Architecture in Ottawa

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Ottawa

Canadian Museum of Nature

Ottawa

The Canadian Museum of Nature is Canada's national natural history museum, housed in the Victoria Memorial Museum Building, a grand Victorian-era structure in Ottawa. Its exhibitions cover the natural history of Canada and beyond — from dinosaur skeletons and fossils to minerals, birds, and taxidermy specimens. Alongside its public galleries, the museum is an active research institute whose scientists publish globally in fields like paleontology, zoology, and botany. The dinosaur hall is perennially the most popular draw, especially for families with children.

Canadian Tire Centre Ottawa

Ottawa

The Canadian Tire Centre is the home arena of the Ottawa Senators NHL hockey team, located in the suburb of Kanata west of Ottawa. It opened in January 1996 as The Palladium and has carried several sponsor names over the years, most recently Scotiabank Place until 2013. With up to 19,153 seats across three tiers, it is the region's largest sports venue. Alongside Senators games it hosts concerts and other major events. Its car-oriented suburban location is characteristic of North American arenas built deliberately outside city centres during the 1990s.

Centre Robert-Guertin

Ottawa

The Centre Robert-Guertin was a multi-purpose arena in the Hull sector of Gatineau, Quebec, operating from 1957 until its demolition in 2024. With a capacity of around 4,000 to 5,000 for ice hockey, it served as home to the Olympiques de Gatineau, a junior hockey team in the LHJMQ. Built in the early 1950s and opened in 1957, its utilitarian design reflects the post-war sports infrastructure of the era. After nearly seven decades of use, the arena was torn down in 2024, marking the end of a chapter in local sports history.

Confederation Square

Ottawa

Confederation Square sits at the heart of Ottawa, Canada's capital, immediately adjacent to Parliament Hill. The triangular plaza serves as the country's primary ceremonial space and hosts national commemorations, most notably the Remembrance Day service on November 11th each year. At its center stands the National War Memorial, unveiled in 1939, with the sculptural group "The Response" — a column of soldiers passing through a triumphal arch. It honors Canadians who died in both World Wars and was later expanded to include inscriptions for the Korean War and other conflicts. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the base receives a regular honour guard. The square also holds the Valiants Memorial, commemorating ten remarkable Canadians, and sits at the intersection of some of Ottawa's most prominent streets.

Langevin Block (Office of the Prime Minister)

Ottawa

The Langevin Block – now officially the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council – is a Victorian government building from 1889 facing Parliament Hill in Ottawa. It houses the working office of the Canadian Prime Minister and the Privy Council offices. Named after Hector-Louis Langevin, one of the Fathers of Canadian Confederation, the building was designated a national historic site in 1977. In 2017, amid discussions about Langevin's role in the indigenous residential school system, it was renamed to its functional title. The imposing facade is clearly visible from the street.

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica Ottawa

Ottawa

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica on Sussex Drive is Ottawa's oldest church and the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. Completed in 1846, the building is distinguished by its twin-tower facade, whose spires are clad in silver metal in the Eastern Canadian tradition. Between the towers, a gilded Madonna statue stands on the roofline of the nave. Located next to the National Gallery of Canada, the basilica was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990.

Ottawa station

Ottawa

St. Patrick's Basilica Ottawa

Ottawa

St. Patrick's Basilica on Nepean Street is the oldest church in Ottawa serving the English-speaking community, and holds the rank of minor basilica within the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. Dedicated to Ireland's patron saint, the neo-Gothic building reflects the significant role Irish immigrants played in shaping early Ottawa. Its soaring interior with stained glass carries a calm, ceremonial atmosphere. The basilica is a regular stop on Doors Open Ottawa, the city's annual architectural heritage day.

Cape North Lighthouse

Ottawa

The Cape North Lighthouse is a cylindrical tower with a distinctive red and white checkerboard pattern that served mariners from Money Point near Cape North, Cape Breton from 1908 to 1980. Originally installed at Cape Race, Newfoundland, the tower was relocated twice in its lifetime. What makes this lighthouse unusual is that it ended up landlocked: today it stands indoors at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, preserved as a piece of Canadian maritime heritage far from the sea. Visitors can see the full tower up close inside the museum.

George Dunbar Bridge

Ottawa

The George Dunbar Bridge is a vehicular and pedestrian bridge in Ottawa, carrying Bronson Avenue over the Rideau River and connecting it to the Airport Parkway. It serves as one of the crossings linking the southern part of the city with its downtown core. The bridge is primarily functional transport infrastructure rather than a tourist destination, though it offers a quiet view of the Rideau River.