Rideau Hall

Ottawa

LoginSave

Home of the Governor General, Rideau Hall was built in the 1830s with grand additions made by successive governors. There are free 45-minute walking tours of the fancy residence, featuring anecdotes about the various goings-on over the years. Otherwise, from 8am to one hour before sunset, the grounds are free to be enjoyed at your leisure (as is the building between 3pm and 4:30pm in July and August).

Outside of the summer months, reservations are required for residence tours during weekdays.

At the main gate, the small changing-of-the-guard ceremony happens on the hour between 9am and 5pm from the end of June until the end of August.

Walk east along Sussex/Princess Dr to take a glance at Rockcliffe Village, Ottawa's swankiest neighborhood and home to prominent Canadians and most foreign diplomats.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • (GERMANY OUT) Hull: Canadian Museum of Civilisation(Außensicht)- 1996 col (Photo by Merten/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Canadian Museum of History

    1.55 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…

  • Ottawa, Canada - September 17, 2017: Maman (1999) is a bronze, stainless steel, and marble sculpture by the artist Louise Bourgeois. It is in front of The National Gallery of Canada, located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries. 960641114

    National Gallery of Canada

    1.19 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…

  • Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Ontario

    Canadian War Museum

    2.38 MILES

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

  • The Golden Parliament hill

    Parliament Hill

    1.54 MILES

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

  • Dinosaur exhibits at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

    Canadian Museum of Nature

    2.2 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…

  • Rideau Canal

    Rideau Canal

    2.78 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…

  • Canada Agriculture & Food Museum

    Canada Agriculture & Food Museum

    3.94 MILES

    Nope, the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum isn’t about the history of the pitchfork – it’s a fascinating experimental farm. The government-owned…

  • Diefenbunker

    Diefenbunker

    18.76 MILES

    During the Cold War, paranoid officials commissioned this gargantuan four-floored, secret subterranean bunker, designed to allow the government to operate…

View more attractions

Nearby Ottawa attractions

1. Notre Dame Cathedral-Basilica

1.13 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…

2. Royal Canadian Mint

1.14 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…

3. National Gallery of Canada

1.19 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…

4. Laurier House National Historic Site

1.23 MILES

This copper-roofed Victorian home built in 1878 was the residence of two notable prime ministers: Wilfrid Laurier and the eccentric Mackenzie King. The…

5. Ottawa Locks

1.37 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…

6. Bytown Museum

1.4 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…

7. Senate of Canada

1.41 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. Parliament Hill

1.54 MILES

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

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "canada/ontario/ottawa/attractions/rideau-hall/a/poi-sig/1367346/361401",
  "destination": "Ottawa",
  "city": "Ottawa",
  "position": "superzone"
}