Year-Round Activities
This section lists activities that span the whole year (or most of the year).
Listings in this section are divided into categories based on activity types or themes, and may include self-guided walking tours and guided walking tours, points of architectural interest around the capital, museums and galleries, and sporting and recreational activities.
Museums and Art Galleries - Free Admission
Carleton University Art Gallery
Museums and Art Galleries - Sometimes Free / Almost Frugal
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Science and Technology Museum
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (CMCP)
Cumberland Heritage Village Museum 
Heritage House Museum- Smiths Falls
| Name: | Currency Museum |
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| Location: | In the Bank of Canada Building between Kent and Bank, and between Wellington and Sparks Street |
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| Hours: |
Summer Hours (May 1 to October 1): Mon to Sat 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun 1 to 5 p.m. Winter Hours (October 2 to April 30): Tue to Sat 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun 1 to 5 p.m. Closed from December 24 at noon until January 5 |
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| Website: | www.currencymuseum.ca |
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| Activity number: | 40002 |
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| Name: | The Nepean Museum |
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| Location: | 16 Rowley Avenue, just west of Meadowlands Drive and Merivale Road |
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| Hours: |
Mon to Fri and Holidays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat and Sun: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission; many children's activities for $3 to $5 per child; see website for details. |
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| Website: | www.nepeanmuseum.ca |
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| Activity number: | 40003 |
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| Name: | Vanier Museoparc |
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| Location: | 300, avenues des Peres Blancs, 2nd floor, Ottawa |
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| Hours: |
Summer Hours: Wed to Fri 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sat Noon - 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. The Vanier Museoparc is a community museum about the history of Vanier and the Francophone heritage of Ottawa.
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| Website: | www.museoparc.ca |
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| Activity number: | 40012 |
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| Name: | Carleton University Art Gallery |
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| Location: | St. Patrick's Building, Carleton University 1125 Colonel By Drive |
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| Hours: |
Tue to Fri: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat and Sun: Noon to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays |
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| Website: | cuag.carleton.ca |
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| Activity number: | 40013 |
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| Name: | City Hall Art Gallery |
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| Location: | 110 Laurier Avenue West |
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| Hours: |
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
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| Website: | www.ottawa.ca/city_hall |
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| Activity number: | 40024 |
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| Name: | Canadian Museum of Civilization |
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| Location: | 100 Laurier Street, Gatineau |
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| Free Admission Hours: |
Thursdays 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (general admission); note that the Children's Museum may close earlier. Free admission on Museums' Day (May 18), Canada Day (July 1) and Remembrance Day (Nov 11) |
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| Website: | www.civilization.ca |
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| Activity number: | 40004 |
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| Name: | Canadian Children's Museum at the Canadian Museum of Civilization |
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| Location: | 100 Laurier Street, Gatineau |
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| Hours: |
From October 13, 2009 to April 30, 2010: Tue, Wed and Fri: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thur 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat and Sun: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays |
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| Hours: |
$30/family of 5 (Max 2 adults) Though not frugal by our standards, the Children's Museum is a terrific way to spend a morning, especially if it's raining out or just too cold to play outside, and is one of our personal favorites. Note however that the outdoor children's area was closed this past summer. |
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| Website: | www.civilization.ca/childrens-museum |
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| Activity number: | 60008 |
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| Name: | Canadian War Museum |
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| Location: | 1 Vimy Place (LeBreton Flats) |
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| Free Admission Hours: |
Thursdays 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (general admission) Free admission on Canada Day (July 1), Museums' Day (May 18) and Remembrance Day (November 11) |
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| Website: | www.warmuseum.ca |
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| Activity number: | 40005 |
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| Name: | Canadian Museum of Nature |
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| Location: | Victoria Memorial Museum Building 240 McLeod St. |
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| Free Admission Hours: |
Thursdays 5 pm to 8 pm Free admission on Canada Day (July 1). Anyone who has a City of Ottawa library card can borrow a Nature Card, which is good for free general admission for a family of up to five people (max. 3 adults). However the current waiting list at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library is over 100 names long.
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| Website: | www.nature.ca |
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| Activity number: | 40006 |
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| Name: | National Gallery of Canada |
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| Location: | 380 Sussex Drive |
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| Free Admission Hours: |
Thursdays after 5 p.m. (open until 8 p.m.; free admission to permanent collection only) Free admission on Canada Day (July 1) and Museums' Day (May 18) |
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| Website: | www.gallery.ca |
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| Activity number: | 40007 |
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| Name: | Canadian Aviation Museum |
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| Location: | 11 Aviation Parkway |
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| Free Admission Hours: |
Daily after 4 p.m. Note that the museum closes at 5 p.m. daily. The museum is open Mon to Sun from May 1 to Labour Day, and Wed to Sun after Labour Day until April 1 Free admission on Canada Day (July 1) |
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| Website: | www.aviation.technomuses.ca/ |
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| Activity number: | 40008 |
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| Name: | Canadian Science and Technology Museum |
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| Location: | 1867 St. Laurent Blvd. |
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| Free Admission Hours: |
Free admission on Canada Day (July 1) and Museums' Day (May 18) |
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| Website: | www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/ |
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| Activity number: | 40009 |
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| Name: | Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography |
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| Location: | 380 Sussex Drive |
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| Free Admission Hours: |
Thursdays after 5 p.m. (open until 8 p.m.)
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| Website: | www.cmcp.gallery.ca/ |
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| Activity number: | 40010 |
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| Name: | Bytown Museum |
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| Location: | Located by the Rideau Canal locks by Parliament Hill |
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| Free Admission Hours: |
Pay-What-You-Can on Wednesday evenings between June 24 and August 26 Free admission on Colonel By Day (Aug 3) Almost Frugal: Regular Family admission is $15.00 (max 2 adults and 3 children under 18). See website for regular hours. |
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| Website: | www.bytownmuseum.com/ |
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| Activity number: | 40011 |
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| Name: | Cumberland Heritage Village Museum |
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| Location: | 2940 Old Montreal Road, Cumberland |
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| Hours: |
The musuem is open from May 17 to October 4. Hours: Wed to Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. After the season ends, you can contact the museum at 613-833-3059 to make an appointment for a private tour. The museum is also open in December for Christmas programming. |
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| Cost: |
$18/family
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| Website: | www.ottawa.ca/cumberland |
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| Activity number: | 60017 |
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| Name: | Heritage House Museum- Smiths Falls |
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| Location: | 11 Old Sly's Road, Smiths Falls |
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| Hours: |
Summer Hours (May 1 - Dec 23): Daily 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. Winter Hours (Jan 2 - May 1): Mon-Fri 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. |
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| Cost: |
$12.50/family (max 4 visitors)
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| Website: | www.smithsfalls.ca/heritagehouse |
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| Activity number: | 60029 |
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Frugal Favorite
Fan Favorite
Almost Frugal
For Grown-Ups