At Your Museum - February 2018

Warm up to winter at your local museums

Play in the past. Make happy memories for the future.

Make tracks at Pinhey’s Point Historic Site

Did you know that cold winter conditions could actually make travel and transportation easier for settling families like the Pinheys? Experience a classic mode of winter travel and see Pinhey’s Point Historic Site in all its winter beauty with our snowshoe programs. Both Sunday Snowshoe and Snowshoeing under the Stars offer a fun way to embrace winter and to learn more about how early residents experienced the season. Visit our website for dates and info on how you can register.

Explore Ottawa’s winter heritage at Winterlude

Winterlude is celebrating the big 4-0 and we’re joining in on the fun! “Winter Heritage with the City of Ottawa Museums” will be at City Hall on February 18 and 19 from 11 am to 4 pm. Imagine winters of years past while giving period costumes a try and interacting with our artefact touch table. Getting into the Olympic spirit? Give table-top curling or a seasonal craft a sporting try.

March Break programs at your Ottawa Public Library

Join staff from Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Nepean Museum, or Pinhey’s Point Historic Site at your local library for a fun and interactive series of March Break programs. Each program has a different theme and will allow kids to explore local history with a musical twist! Visit the Ottawa Public Library website for more info and to register.

Artefact Showcase

When royalty take public transportation, they ride in style! At least that was the case in 1901 when the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York visited Ottawa during their tour of the British Empire. A private royal streetcar was outfitted especially for the future King George V and Queen consort Mary. The opulent furnishings included 14 of the chair pictured here and the streetcar itself stood as a demonstration of the manufacturing skill of the Ottawa Car Company. You can learn more about the history of streetcars and rail in Ottawa as part of the upcoming City in Motion exhibition.

Sneak Peek at City in Motion

An exciting new exhibition is coming to your City of Ottawa Museums this spring and you can get a sneak peak at the Atrium Gallery, Ben Franklin Place beginning March 15. City in Motion will take you on a journey through Ottawa’s transportation history from birch bark canoes to electric rail and beyond! Following its run at Ben Franklin Place, the exhibition preview will also be on display at City Hall before all four complete modules open at Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Nepean Museum and Pinhey’s Point Historic Site respectively in May.

Family fun at Nepean Museum

Did you know Nepean Museum is open all winter? Take a break from the chilly weather and step inside to explore our latest exhibition: Play! The building blocks of learning. Play! is a hands-on museum experience, perfect for kids of all ages (and adults who are kids at heart). Visit our website for information on hours of operation.

Thank you to our volunteers!

Thank you to all the City of Ottawa Museums volunteers who were able to join us at the “Crème de la Crème” ice cream party in January! We greatly appreciate the varied contributions of all our volunteers and had a blast celebrating all of 2017’s successes with you. Spring will be here before you know it and we are already gearing up for Easter programs at several of the museums. If you are interested in joining the City of Ottawa Museums volunteer team, please contact us for more information.

Follow us on Facebook!

Get the most up-to-date details about special events and programs by following us on Facebook. Billings Estate National Historic Site Cumberland Heritage Village Museum Fairfields Heritage House Nepean Museum Pinhey’s Point Historic Site Doors Open Ottawa You can also find Cumberland Heritage Village Museum on Instagram! Do you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for our newsletter? Please contact Jennifer Maybank at jennifer.maybank@ottawa.ca or call 613-580-2424 ext. 29289.