The Canadian Museum of History (, formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization) is Canada's national museum of human history. It is located in the Hull area of Gatineau, Quebec, directly across the Ottawa River from Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. The museum's primary purpose is to collect, study, preserve, and present material objects that illuminate the human history of Canada and the cultural diversity of its people. In October 2012, it was announced that the museum would be renamed from the Canadian Museum of Civilization to the Canadian Museum of History, with an increased focus on Canadian history and people. The name change became official when the Canadian Museum of History Act received Royal Assent on December 12, 2013, with changes to the museum's visual identity implemented gradually over the course of the following months.