News release details

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will offer visitor entry to the Museum through special guided tours when it opens for paid admission on September 27, 2014. Two different tours will run multiple times a day except Mondays, until November 9, 2014 while work on a number of exhibits is completed.

"We welcomed 9,000 people for our free guided preview tours during opening weekend celebrations this past Saturday and Sunday," said CMHR president and CEO Stuart Murray. "We received excellent reviews* from these preview tours, and we expect that visitors will continue to be awed and inspired by the Museum experience, as we begin our regular hours of operation this Saturday by providing visitors with guided tours."

Both tours will include visits to the Israel Asper Tower of Hope and will be offered at an introductory price of $10 for adults, $5 for children aged 7 to 17, and free for children under 7. Tours will run from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last tour starting at 3:30 p.m.

In the mornings, an hour‐long tour called "Discover the Building" will start every 15 minutes between 10 a.m. and 11:30 p.m., consisting of an exploration of architectural elements of the Museum. In the afternoons, a 90‐minute tour called "Explore the Galleries" will start every 15 minutes between 12 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., taking visitors through five galleries, including the introductory galleries, "What are Human Rights?" and "Indigenous Perspectives".

Starting Thursday, September 25 at 2 p.m. (CDT), visitors can book these tours online at www.humanrights.ca via Ticketmaster, by calling Ticketmaster at 1–855-985‑5000, or in person at the Museum's Ticketing and Information desk. 

"Our intent was to open all of our galleries for visitors on September 27. While we aren't able to do that, we are pleased to offer customized, guided tours," Murray said. "The advantage of this approach is that as galleries are completed, we will have the ability to adapt our "Explore the Galleries" tours to include new and exciting tour stops."

June Creelman, the Museum's Director of Learning and Programming, said these initial guided tours provide an opportunity for visitors to engage with program interpreters, ask questions and learn about the exhibits.

"We look forward to sharing the stories within the Museum and offering unique experiences to visitors as new installations are completed," she said.

In addition to the tours, visitors can spend time in the Stuart Clark Garden of Contemplation or Bonnie & John Buhler Hall, and will also be free to explore the Museum's Boutique or enjoy the refreshments of its ERA Bistro, which will both be open for business on September 27.

During this time, the Museum will continue to host a large number of special events and functions. More than 100 such events have been booked for October alone.

*To find out what some of our 9,000 visitors said about their free preview tour experience last weekend, and see the photos they shared, please check out our social media post on Storify.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to the evolution, celebration and future of human rights. It is the first national museum in Canada to be built outside the National Capital Region. Using immersive multi‐media technology and other innovative approaches, the Museum will create inspiring encounters with human rights as part of a visitor experience unlike any other.