As part of the ongoing renovations on Parliament Hill, the Senate has permanently moved across the street into Ottawa's old train station. Tours last around 30 minutes and are great for history and political boffins. It's best to book in advance on the website as there are no tours when the Senate is in session.
Senate of Canada
Ottawa
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.39 MILES
The National Gallery is a work of art in itself: its striking ensemble of pink granite and glass spires echoes the ornate copper-topped towers of the…
0.77 MILES
Allow plenty of time to experience this high-tech, must-see museum across the river, in Hull, Québec. Documenting the history of Canada through a range of…
1.17 MILES
Fascinating displays twist through the labyrinthine interior of this sculpture-like, modern museum, tracing Canada's military history with the nation's…
0.26 MILES
Vast, yawning archways, copper-topped turrets and Gothic-Revival gargoyles dominate the facade of the stunning lime-and-sandstone parliament buildings…
0.88 MILES
This imposing baronial building houses one of the world's best natural history collections, which the vast museum brings to life with modern and…
1.52 MILES
In 2007, this National Historic Site became Canada's 14th location to be named a World Heritage site, and it remains one of the country's eight cultural…
17.99 MILES
During the Cold War, paranoid officials commissioned this gargantuan four-floored, secret subterranean bunker, designed to allow the government to operate…
0.36 MILES
Built in the 1840s, this shimmering tin-topped house of worship is the oldest church in all of Ottawa and the seat of the city's Roman Catholic archbishop…
Nearby Ottawa attractions
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Descend the stairs alongside the Ottawa Locks on Wellington St to find the Bytown Museum, sitting at the last lock before the artificial canal plunges…
0.24 MILES
The series of steep, step-like locks between the Château Laurier and Parliament Hill marks the north end of the 200km Rideau Canal, which flows all the…
0.26 MILES
Vast, yawning archways, copper-topped turrets and Gothic-Revival gargoyles dominate the facade of the stunning lime-and-sandstone parliament buildings…
4. Notre Dame Cathedral-Basilica
0.36 MILES
Built in the 1840s, this shimmering tin-topped house of worship is the oldest church in all of Ottawa and the seat of the city's Roman Catholic archbishop…
0.39 MILES
The National Gallery is a work of art in itself: its striking ensemble of pink granite and glass spires echoes the ornate copper-topped towers of the…
0.45 MILES
Although Canada's circulation-coin mint is in Winnipeg, the royal mint holds its own by striking special pieces. The imposing stone building, which looks…
0.6 MILES
This intimidating structure strikes an intriguing architectural balance between its modern concrete shell and its traditional copper roof. Visitors can…
8. Library & National Archives of Canada
0.77 MILES
The mandate of this monstrous concrete institution is to collect and preserve the documentation of Canada. Behind the tiny checkered windows lies a vast…