Bytown Museum, Heritage museum at Ottawa Locks, Canada.
The Bytown Museum occupies Ottawa's oldest stone building and displays over 7,000 objects that show how the region developed across different time periods. The collections include items from daily life, crafts, commerce, and infrastructure that tell the stories of the people who lived here.
The museum was founded in 1917 by the Women's Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa and operated first from the City Registry Office before moving to the Commissariat Building in 1951. The relocation connected the collection with a structure that had played a key role in the region's early growth.
The museum hosts rotating exhibitions featuring works by local artists, embassies, and cultural groups, offering perspectives on how communities have lived and developed in this area. These displays show how people today connect with the region's different traditions.
The museum provides audio guides in multiple languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese to support different visitors. Opening hours extend during summer months, and admission is free on Thursday evenings.
The stone vault on the first floor originally served to store money, supplies, and gunpowder while the Rideau Canal was being built. This hidden space reveals the practical side of the early infrastructure projects that shaped the city.
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