Bytown Museum

The Bytown Museum is housed in the historic Commissariat Building, the oldest surviving stone building in Ottawa. The site sits picturesquely in the Colonel By Valley at the locks of the Rideau Canal, directly below Parliament Hill. The museum was founded in 1917 by the Women's Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa to give the society's rich collections a permanent home. After a move to its current location in 1951, the building became home to the exhibits, though it had to be temporarily relocated between 1982 and 1985 while Parks Canada carried out renovations.

The permanent exhibition, titled "Where Ottawa Begins," spans the second and third floors. The second floor tells the story of the National Capital Region from the beginnings of European settlement to Ottawa's incorporation in 1855. The third floor is devoted to the city's later development, social life in the Victorian era, and major historical events such as the murder of Thomas D'Arcy McGee and the burning of the Parliament building. There are also temporary galleries and a special area for children called "A Day in My Life."