Major's Hill Park

Major’s Hill Park is a green hilltop beside the Ottawa River, tucked between the Parliament Buildings, the Rideau Canal locks and the Château Laurier in downtown Ottawa. It is one of the oldest public parks in the city and a pleasant corner of Canada’s capital and has some of the best views of Parliament Hill, the Ottawa River and the Canadian Museum of History across the water in Gatineau. The park is free to enter, and it is a pleasant place to walk, picnic or sit on the grass after visiting the nearby sights.

The name goes back to Major Daniel Bolton, an army officer who held the land in the early nineteenth century. The hill was then chosen by Lieutenant Colonel John By as the site of his residence while he oversaw the construction of the Rideau Canal in the late 1820s. His house stood here until it burned in the 1840s, and the hill was kept open as parkland afterward, becoming a public park later in the century. A statue of Colonel By, near the lookout, honours the man for whom the early town of Bytown was named.

The landscape is a mix of lawns, mature trees, flower beds and winding paths, with the ground sloping toward the river. In spring, tulips and other bulbs create colour, and in summer the grass is full of people relaxing. The park hosts events through the year, including concerts and festivals, and it is a lively place on summer weekends. A noonday gun, fired in some seasons from the park, is a tradition that surprises first-time visitors. The Header House, the surviving part of an old greenhouse complex, now holds the restaurant Tavern on the Hill, which has a terrace that looks across the park toward the river.

The surroundings add to the visit. The Ottawa Locks, where the Rideau Canal drops down to the river, lie below the park on one side, and the Bytown Museum is beside them. The ByWard Market is a short walk east, and the National Gallery of Canada, with its glass tower, is nearby on Sussex Drive. Walking along Mackenzie Avenue or through the park, you can take in many of the city’s main sights without needing a car.

The park is easy to reach on foot from Parliament Hill, and paid parking is available on streets nearby, though space is limited. For many people it is a quiet break from sightseeing, and it suits families and couples. Visitors will find it easy to combine with the locks and the market. Allow an hour for a stroll and a view, and more if you picnic or attend an event. Washrooms are open in the warmer months, and the park is generally open from morning until dusk.