OTTAWA BEGINS HERE!

From the arrival of Lieutenant-Colonel John By and the construction of the Rideau Canal, during the lumber era, to the naming of Ottawa as our nation’s capital and through to the First World War, our Permanent Gallery invites visitors to discover the stories, see the objects and meet the people that shaped Bytown and early Ottawa!

Audio Tour

Explore our Permanent Gallery at your leisure or accompanied by our audio tour (included FREE with admission) which is available in six languages:

English (mp3)
French (mp3)
Spanish (mp3)
German (mp3)
Mandarin (mp3)
Japanese (mp3)