Rideau Hall

One of the highlights of our visit to Ottawa, at least for me, was visiting Rideau Hall. It is the official residence of the Governor General. The grounds are open to the public. When we visited, the building was in the middle of renovation and restoration.

The grounds and gardens are lovely, and really serve as a public park. Many locals come to enjoy them. There are many trees on the grounds planted by various visiting dignitaries marked by plaques. The kids were not satisfied until they found the tree planted by JFK.

There are free tours of part of the building. Some visitors, although not us, have been surprised by the Governor General herself meeting them. You can take pictures with the guards, although I saw one boy who was startled when the guard he was standing beside moved. The guards are changed on a regular basis. This involves a "parade" of just five soldiers.

I had not visited Rideau Hall on my previous trips to Ottawa, but am glad I did on this trip. I would recommend taking the time to visit and stroll the grounds.