Ottawa is definitely one of the top places to visit in Canada
Ottawa, Canada's capital city, is a beautiful place to visit. There's lots to see, including the Parliament Buildings and Rideau Canal National Historic Site. You'll also find plenty of museums and galleries for you to enjoy with your family or on your own on a rented car or on foot. While planning your trip to Ottawa consider the possibility of online booking of hotels in Ottawa.
Parliament Hill and Parliament Buildings
Parliament Hill is the seat of Canada's federal government. It's home to the Parliament Buildings, which house the House of Commons and Senate chambers as well as several other government offices and meeting rooms. It's also where you'll find one of Ottawa's most recognizable landmarks: The Peace Tower (or Centre Block). Built between 1859-1916 with limestone from Quebec City, it stands at over 70 metres tall with a clock face on each side that measures 10 metres in diameter!
Rideau Canal National Historic Site
The Rideau Canal is a National Historic Site and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, built to provide a safe route for transporting goods from Montreal to Kingston. The canal consists of two sections: an upper section between Kingston and Ottawa, and a lower section between Kingston and Lake Ontario.
The Rideau Canal has been visited by many famous people over the years including Winston Churchill, who traveled it in 1895; Queen Elizabeth II; Prince Charles (who went canoeing on it); Princess Anne; Charles de Gaulle; Ronald Reagan; George Bush Sr.; Bill Clinton.
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum is a national museum of military history and one of Ottawa's most popular attractions. The museum was founded in 1917 by Colonel James B. Larkin, who had served as aide-de-camp to General Sir Arthur Currie during World War I. Larkin wanted to preserve Canada's wartime contributions for future generations, so he started collecting artifacts from soldiers who had fought overseas as well as other relevant items such as uniforms, weapons and vehicles used during combat operations. Today the museum houses over 7,000 objects from this period (as well as other wars).
The Canadian War Museum houses one of the largest collections of war art anywhere in North America--a testament not only to its own collection but also its efforts at acquiring works from private collectors around Canada through donation or purchase agreements with curators at other museums across Canada who may want accessioning materials but do not have space available within their own galleries' walls or storage areas.
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada is a museum of international art, located in Ottawa. It houses over 20,000 works of art that range from ancient to contemporary pieces. The collection includes paintings, sculptures and drawings from all over the world and even includes some rare pieces such as a Chinese silk painting from 8th century BC (which is one of only two known surviving examples).
Peace Tower
The Peace Tower is one of the most iconic buildings in Ottawa, and it's easy to understand why. Located on Wellington Street between Elgin and Bank Streets, this gorgeous Gothic Revival structure was built between 1927 and 1936 as part of Canada's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Its construction was funded by Parliament Hill architect John A. Pearson and overseen by chief designer Thomas W. Fuller, who based his design on England's Canterbury Cathedral; its height (91 meters) symbolizes Canada's status as a dominion within Great Britain at that time.
The interior has been updated several times over the years--most recently in 2007 when visitors were moved from an underground space into new galleries on each floor--but much remains unchanged from its original design: You'll find stained glass windows depicting scenes from Canadian history; woodwork carved with intricate patterns; ironwork grates over each window (they were added after 9/11 due to security concerns); intricate carvings around every column; ornate fireplace mantelpieces made from marble imported from Italy; marble floors throughout most rooms... and so much more!
Canadian Museum of Nature
The Canadian Museum of Nature is a national museum of natural history and natural science in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest museum of its kind in Canada. The museum was established in 1916 by an Act of Parliament to "aid in promoting knowledge among the people of Canada about their natural environment and its resources".
The building has been expanded several times since its original construction (1931) to accommodate its growing collections: it now houses more than 4 million items that include specimens such as rocks, minerals and fossils; plants; animals; human cultural artefacts from around the world including historical items related to indigenous peoples' cultures across Canada's territories.
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica
The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica is the largest church in Canada and the sixth tallest building in Ottawa. It's also the fourth largest church in North America, with a seating capacity of 2,500 people. The cathedral was designed by French architect Paul Frere, who worked on other notable buildings such as Parliament Hill and Chateau Frontenac (a hotel).
The cathedral features beautiful stained glass windows that depict scenes from both Biblical stories and Canadian history. Inside you'll find statues of saints including St John Chrysostom (the patron saint of preachers), St Theresa Flemming (the patron saint of Canadians) and St Joseph Labre (who lived as a beggar).
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum is located at 880 Panet Street in Ottawa and is open daily from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., except December 24th and 25th. Admission to the museum costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (65+) and students with ID, $10 for children ages 6-17 years old, and free of charge for children under 5 years old when accompanied by an adult or guardian who has paid admission.
The museum contains over 130 aircrafts on display including Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St Louis airplane that he flew across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927; John Gillespie Magee's hand-crafted wooden plane which was used during World War II; The first ever powered flight made in Canada by A V Roe (Avro) Company Avian biplane built in 1909; And many more!
Bank of Canada Museum
The Bank of Canada Museum is located in the Bank of Canada Building, which is also home to their head office. It's free and open to the public, with hours Monday through Friday from 9:30am until 3pm and on weekends from 10am until 4pm.
There is lots to see in Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, and it's home to the National Gallery of Canada, Canadian War Museum and more. There are many other museums in Ottawa you can visit as well.
Ottawa is also known for its parks and gardens like Rideau Canal Park and Major's Hill Park. If you want to see some wildlife while visiting Ottawa then consider going to Beaver Creek Conservation Area or Gatineau Park which has a large number of animals including deer!
We hope this list has inspired you to visit Ottawa, and we wish you a safe journey.