I visited with family during one of their Free Thursday evenings (5-8pm) over the summer last year…read more I was a bit shocked that it was not as busy as I thought, especially during their free Thrusday evenings. The museum is pretty large. There was a lot of beautiful art and exhibits. A few exhibits had some sort of interactive function (like interactive screens and screens to flip through info). Depending on your vacation schedule and free time, you may not be able to see everything in a couple of hours.

Amazing art museum! From the spider outside to the massive amounts of artwork especially Canadian,…read moreQuebecois, Native, and First Nations artwork and the historic Catholic chapel inside it is totally with a visit.

I do come to this museum every few months as they deal specifically with contemporary art. There…read moreare always new expositions which I appreciate and did I mention free? sign me up! There are 3 floors and are mostly Canadian based. There are a few expositions that I do not understand why they are there but at the same time I am not an artist. There is never a lineup but there is always a flow of people. I do know that there are events which I will have to inquire since I have read reviews about them and they sound awesome!.... On a side note, the washrooms are super clean. I also have never tried the cafe which is in the back. I will have to try it soon!

I love this place. I love their Canadian art collection, the Firestone Collection. I love how they…read morefeature local artists. I love the bright, airy spaces full of colour, the daring, provocative collections. And it's all available to the public 6 days a week FREE. When it's open, I love to have a drink or a coffee in the Jackson cafe downstairs with people I love. I walked in today and discovered Don Kwan, a friend of mine, had a show show upstairs, and I was thrilled to feel this close artistic connection with my city. We wandered casually through the gallery and gift shop and met up with a mutual friend, also a friend of Don's. It was crazy to make a social connection in this place that I love so much. Floor after floor was new and totally different contemporary art, in different media and styles. I had brought my sketch book and a pencil with intentions to do some drawing inspired by my surroundings, but unfortunately, there was nowhere to sit and contemplate. There's even an installation on the second floor with chairs, but they are all connected and you can't sit on them! There's a new exhibit coming March 26, and another exhibit on BIPOC artists in May. I can't wait.

I had a great experience at this gallery. It was our first time with my family and we were able to…read morelearn about different art installations, it was cool. It wasn't too busy and it was clean and well-maintained. They also had multiple security stationed inside. Fairly priced and would definitely recommend checking it out at least once.

We spent about two hours here as the last activity of a busy day touring around Ottawa. The museum…read moreis amazing with a wonderful collection of works by contemporary Canadian artists including indigenous artists. They also have galleries that include works by Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh and many others. Parking is easy and very affordable in the underground parking garage. This is definitely a good option if visiting the city! It is walking distance to parliament hill so easy to combine visits to multiple attractions.

Tech Wall is a legal graffiti wall on the corner of Bronson and Slater - you can't miss it! No…read morematter what the season, it's always filled with graffiti. It's a really popular place for artists to showcase their art without having to worry about being charged with vandalism. The wall is really wide so there are many individual pieces, as well as those painted by crews. The headboard of the basketball net is also usually spray-painted. Artists of all levels of experience can paint these walls, but beware - it's likely your piece will be painted over the second it dries, which is what actually makes it pretty cool, since there's always new graffiti to see.

I love the Ottawa Tech LEGAL Graffiti Wall, but it does look like it has been incarcerated, with a…read moreconfinement fence keeping the general public away from urban street art.

It's a beautiful and historic church in the heart of Ottawa. There's no admission fee, instead, you…read morecan make a donation to the church. Whether you're visiting or coming here to say prayers, it's definitely worth the trip. The painted glasses, the craftsmanship and all the details included in them is so impressive; I could spend hours in the church, admiring the artwork. The ceiling is the most impressive part about this beautiful cathedral; I loved it.

This cathedral is located in a residential area, which makes it easy for people to come and visit…read moreor attend mass. When we entered and saw the church it was a Wow moment. Omg it's beautiful, the Colour's used , glass painting looks amazing when the sun shines on it. It's a huge basilica, the architecture is amazing, it's a must see . The choir sits on top floor and sounds soooo good .

The Canadian Museum of Nature is an architectural masterpiece, blending Beaux-Arts symmetry with a…read morehistoric exterior and a striking glass tower. The Earth Gallery's gem collection and the Bird Gallery are exceptional, and the gift shop is high-quality. However, my visit was heavily disrupted by large school groups monopolizing the interactive displays. To avoid these groups, try visiting after noon, as morning hours are peak time for field trip arrivals.

It was as much fun touring this museum as it was watching the smaller kids get excited looking at…read morethe dinosaur fossils and the live insects. There was so much content even limiting it to just Canadian flora and fauna. The building itself is impressive, and everything is nicely organized inside. Parking would be my one peeve. You can walk to it from the light rail if you're okay with that and it's night weather, but we found that for a group, it was actually cheaper to take a Lyft, ironically. While this museum is designed to be a great source of information for kids, adults will like it too.

