The Pavilion entrance building, which was opened on May 7, 1992, was originally proposed by architect Michael Lundhom, who adapted an old railway tunnel running alongside the Chateau Laurier.

[citation needed] Its founding director and chief curator was Martha Langford, who held those positions from 1985 until 1994.

In 2016, the CMCP's photographic collection was folded into the newly created Canadian Photography Institute (CPI).

The foundation of the CMCP's collection were a selection of photographs from the Still Photography Division of the National Film Board of Canada.

As of 2016, the CMCP's photographic collection has been folded into the newly created Canadian Photography Institute (CPI).