Library & National Archives of Canada

Ottawa


The mandate of this monstrous concrete institution is to collect and preserve the documentation of Canada. Behind the tiny checkered windows lies a vast anthology of records, including paintings, maps, photographs, diaries, letters, posters and 60,000 cartoons and caricatures collected over the past two centuries. Rotating exhibits are displayed on the ground floor.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ottawa attractions

1. Supreme Court of Canada

0.2 MILES

This intimidating structure strikes an intriguing architectural balance between its modern concrete shell and its traditional copper roof. Visitors can…

2. Canadian War Museum

0.4 MILES

Fascinating displays twist through the labyrinthine interior of this sculpture-like, modern museum, tracing Canada's military history with the nation's…

3. Parliament Hill

0.54 MILES

Vast, yawning archways, copper-topped turrets and Gothic-Revival gargoyles dominate the facade of the stunning lime-and-sandstone parliament buildings…

4. Canadian Museum of History

0.65 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…

5. Bytown Museum

0.67 MILES

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…

6. Ottawa Locks

0.69 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…

7. Senate of Canada

0.77 MILES

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…

8. National Gallery of Canada

0.84 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…

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