Q: Are the museums free?
A: You can visit many of our museums for free or by donation:
- Fairfields Heritage House
- Nepean Museum
- Osgoode Township Museum
- Pinhey’s Point Historic Site
- Vanier Museopark
- Watson’s Mill and Dickinson House
Q: Can I get to your museums using public transit?
A: You can visit the following museums using Ottawa’s public transit: *
- Billings Estate National Historic Site
- Bytown Museum
- Nepean Museum
- Vanier Museopark
* Note that some routes may require you to walk between stops and may not be accessible to all.
Q: What’s happening at the museums?
A: Our museums host weekend activities, community events, local markets and more on top of their permanent and special exhibitions, and school programs. To stay up to date with all 11 museums, visit our Events page.
Q: How can I get involved in my local museum?
A: Discover your local museums by visiting our Museums page. Please contact them directly for volunteer or job opportunities or find postings on our Careers page.
Q: What is the OMN? Can I visit?
A: The OMN is a network of 11 museums across the Ottawa region. OMN staff work behind the scenes to help promote and support our museum members. As a result, the OMN itself is not a museum and does not have public offices. To plan a visit to a museum, visit our Museums pages.
Q: When are the museums open?
A: As opening times can change depending on the season and special events, please visit our Museums pages for more information about museum admission information.
Q: Do the museums have gift shops?
A: Yes, many of our museums have online or on-site gift shops, including:
- Bytown Museum
- Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum
- Goulbourn Museum
- Osgoode Township Museum
- Watson’s Mill and Dickinson House
Q: What periods of history do your museums cover?
A: Our museums cover many topics and time periods in Ottawa’s history, including:
- 1920s and 1930s rural history
- 19th– and 20th-century agricultural history
- 19th-century military history
- Cold war history (1950s-1990s)
- Local history from the 19th century until present
- Francophone history from the 19th century until present
- Industrial history (flour milling) in the 19th century
Q: Can I see artifacts online?
A: Yes, you can view some artifacts from our museums online on the Ottawa Museums & Archives Collections (OMAC) website.
Q: Do your museums have online exhibitions?
A: Many of our museums have online exhibitions and virtual tours. Please visit our Museum pages or the museums’ individual websites to explore and find out more.
Q: Can I rent space at any of the museums for special events?
A: Yes—some of our members have indoor and some have outdoor space that can be rented for special events, including meetings and even weddings! Please contact the museums directly to inquire about rentals.
Q: Are there outdoor exhibits or just indoor spaces?
A: Some of our museums have outdoor exhibits. These include:
- The heritage garden, livestock pens, and buildings at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum
- The heritage garden and orchard at Osgoode Township Museum
- The sugar bush and Author’s Walk (featuring Franco-Ontarian authors) at Vanier Museopark
- The heritage garden at Goulbourn Museum
- The grounds at Pinhey’s Point Historic Site and Billings Estate National Historic Site
Q: I want to partner with the OMN, how do I get in touch?
A: We would love to hear from you about potential partnerships. Please fill out the form on our Contact Us page.
Q: I am a teacher. Do you have resources for Ontario’s curriculum?
A: Yes! Our museums offer Ontario curriculum-based programming, in person, online and in hybrid formats. Please visit our School Programs page to view and search through available programming by language, format, museum, grade level, and theme.
Q: Do any of the museums have summer camps, March Break camps, or special activities for PD days?
A: Yes. To learn more about March Break camps and special activities, please visit our Events page or follow our museums on social media.
Q: Are the museums bilingual?
A: Yes, many of our museums offer fully bilingual services, tours, exhibitions, events, and programs. These include:
- Bytown Museum
- Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum
- Vanier Museopark
Q: Do you represent Canada’s national museums?
A: We do not represent the national museums in Ottawa. Our network is comprised of 11 small community and city-run museums that focus on Ottawa’s local history.
