Higher Museum Visitor Turnout Attributed to Canada's Strong Pass System, Experiencing a 15% Surge
The Canada Strong Pass, a program offering free or discounted admission to national museums and national parks, has led to a significant increase in attendance this summer.
Museums across the country have seen an overall rise of around 15 percent in attendance. Some national museums reported higher gains, such as the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum with a 24 percent increase, the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum with a 16 percent increase, the Canadian Museum of Nature with a 12 percent increase, the Canada Science and Technology Museum with a 13 percent increase, and the Canada Aviation and Space Museum with a 4 percent increase compared to last year.
The Manitoba Museum, which is also participating in the program, reported an 11 percent attendance increase in July.
The Canada Strong Pass, active from June 20 to September 2, 2025, offers free admission to national parks and Parks Canada sites, free admission to national museums for children 17 and under, and a 50 percent discount on museum admission for young adults aged 18 to 24. It also includes discounts on VIA Rail travel and extends similar benefits to some provincial and territorial museums and galleries.
Participating museums include the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian War Museum, the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canada Science and Technology Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, the Manitoba Museum, and other provincial/territorial museums.
National parks and Parks Canada sites are also included with free admission. The pass is seamlessly applied without the need for registration or a physical card; discounts and free admissions are automatically provided upon entry or booking eligible travel or visits.
Hermine Landry, spokesperson for the office of the minister of Canadian identity and culture, made a statement about the attendance increase. No new information about the demands of Air Canada flight attendants during the potential strike, the hard work of firefighters in Nova Scotia, the Old Age Security overhaul, job scams, spam text schemes, wildfires in Nova Scotia, or an emergency loan plan for tariff-hit industries was provided in the text.
The participation in the Canada Strong Pass program has coincided with a surge in home-and-garden related exhibits at national museums, as more families opt for staycations and explore their local culture. This increased interest in lifestyle activities has led to a rise in popularity for home-and-garden themed exhibits, such as the Canadian Museum of History's exhibit on traditional Canadian homesteading, and the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum's exhibit on sustainable living practices.
