City of Ottawa Museums - At Your Museum - March 2018

Celebrate Easter at the Estate

We’re celebrating the arrival of spring at Billings Estate National Historic Site! Explore why the spring season was so important to farming families like the Billings by planting your own carrot seed and taking it home to watch it grow. Learn more about Victorian-era Easter traditions, decorate eggs, meet the Easter Bunny, and more!

Hop into spring at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

We’ve got fun and games for the whole family at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum! Unscramble an Easter puzzle as you explore the Museum grounds. Put your skills to the test in an egg rolling competition or give the Easter basket relay a try. Cap it all off with a sweet treat and learn more about the maple syrup industry of the 1920s and 30s.

Egg-cellent fun at Fairfields Heritage House

Get crafty and decorate your very own fluffy bunny mask. Then get in character and hop out to the lawn at Fairfields Heritage House to search out all the eggs the Easter Bunny has hidden across the grounds.

Tune in! to March Break at the Ottawa Public Library

Explore local history through a musical lens with a March Break program at the Ottawa Public Library. We’re hosting fun and interactive children’s programs at various library branches during the week of March 12 to 16. Visit the OPL website for more information on these programs and to register: Log driver lifestyle; Have a swinging good time!; Sound, emotion, movement and your brain; and Dancing through the ages.

Artefact Showcase

The primary purpose of this heater was to warm a heavy, metal sad iron (flat iron) for use pressing fabric. Due to their relative portability, these heaters, fueled by coal oil or kerosene, were also used to boil water, as handheld lamps, or as carriage heaters. Though this model dates from between 1877 and 1905, heaters like this were common through the 1950s in rural communities where access to electricity was limited. Sometimes you will still see refurbished models in use as camp stoves! As demonstrated in these overlaid before and after photos, this heater was recently conserved. This work was completed by an Applied Museum Studies student as part of our community partnership with Algonquin College. Conservation is an important part of maintaining our artefact collections and provides an additional opportunity to learn more about the history of these objects and their role in our communities.

City in Motion launches at Ben Franklin Place

This spring we’re debuting a new, four-part exhibition highlighting the history of transportation in Ottawa and you can get a sneak peek beginning March 15 at the Atrium Gallery, Ben Franklin Place. From canoes and steam ships to trains and trolleys, this exhibition will explore all the ways Ottawa residents have travelled from point A to point B. The satellite exhibition will also be on display at City Hall in early May before opening in full at Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Nepean Museum, and Pinhey’s Point Historic Site later that month.

Make time for Play! at Nepean Museum

Play! The building blocks of learning is the perfect exhibition to enjoy during March Break! Kids can express their creativity from the drawing wall to the puppet theatre all while exploring how play-based learning encourages cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development. Nepean Museum is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and weekends from 1 pm to 4 pm. Daily admission to the Museum is free.

Coming soon to the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame

Our team is hard at work preparing an exciting new display for the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. This exhibition will tell the story of sport at the community level and will highlight nine sports and their impact on Ottawa. Stay tuned to this newsletter for more details!

See yourself as a Museums volunteer!

Are you interested in volunteering at a City of Ottawa Museum but aren’t quite sure what to expect from the experience? We’re hosting on-site introductions for new and prospective volunteers at Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Fairfields Heritage House, Nepean Museum, and Pinhey’s Point Historic Site. These sessions are a great way to learn more about our museums, programs, and volunteer opportunities! Visit our website to learn more; registration is required.

Summer hiring campaign

Do you know a university or college student who wants to help bring history to life for our visitors? Applications are now open for the position of Summer – Heritage Leader at Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Nepean Museum/Fairfields Heritage House, and Pinhey’s Point Historic Site.

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!