Rideau Hall — Attraction in Ottawa

Rideau Hall (Government House) located at 1 Sussex dr. is the official residence of the British monarch and its Governor General. Its massive estate host visiting royalty, foreign heads of State and parliamentary galas where the prime minister and federal members of parliament are sworn into office. On the 88 acre site you will find a fountain of Hope dedicated to the late Terry Fox who through his Marathon of Hope raised money and awareness of cancer research, Ceremonial trees and lovely open gardens. There is also Rideau cottage that currently hosts Canada's Prime Minister and his family while the official Prime Minister's residence, 24 Sussex is having a major overhaul. The grounds of Rideau Hall are open to the public and it is a nice place to see. There is lots of security and even more restrictions due to covid so it is good to plan your trip from information on their web site. There has been more challenges by Canadians concerning the role of Britian"s monarchy and its governance role over Canada. Furthermore, some Governor Generals (appointed by Canada's Prime Minister approved by the Queen of England) have created several scandles where the Governor Generals have abused their power, taken lavish trips, decided by themselves to not fulfill their public service responsibilities. These poorly selected people may encourage change in Canada's political system. If constitutional reform was not so difficult to achieve then it probably would have happened a very long time ago.

Update: On July 2, 2020 Correy Hurren drove his truck through the gates of Rideau Hall. Hurren wanted to arrest sitting Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau to make a statement over the government's COVID restrictions and the ban on assault firearms. There was over $100,000 of damage to the gate and no one was injured. Hurren was arrested peacefully and sentenced to 6 years in jail.

When asked if he had any regrets, Hurren said he wished he "saw the Terry Fox statue by Parliament Hill." I have included a photo of the Terry Fox statue infront of Parliament Hill so you can see what Hurren missed seeing. Maybe you can see the statue when you come to Ottawa.

If you like my reviews, photos or videos give them a thumbs up. Feel free to take advantage of the official grounds at Rideau Hall, just do...

I attended a lovely concert on the grounds of the Rideau Hall today (August 4, 2018). At the closing of the concert, the events coordinator invited all attendees to visit the Rideau Hall. When I arrived, I went through the large doors at the front entrance of the building and was aggressively accosted by an old security guard whose only response was "Go." I begged him pardon, to which he replied "Go!" I told him I wanted to visit the hall, he responded again with "GO!" while pointing to the right. I asked him why I deserved to be treated this way, he ignored me and left.

I have no idea why I was turned away (Did I go through the wrong doors? Did I need to book a tour? I don't know!) but I felt incredibly unwelcomed, confused and humiliated. There were also clearly plenty of tourists inside and outside.

I am deeply disappointed by the way I was treated. I have never done this before, but I will try my best to make a formal complaint. I was alone, I am a man of very small stature, I was wearing modest clothing, I am exceedingly polite and yet I was treated like a...

This is a nice place to visit. It's free, and there's few people, no crowds. Very nice, friendly, helpful staff. The gardens are a pleasant, easy walk. There's many trees, planted by important, historic people. The Rose Garden is beautiful with monuments highlighting Canadian history. The house tour only covers a half dozen important state rooms. But they are beautiful, with many works of art. Most of the grand house is not open to the public. Most of the tour is an informative lecture on past and present Governor Generals, their duties and, oddly, commemorative meritorious medals awarded to Canadians. It's not suitable for young children in the home, but there's plenty of room to run outside. There's no parking on site. Park on residential streets on the west side of the grounds. The main entrance is on the north west corner. Walk to the Visitor Center first, for tour information. Overall, it's worth a visit, but you'll easily see everything worth seeing in about an...