The national Canadian War Museum (CWM), which opened in Ottawa on 8 May, has welcomed 125,000 visitors in its first month of operations.

Occupying an 18.5-acre site overlooking Parliament Hill, the CAN$136m (US$110m, £58m, E85m) museum boasts 5,750sq m (62,000q ft) of permanent exhibition space and 700sq m (7,500sq ft) of special exhibition space.

During the site's May launch weekend alone – which coincided with the 60th anniversary of VE Day – more than 27,000 people visited the museum, with 40,000 students booked to visit the museum within the first two months of opening.

The museum was funded by CAN$113.5m (US$92.1m, £50.3m, E75.7m) from the Federal Government, CAN$7.5m (US$6.09m, £3.33m, E5m) from the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation – the CWM's parent organisation – and a further CAN$15m (US$12.18m, £6.66m, E10m) raised from the private sector and the general public.

Commenting on the opening of the museum, CEO and director Joe Guerts, said: "We are delighted with the response to our first month of operations. This museum will bring Canada's military into the mainstream of our identity."

The building was designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects of Toronto and Griffiths Rankin Cook of Ottawa, while the exhibitions have been created by Haley Sharpe Design of Leicester, UK and Origin Studios of Ottawa.

The permanent exhibition covers 1,000 years of Canada’s military history through the themes geography, politics, brutality and survival.

The CWM is expected to welcome a total of more than 400,000 visitors per year and also features a café, classrooms and 236-seat theatre. Details: www.warmuseum.ca