Ottawa's National Gallery is the largest art museum in Canada, and home to the biggest collection of Canadian and Inuit art worldwide. The main exhibit is arranged in chronological order, so you can see the evolution of Canadian art. It is also home to an Inuit Gallery that comprises two levels. If you are a fan of architecture, the pink granite building and glass spires is a masterpiece itself, designed by Moshe Safdie. For fans looking for non-Canadian art, the National Gallery also houses a collection of American and European art.
National Gallery
380 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A, Canada
(613) 990-1985
If you are interested in the workings of rural Ottawa life, then visit the Canada Agricultural Museum. Located just southwest of the city on 500 hectares, this living museum is a popular place for children as the Canada Agricultural Museum features livestock that they can pet and feed. Beyond the animals you can also see an arboretum, greenhouse and observatory. It is a good place to visit in any season. In the summer, bring a picnic lunch and sit on the Museum's rolling hills or, in the winter, try your hand at sledding.
Canada Agriculture Museum
P.O. Box 9724, Station T
Ottawa Ontario
(613) 991-3044
If you are a cat lover, make sure that you visit Ottawa's Stray Cat Sanctuary. You can find it on Parliament Hill, right next to the government center. The Stray Cat Sanctuary is one of the city's most loved attractions and one of its strangest. Comprised of a network dollhouse-esque shelters for wild cats, the Stray Cat Sanctuary started in the 1970s. It is run entirely by volunteers who clean the shelters and feed the cats. Many residents of Ottawa believe the Sanctuary in tandem with the government center are symbols of Canadian compassion.
If you think of Canada, one of its most indelible images is its mounted soldiers. If you want to learn more about the Mounties, visit the RCMP Musical Ride Center where the Canadian Mounties hold their pageant. In addition to stopping at its visitor center (open all year), you can tour the stables in the summer. Perhaps the highlight at the Center is getting the opportunity to watch the Mounties practice. You should call ahead before visiting for show schedules. If you are interested in riding the horses, the RCMP Center also offers sunset rides.
RCMP
1200 Vanier Parkway
Ottawa ON K1A 0R2
(613) 993-7267
The Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography is located in a remodeled railway tunnel between the canal and Château Laurier. Though the museum offers a constantly changing array of exhibits, it is also home to vast archive of Canadian photography. Exhibits have included surveillance video, work by specific photographers and works based on specific themes.
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
1 Rideau Canal, Byward Market
(613) 990 8257