This is one of many statues of Terry Fox across Canada. This one in Ottawa is across from…read moreParliament Hill. There are others in St. John's, NL, Richmond Hill and Thunder Bay, ON, as well as Victoria, Port Coquitlam and Prince George, BC. Terry Fox was a Canadian athlete. He had a rare form of bone cancer which caused him to have to have one of his legs amputated. With his artificial leg, he embarked on a journey to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. His cross-country run was called "The Marathon of Hope." He ran for 143 days and 5300 km, roughly the equivalent of a marathon everyday. He started in St. John's, NL and was forced to end his journey in Thunder Bay, ON because the cancer had spread to his lungs. He died of his cancer shortly after at age 22. Terry Fox is considered a National hero. He has several buildings, streets and schools named after him. His name is synonymous with hope. Thr bronze statute features him in his t-shirt, shorts and sneakers, what he wore during his Marathon of Hope. It was created by John Hooper in 1983. It is a beautiful tribute to an exceptional Canadian who has inspired so many.

I hated when they moved the Terry Fox statue. Even though it now finds itself in front of…read moreParliament Hill, somehow it seems less prominent than it's original spot. Back in the early eighties, the bronze statue of internationally inspiring Terry Fox was unveiled at the eastern edge of the Rideau / Colonel By underpass. Terry Fox remains one of Canada's most inspirational heroes in the world. Still to this day, I find it very powerful.

When I was heading back home from my trip to Ottawa in November 2015, I wanted some bagels and a…read moresnack to keep me content during my drive. I stopped by Kettleman's and got my onion bagels, and snacked on a chocolate puff as I drove home. It took me this trip to realize that I had stopped by the Kettleman's location in The Glebe. I have been here. I just didn't know it! Earlier this month, I got an extensive tour of The Glebe (thanks, Jennifer!). I learned that glebe, the word, means church lands. It was originally known as the glebe lands of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. How fascinating! The Glebe reminds me of Osborne Village in Winnipeg. There are a ton of eclectic, unique stores. You can walk for hours, exploring various stores and stopping for a bite to eat or a drink as you continue leisurely checking out everything. Parking can be a challenge. I remember parking in a lot where construction is happening next to Kettleman's these days. I parked on a residential street this time around and walked over to check out 613flea. Even though it was a three-hour parking limit, I exceeded it by nearly an hour (oops). Luckily, the parking police were probably consuming a baked good in the area somewhere and I was okay. The residential part of this area felt great to walk through. There is a sense of community, with folks being friendly and smiling as you pass by them. This area has a nice, safe vibe. I need to return and explore some more. (297)

Ok folks, I'm trying to make it through some more Ottawa Local Flavour. Today it's The Glebe. The…read moreGlebe is a very eclectic neighbourhood. Technically I think it spans from Highway 417 to the north, to the Rideau Canal to the south and east, and then Bronson Ave to the west. However, the action really is along Bank St from about Glebe Ave to Lansdowne Park. There are a variety of businesses in the Glebe that range from kitchen supply stores, to specialty paper stores, to a compounding pharmacy (called The Glebe Apothecary - sounds a bit archaic yet cool, huh?). There are also lots of restaurants, cafés, and bakeries. It's considered a well-heeled neighbourhood, so prices are set accordingly. It's no surprise that The Glebe is home to Ottawa's only Whole Foods, and only Sporting Life. Since The Glebe is an old neighbourhood, houses are mostly very old and large, but some have been torn down and newer in-fill construction have been erected. Walking around, you will see lots of "book sharing structures" that people built and put on their lawns. They are like mini libraries. Very cute. Yay, literacy! The Glebe is home to the Great Glebe Garage Sale which is always the fourth Saturday in May (rain or shine) and it's been going on every year since 1986! Glebe residents pretty much sell things from their lawns, driveways, or porches. I've heard of people who don't live in The Glebe renting people's driveways/lawns in The Glebe to sell their stuff because the event attracts so many potential buyers. I hate crowds, traffic, and getting up early, so I have never been to this famous event, but apparently it's awesome (if you like garage sales). At the northern part of The Glebe, there's a park called Central Park which is quite pretty. You'll often see couples taking wedding or engagement photos there. Central Park is also where The New Art Festival takes place every June (it used to be called Art in the Park from 1992-2008). It's essentially an outdoor art exhibit that features artists from across Canada. The art is in all media - paints, woods, ceramics, metals, textiles, photographs, etc. This I have been to, and it's cool. Parking is a bit of a pain in this area. There are some paid parking lots and street parking is available but difficult to find. Read the parking signs carefully, folks, because some places are limited to 1 hour, others 2 hours, and others 3 hours, and there are limitations depending on day of the week and time of the day. Each street is different, and some stretches of the same street are different. Parking enforcement are usually out in full force (I see them often when I'm in the area) and ready to ticket you for parking infractions. If you don't want to deal with parking, there are several buses that run along Bank Street. Overall, a charming and eclectic part of town with some interesting shops, good restaurants, and pretty parks.