Add visiting Ottawa City museum sites to your summer plans!
Take a self-guided outdoor tour, pack a picnic, or go for a stroll at one of our museums. There are lots of fun and COVID-safe options to choose from.
Want to go for a walk, get a change of scenery and enjoy the nice weather? Well, you can add a visit to one of our City museum park grounds – which are open to the public – to your stay-cation list.
The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum is even offering self-guided outdoor tours starting June 16. You can enjoy the colours and fragrances from the garden, see a few small farm animals up close, see a live outdoor demonstration of a saw and shingle mill, and look through an open door to see how a rural printshop worked in the 1920s and 30s. Pre-registration is required through the City’s website at ottawa.ca/recreation and admission fee payment is done on-site.
The interior of the Billings Estate National Historic Museum is closed during Step One of Reopening Ontario, but the grounds are open for you to stroll and take shade to read or even have a picnic. No reservation or fees apply to visit this location. And to accompany your book or picnic, why not enjoy a nice freshly brewed tea? Starting June 19, Billings Estate is offering a phone-ahead takeout tea service – which you can enjoy onsite or back at home. The number to order tea service is 613-580-2088 ext. 35250, from Wednesday to Sunday, between 10 am and 4 pm. Tea payment is made on-site at time of pick up.
The museum at the Pinhey’s Point Historic Site is closed but the parkland remains a great place where you can walk and cycle to enjoy the green hills and ruins, all along the scenic Ottawa River. No reservation or fees apply to park visits. It’s a great way to get out to enjoy the warm weather and cool breezes blowing off the waters.
When visiting any of our parks, help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring you keep two metres from those outside your household and wear a mask whenever keeping that distance becomes difficult. Even though vaccinations continue and COVID numbers decline, we need to remain vigilant and continue to do our part.
As the Ontario Reopening Plan progresses over the next few months, stay tuned for more announcements on openings and extended access to our museums. Visit the museums and historic site section on ottawa.ca.
