbunker as a national historic site, and operating a Cold War museum.

The museum holds thousands of artifacts and archival documents relevant to Canada’s Cold War history, spanning between 1945 and 1991. Items in our collections are categorized into three levels:

  • Level 1: objects originally within our Diefenbunker site during its operational life (1962 to 1994)
  • Level 2: objects adjacent to the Diefenbunker but not used within our site (e.g., objects/records from other Canadian Cold War bunkers including CFB Borden and CFB Shilo)
  • Level 3: objects related to Canadian and international Cold War history and culture (1945 to 1991) but not related to the history of our Diefenbunker site
Man wearing a mask and gloves organizing papers on a table.

Search our growing database of artifacts and archival materials to learn more about specific items in the Diefenbunker’s collections.

Explore our collections(opens in new tab)
Book titled 'Robert Ludlum's Covert Espionage' on a map of the United States.

A white gas mask with a green filter lying on a red surface.

Military uniform jacket with medals and buttons.

Vintage military ration containers and water canisters on display.

Yellow timer with a black pen on a brown surface.

A rustic log partially wrapped in worn white fabric against a gray background.

A fallout shelter sign inside a dimly lit tunnel.

Vintage Campanola weather barometer with circular dial and needle.

Diefenbunker radio artifact.

Vintage audio mixing console with reel-to-reel tape recorder in a studio.

Our library and archives

In addition to our extensive collection of artifactual objects, the museum houses a comprehensive library and archives.
 
Our library contains thousands of books, monographs, magazines, periodicals, booklets, and pamphlets, covering dozens of themes related to the Cold War and its history, both within Canada and abroad.
 
Our archives contain thousands of paper and 2-D items related to the history of CFS Carp and the Cold War context around it. This includes historical documents such as reports, pamphlets, maps, and letters, as well as digitized materials such as film and audio recordings.
 
The library and archives are available for consultation by appointment. We welcome students, researchers, and volunteers to submit a request for an appointment to visit our library and archives.
Request appointment(opens in new tab)

Make an artifact donation

If you wish to inquire about donating items to our collections, please contact our Registrar — Collections Coordinator by email at s.hiratsuka@diefenbunker.ca(opens in new tab) or by phone at 613-839-0007 x253.

Learn more

Oral histories
Research highlights
External resources