Places to go in Ottawa
Bayshore Shopping Centre
100 Bayshore Dr
(613)829-7491
Billings Estate Museum
2100 Cabot St
(613)247-4830
Open May- October, Tuesday-Sunday from noon-5pm
Admission charged. Children under 5 free.
This mansion offers a glimpse into the social life of the period from 1829.
Bytowne Museum
540 Wellington St, at Commissioner St
(613)234-4570
The Bytowne museum displays possessions of Lieutenant-Colonel By, the canal's builder and one of young Ottawa's most influential citizens. Open, April to mid-May and mid-October to November Mon-Fri 10-4; mid-May to mid-October Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-5 Closed December-March
Admission charged.
Byward Market
Contained within the square formed by Sussex, Rideau, St. Patrick, and King Edward Sts
May-Nov Mon-Sat 9 - 6pm, Sun 10-6; Dec-Apr daily 10-6
A traditional farmers' market here still sells all manner of foods, flowers, plants, and vegetables.
Canada Agriculture Museum
Prince of Wales Dr. at Experimental Farm Dr.
(613) 991-3053
Learn how grain is made into flour and bread, or help collect chicken eggs in the Poultry House. With cows, pigs, sheep, horses, chickens and rabbits, the Agriculture Museum is a working farm that celebrates Canada's agricultural heritage. Admission charged.
Canadian Aviation Museum
11 Aviation Parkway, 993-2010
(613)993-2010
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays till 9 p.m., admission charged.
Free on Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Daily 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:45 p.m.
Take a stroll down the Walkway of Time in this massive building, which houses one of the world's best collections of vintage aircraft.
Canada Science and Technology Museum
1867 St Laurent Blvd
(613) 991-3044
Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission charged. Free Admission during the last hour.
Canadian Museum of Nature
240 MacLeod St.
(613)566-4700
9:30 - 5. Thursdays till 8.
Admission charged. Children under 3 get in for free. Free on Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Seven permanent exhibit halls trace the history of life on Earth from its beginnings 4,200 million years ago.
Canadian Museum of Civilization
100 Laurier St.
(613)776-7000
May 1 to June 30: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., open Thursdays till 9 p.m. (Children's Museum till 7 p.m.)
July 1 to Sept. 3: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays till 9 p.m.
Admission charged. Museum Admission free on Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., half-price on Sundays.
Guided tours of permanent or special exhibitions offered daily at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Canadian War Museum
330 Sussex Drive
(613)776-8600
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Thursdays till 8 p.m.
Admission charged. Free Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Half-price Sundays.
Canada's war history, from New France to the First and Second World Wars to modern-day peacekeeping missions, are documented on three floors.
Casino du Lac Leamy
1 boulevard du Casino, Hull QC
1-800-665-2274
Daily 11AM - 3AM
At the Casino de Hull, a world-class gaming facility, visitors can try their luck at the gaming tables and slot machines.
Changing Of The Guard
Late June to late August, a colorful half-hour ceremony is held daily on the Parliament Hill lawn (weather permitting). The parade of 125 soldiers in busbies and scarlet assembles at Cartier Square Drill Hall (by the canal at Laurier Avenue) at 9:30am and marches up Elgin Street to reach the hill at 10am. On arrival on the hill, the Ceremonial Guard splits, one division of the old guard positioned on the west side of the Parliament Hill lawn and two divisions of the new guard, or "duties," on the east side.
Movie Theatres (Ottawa Cinema Clock)
Currency Museum of the Bank of Canada
245 Sparks St., 782-8914
Mon. to Sat., 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission Free
July 2 to Labor Day: Daily tours 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. (English); 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. (French); afternoon tours only on Sundays.
Trace the evolution of the world's money over 2,500 years. The museum has the most complete collection of Canadian bank notes, coins and tokens in the world.
Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum
3911 Carp Road
(613) 839-0007
Admission charged. Under 6: free.
Tours : Until June 30: Mon. to Fri. 2 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. July 1 to Sept. 3: Daily 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. (French version at 1 p.m.)
For 33 years, the secret bunker served as Canada's Central Emergency Government Headquarters. Come and see what life could have been like in the event of a nuclear war.
Great Canadian Theatre Company
910 Gladstone Ave.
(613)236-5196
The GCTC presents contemporary drama and comedy with Canadian themes September to May.
Laurier House
335 Laurier Ave. E At Chapel St
(613)992-8142
Apr-Sept Tues-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 2-5pm; Oct-Mar call ahead for hours
Admission charged.
This comfortable 1878 brick home is filled with mementos of the two Canadian prime ministers who lived here over a span of 50 years.
National Arts Center
53 Elgin St., at Confederation Square
(613)947-7000
For reservations, call Ticketmaster at (613)755-1111 or visit the NAC Box Office Monday to Saturday: 10:00 to 21:00
(Sundays and Holidays: when a performance is scheduled, the Box Office will open 2 hours prior to curtain until 15 minutes after the curtain time of the last performance.)
National Gallery of Canada
380 Sussex Drive
(613)990-1985
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays till 8 p.m.
Admission charged. Permanent Collection: Free.
Special exhibits: Admission charged. Children under 12: Free, but timed ticket required. Call ahead for group rates.
This striking granite and glass museum overlooking the Ottawa River is home to 45,000 works by Canadian and international artists, with some 1,200 works on display at any given time.
The Ottawa River
Canada's second longest at over 700 miles, curves around the northern edge of city. The compact downtown area, where most major attractions are clustered within walking distance, is south of the river.
Parliament Buildings
On Parliament Hill, a bluff jutting into the Ottawa River
Call (613)992-4793 for tour info.
Late May-Labour Day 9am to 8pm (to 5pm the rest of the year). Free tours of the East Block historic offices given daily July-Labor Day 10am-6pm. The Parliament buildings, with their steeply pitched copper roofs, dormers, and towers, are truly impressive, especially on first sighting from river or road.
The Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal, sweeping past the National Arts Center, divides the downtown area in two segments known as: Center Town and Lower Town.
Sound & Light Show
For more details, contact the National Capital Commission at (613)239-5000 or visit http://www.ottawafestivals.ca/
For years, May to August, Canada's history has unfolded in a dazzling half-hour display of sound and light against the dramatic backdrop of the Parliament buildings. Weather permitting, two performances are given per night, one in English, the other in French. There's bleacher seating for the free show.
St. Laurent Shopping Centre
1200 St. Laurent Blvd
(613) 745-6858
The Ottawa Senators (Hockey)
1000 Palladium Drive, Kanata (1-800-444-SENS) or (613)599-0300
20 min from downtown, on bus #183.
One of the youngest teams in the National Hockey League ( their predecessors won a string of Stanley Cups earlier in this century) and currently play at the new 18,500 capacity Corel Centre.
For Tickets call Ticketmaster at (613)755-1166.
The Ottawa Lynx (Baseball)
(613)747-5969
a farm team (minor league) of the Montréal Expos, play at the Ottawa Stadium, Coventry Rd The season runs from mid-April to late September.
