Skip to content
Locrawl

Historic places in Ottawa

11 historic buildings, sites and memorials in Ottawa.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Historic places in Ottawa

  1. See

    Bank of Canada Currency Museum

    A collection of historic and current currencies from Canada and around the world, history of Bank of Canada and the application of interest rate in the society and economy.

    Thu-Mon 10AM-5PMFree

  2. Eat

    BeaverTails

    Try the tasty BeaverTail, a fried-dough pastry associated with Ottawa, although a number of places claim to have created it. It's available in sweet and savoury versions, topped with cinnamon, sugar, icing sugar, etc. In the winter, many places will offer it on the canal. During the summer, the only places downtown to offer it are in the Byward Market on George St., and a small counter in a corner of the Canadian Museum of History. There are a variety of toppings and the taste of the beaver tail stands out more with the classic sugar & cinnamon. However, the locals' favourite is the Killaloe Sunrise, a topping of cinnamon sugar and lemon juice.

    Sun-Wed 10AM-8PM, Thu 10AM-11PM, Fri Sat 10AM-midnight

  3. See

    Bytown Museum

    A small museum at the foot of Parliament Hill with a focus on Ottawa's early history.

    Victoria Day weekend-Thanksgiving Day: Fri-Wed 10AM-5PM, Thu 10AM-9PM. Rest of year: Tue-Sun 11AM-4PM$5 adults, $4 seniors/students/youth, $2 children 5-12

  4. See

    Canada Agriculture and Food Museum

    A working animal farm in the city. You can visit animal barns, see various demonstrations and exhibitions, and ride on a horse-drawn wagon. The museum also has a playground and picnic area. It is very popular with young children and a welcome change of pace for kids who have seen enough history after visiting some of the other sights.

    Exhibitions: 9AM-5PM daily late Feb-late Nov. Animal barns: 9AM-5PM daily all year$7 adults, $6 students/seniors, $4 children 3-14, $16 families (2 adults and 3 children), free for children under 3. Seniors free on Tuesday. Admission to animal barns is by donation during time of year when the exhibitions are closed

  5. See

    Confederation Park

    Downtown park, designated as a National Historic Site of Canada, featuring a fountain, totem pole, statues.

  6. See

    Diefenbunker — Canada's Cold War Museum

    Built to protect the government from nuclear attack, this once-secret bunker is now a museum and National Historic Site of Canada. "Diefenbunker" is a play on "Diefenbaker", the Canadian prime minister in the 1950s who authorized the construction of the facility. In addition to preserving and promoting Canada's Cold War history, the museum offers a variety of visitor programs and services. You can learn, play or shop as you discover the bunker's secrets and relive the experience of the Cold War. Guided tours by reservation only. If you do not have access to a vehicle and are willing to do a 50 minute bus ride plus pay a $30 taxi, you can # take the OcTranpo #95 or #97; # Transfer to the #93 at Lincoln Fields; # Get off at the Legget / Ad. 515 stop; # Walk 3 minutes to Brookstreet Hotel; # Take a taxi to the Diefenbunker.

    Self-guided tours 11AM-4PM daily$14 adults, $13 seniors, $10 students, $8 youth 6-18, $40 families (2 adults plus 3 youth), free for children 5 and under

  7. See

    Kiwekì Point (formerly Nepean Point)

    A quiet place to watch the sun set, or to take photos of Parliament Hill, the National Gallery, the Museum of History, and the Royal Canadian Mint from angles that don't usually end up in the tourist brochures. Kiwekì (pronounced key-WHECK-ee) Point is also home to a statue of Samuel de Champlain, and the Astrolabe Theatre (one of the better places to watch the fireworks from on July 1). As of May 2025, the point is wheelchair-accessible.

    always open

  8. See

    Laurier House National Historic Site

    1878 house that is the former residence of two Canadian prime ministers: Sir Wilfrid Laurier (for whom the house is named) and William Lyon Mackenzie King.

    May 1-Jun 30: Thu-Mon 10AM-5PMAdult $3.90, senior (65+) $3.40, youth (17 and under) free

  9. Drink

    Pub Italia

    An Irish/Italian pub with hundreds of bottled beers listed in its "Beer Bible", especially Belgian. Decent pizza and pastas, but other places in Little Italy have better; you're going here for the beer, not the food. Intimate faux Medieval/Gothic décor; a bit strange, but the patio is very nice.

    Mon 4PM-1AM; Thu-Sat 11AM–1AM; Sun noon-midnight

  10. Do Not mapped

    Aventure Laflèche

    A superb destination for outdoor activities in the Gatineau Hills year-round. A community-owned non-profit company that offers beautiful nature trails, tours of the historical Laflèche caves, and the province's largest aerial park for the adventurous (includes several ziplines). Calling ahead for reservations is strongly recommended.

  11. Do Not mapped

    Jane's Walk Ottawa

    An annual festival of free neighbourhood walking tours organized by volunteers. Jane's Walk is a pedestrian-focused event that improves urban literacy by offering insights into local history, planning, design, and civic engagement through the simple act of walking and observing. They are a lot of fun and you will hear stories that you won't find in any guide book.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Ottawa (CC BY-SA 4.0).