The Royal Canadian Artillery Museum, Canada's National Artillery Museum, is a
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
dedicated to telling the complete story of more than 200,000 Canadian Gunners who have served Canada in war and peace since 1855. Canada's National Artillery Museum is a
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
Star Attraction and one of the largest military museums in Canada.The
Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
, colors = The guns of the RCA themselves
, colors_label = Colours
, march = * Slow march: "Royal Artillery Slow March"
* Quick march (dismounted parades): "British Grenadiers/ The ...
(RCA) has been a part of the fabric of
Canadian history
The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of the Paleo-Indians to North America thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day Canada were inhabited for millennia by ...
since the earliest days of the country. In 1962, the RCA Museum was established at
Canadian Forces Base Shilo
Canadian Forces Base Shilo (CFB Shilo; french: Base des Forces canadiennes Shilo — BFC Shilo) is an operations and training base of the Canadian Armed Forces, located east of Brandon, Manitoba and adjacent to Sprucewoods. During the 1990s, ...
in order to preserve and interpret this proud heritage for future generations.
Exhibits
The exhibition facility is 24,000 square feet, including more than 12,000 square feet of indoor exhibits encompassing five major galleries, with numerous interactive exhibits and videos. The National Artillery Gallery is the largest exhibit and features 28 artillery pieces and vehicles telling the story of the Canadian Gunner.
Canadian military history is on display in the Canadian Forces Heritage Gallery. The Weapons Vault right next door displays almost 100 pistols and rifles. The Glorious and Free gallery tells the story of
Manitoba's 12,000 years of military history. The Manitoba Hall of Honour pays tribute to the thirteen Manitobans who have received the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
(two original Victoria Crosses are on display) as well as honouring those Manitobans who have sacrificed their lives for Canada.
The RCA Museum also features an outdoor "Gun Park" with more than thirty artillery pieces and vehicles. It runs two temporary exhibits each year in the Gregg Gallery to ensure that there is always something new for returning visitors.
Facilities
Fully accessible for people with disabilities. Guests are welcome to take pictures and guided tours can be booked in advance. The museum is located on Canadian Forces Base Shilo (Building N-118, Patricia Road, CFB Shilo) only 27 km east of Brandon, Manitoba, south of the Trans-Canada Highway.
Military and war museums in Canada{{Canada-museum-stub