CTW Explores
Ottawa
Country: Canada Language: English Currency: Canadian Dollar ($)
Ottawa is Canada’s capital. It is the home to the Canadian Parliament, the Rideau Canal, and some of Canada’s best museums. Walk through the enchanting city admiring the architecture that surrounds you.
CTW Must See
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum opened in 2005, making it Ottawa’s newest national museum. It holds over 500,000 war memorabilia and artifacts over eight permanent galleries and temporary exhibits. The museum takes its visitors on a journey dating back to Canada’s first documented experience of conflict to its most recent.
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill is found on a small hill along the Ottawa River and is home to the Canadian Parliament. The Hill consist of three buildings and the Peace Tower. The tower, completed in 1920, stands over 90 meters (300 ft) tall. Tours of the Parliament Centre Block are free, but tickets with allowed times must be picked up across the street from Parliament Hill. To read more about Parliament Hill, visit our Experience Guide.
Famous Five Monument
This moving monument features the five brave women who started a petition asking the Canada’s Supreme Court if the world ‘persons,’ in Section 24 of the British North America Act, 1867, includes females. The five women - Emily Murphy, Irene Marryat Parlby, Nellie Mooney McClung, Louise Crummy McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards, are now found beside the Parliament Building, creating the Famous Five Monument.
National War Memorial
The National War Memorial is a large war memorial dedicated to Canadian’s who lost their lives in war. It opened in 1939 and was dedicated by King George Vi. The memorial is where the national Remembrance Day ceremony takes place every year.
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It opened in 1832 and was built in case of war with the US. The canal is over 200 kilometers (126 miles) and can only be used for personal boating. The Ottawa Locks are one of the most prominent features of the canal in Ottawa as they represent the industrial foundation and growth of the city. In the water, the canal naturally freezes over, turning it into the largest naturally frozen staking rink in the world during the winter!
Peacekeeping Monument
The Peacekeeping Monument represents Canada’s role in international peacekeeping and those who have participated in peacekeeping. It was designed by Richard G. Henriquez and Cornelia H. Oberlander in 1992.
Notre Dame Basilica
The Notre Dame Basilica was built between 1841 and 1885. Its a National Historic Site and the largest and oldest standing church in the city. Its facade features two tall steeples and bell towers. Inside the cathedral, you’ll find beautifully decorated ornaments, stained glass windows, and sacred treasures.
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada is one of the largest art galleries in the country. Its collection contains a variety of paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs, mostly by Canadian artists; some notable works by American and European artists. The collection holds over 40,000 works of art with the contemporary exhibits changing every three to six months.
Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint produces all of Canada’s coins and some coins for other nations. Canadian coins were made in London until 1901. Since then, coins have been produced in Ottawa until the 1960s when another facility was added in Winnipeg. Guided tours of the Mint are free, but require a ticket with an allotted time slot.
Canadian Museum of Nature
The Canadian Museum of Nature is Canada’s impressive national natural history and sciences museum. It contains 14.6 million specimens within the categories of Botany, Mineralogy, Paleontology and Zoology. There are eight permanent galleries including the exploration of fossils, water, mammals, earth, the arctic and more!
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