Spring Fever heats up Ottawa!

Spring Fever Hits Ottawa – Stay with Us & Experience the Bloom

Spring in Ottawa is a time of renewal, vibrant colors, and unforgettable experiences. As the city comes alive with blooming tulips and festive events, there’s no better place to stay than the Lord Elgin Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Ottawa.

Experience the Canadian Tulip Festival

History: During WWII, Canadian soldiers bravely battled in Europe, culminating in their becoming the lead troops in the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945. During the war, then Princess Juliana and her family fled to safety in Canada. In 1943, Princess Juliana gave birth to her daughter in Ottawa. To ensure the newborn Princess Margriet was a natural-born citizen of the Netherlands, Canada temporarily declared the maternity ward of the Ottawa Civic Hospital to be extraterritorial. In the fall of 1945, in gratitude for Canadian hospitality and, more importantly, to honour Canadian troops for their leadership in liberating their homeland, the Royal Family provided a gift of 100,000 Dutch tulip bulbs. The Kingdom of the Netherlands has presented Canada with 20,000 bulbs every year since. In the hands of the National Capital Commission, the Dutch gifts have been transformed into over a kilometer of over 100,000 fabulous tulip blooms in Commissioner’s Park near Dow’s Lake. This forms the centerpiece attraction of the Canadian Tulip Festival. This year marks the 75th Anniversary of this remarkable relationship!

Lord Elgin has always had a special relationship with the Canadian Tulip Festival. In 1953, it was world-renowned photographer Malak Karsh who developed the idea of the tulip festival. His iconic photographs have forever immortalized the tulip, proclaimed as the city of Ottawa’s Official Flower in 2002 and now recognized worldwide as a symbol of friendship and peace. The Festival honors Karsh with the Homage to Malak Photography Exhibit in our Lobby Gallery here at Lord Elgin.

Our millions of tulips set the stage for a celebration of authentic art, cultural, historic, culinary, and family tulip experiences at a number of official venues. At Commissioners Park – Dow’s Lake, tour the 1 KM stretch of colorful and commemorative tulip beds and learn their history with guided tours or catch the Victoria Weekend fireworks. Head to the ByWard Market to tiptoe through a garden of urban tulip art, promotions, and activities. Explore tulips across the capital when you visit gardens on the Garden Promenade.

Uniquely Canadian and one of the largest events of its kind in the world!

Celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands at the Canadian Tulip Festival, a cherished Ottawa tradition. With over 300,000 tulips in bloom, the festival offers a plethora of free and family-friendly activities:

Opening Ceremony: CIBC Tulip Trek May 8 – 18, 2026 – 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Tulip Trail: Tulip Trail May 8 – 18, 2026 – 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Tulip Taxi – May 8 – 18, 2026 – 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Dutch Pavilion – May 8 – 18, 2026 – A Dutch Experience with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Arteast Pavilion – May 8 – 18, 2026 – 10:00 am – 6:00 pm daily
Tulip Market – May 8 – 18, 2026 – 10:00 am – 6:00 pm Weekdays, 10:00am – 8:00pm.
Self-guided Tour – May 8 – 18, 2026 – 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Flower Fun Run – Sunday, May 9, 2026 – 12:00 pm
Opening Ceremony – Saturday, May 9th, 2026 – 11:00am – 12:00pm
Korean Pavilion – May 8 – 18, 2026

We love our bikes here in Ottawa and have more trails than you can imagine. Explore our page HERE devoted just to Cycling in and around the Capital!

Gatineau Park has officially opened its trails and beaches for the spring and summer seasons! The snow has disappeared and the sun is making its way through the trees, warming up all of the hiking paths. The trails continue to be a wonderful spectacle as the weather increases, with beautiful lakes and scenic routes.

Parc Omega offers many different options for families, animal lovers, and those who want to be outside all year round! They offer car tours as well as walking tours which allow you to get into nature and see a variety of animals in their natural habitats.

Visit the Arboretum, located on Ottawa’s experimental farm which is home to Canada’s Agriculture and Food Museum! Come walk through the park and enjoy the blooming flowers and the warm spring air this season.

Get on the water at Dow’s Lake. Since the beginning of May, canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats are now available for rental until the end of the summer.

Camp Fortune is known to Ottawa as a ski resort during the winter. However, starting in the spring those giant hills get a makeover and are turned into zip lines and high ropes courses! Leave your skis at home and bring your sneakers for an aerial adventure.

Just steps away from the Lord Elgin Hotel is Ottawa’s Marathon (Race Weekend – this year virtual) on the weekend of May 24 and 25, which has become one of North America’s premier racing events. This race weekend offers a variety of events ranging from 2 to more than 40 km for racing enthusiasts of all levels and those who come to encourage them. All you have to do is stay at the Lord Elgin Hotel to be at the starting line when you jump out of bed!

Ottawa Marathon - Lord Elgin Hotel — Race Weekend Ottawa

Get Cultured

Ottawa Art Gallery

The new Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) in downtown Ottawa is an all-time favorite!!

Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum

Where else can your kids learn the art of espionage including disguising for cover, breaking codes, and using spy gadgets? The museum is located about 30 minutes west of downtown Ottawa in Carp, Ont. Before and after care is available.

Canadian Museum of Nature

Butterflies in Flight

Enter a world of brilliant, live butterflies! Experience the beauty of nature close as these delicate creatures soar freely.

TICKETS:

To visit Butterflies in Flight, you must get a combo, which also includes access to our permanent galleries and ultra-high-definition movies.

Timed ticketing is in effect for your visit to Butterflies in Flight:

- - When you are buying your combo, choose a time to start your visit to Butterflies in Flight
  - Capacity in the exhibition is limited; time slots can sell out
    - Plan on spending about 15 minutes in the exhibition.

The Canadian Museum of Nature is located at 240 McLeod St, Ottawa. Visit nature.ca. Follow the museum on X (twitter.com/museumofnature) and Instagram (museumofnature), and Like us on Facebook. Tel: 613-566-4700.

National Gallery of Canada

During both the Quebec and Ontario March Breaks, the National Gallery of Canada offers a range of art activities and games at the Artissimo kiosk. Or have fun and get messy at the Artissimo Studio while experimenting with clay, paint or soap carving. These hands-on family programs are included with Gallery admission. While there, don’t miss the Canadian and Indigenous galleries and special exhibits!

Canadian Museum of History

This museum has something for all ages, and the architecture alone is worth the visit!! Check out the many exhibitions over the March Break, including the all-time favorite Children’s Museum at the Canadian Museum of History.

Canadian War Museum

The iconic Canadian War Museum is a must-see destination for anyone interested in the cost of conflict and humankind’s enduring desire for peace. The Museum, which ranked number 1 on TripAdvisor’s list of Things to Do in Ottawa, explores Canadian military history from early wars in Canada to contemporary conflicts. It features unique architecture, a display of large military artillery, thought-provoking exhibitions, moving personal stories of Canadians in times of war, priceless works of art, and spaces for quiet reflection and remembrance.

Home | Canadian War Museum

Canada Agriculture and Food Museum

From Feb 21 to March 20, the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum features Winter Wimsey. Meet our featured farm animals of the day, or lace up your skates and enjoy the fresh, wintry air on our outdoor skating rink (weather dependent). On Family Day, learn about our feathered friends — then help our backyard birds by making them a winter treat to take home. During the Quebec and Ontario school breaks, discover the science behind maple syrup…and join us in welcoming the newest members of the farm family as lambing season begins.

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Participate in out-of-this world activities and learn about aviation and aerospace during March Break at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Activities are available for children of all ages and are free at the price of museum admission.

Canada Science and Technology Museum

Keeping kids’ brain cells active during March Break has never been so fun! Visit the Canada Science and Technology Museum for fun-filled activities, experiments, and demonstrations linked to coding, engineering, neuroscience, and more. Activities are available for children of all ages and are free at the price of museum admission.

Sugar Shacks

Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush

Located in Pakenham, Ont., just under an hour’s drive west of downtown Ottawa, the family-run Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush offer the traditional sugar bush experience, including tours of the syrup-making operation, meals in the pancake house, and horse-drawn sleigh rides through the woods. Fulton’s also produces maple-based culinary and spa products which are sold in their Maple Shoppe (see the last item in this list to learn about maple’s health benefits).

Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm

Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm, located about 30 minutes east of downtown Ottawa in Edwards, Ont., also offers a traditional sugar bush experience, plus a petting farm and a children’s play area, and even an Easter egg hunt.

Proulx Maple & Berry Farm

Located just east of Ottawa in Cumberland, Ont., Proulx Maple & Berry Farm offers a traditional sugar bush experience as well, including weekend brunch. Take one of their guided tours to learn how maple syrup is made, visit the small animal petting farm and let the kids let loose in the play parks. Sugarbush and pancake breakfast from March 5th to April 10th.

Log Farm

One of the newest additions to the Ottawa maple scene is the Log Farm, a pioneer-style working farm located in the Nepean area, just west of downtown Ottawa. The site is open to visitors at different periods of the year, including the popular maple season in March and April. Meet the farm animals, enjoy taffy on snow, take a wagon ride, collect maple sap and see how syrup is made. The Log Farm also features another Canadian treat this maple season: the iconic BeaverTail pastries!

Get Wild

Omega Park

Omega Park, located in Montebello, Que. – just a 45-minute drive from downtown Ottawa – is a large wildlife park that immerses visitors in Canadian wildlife and First Nations’ history. You can take a Canadian safari any time of year through the natural habitat of animals like deer, elk, bison, caribou, and wolves. Plus, the park is offering a variety of special programming during both the Quebec and Ontario March Breaks including live demonstrations by a chainsaw wood carving artist (Thursdays to Sundays), wagon rides, maple taffy in the traditional sugar shack, farm animals in the heritage farm (daily), as well as special animation throughout the park, including musicians!

Get Locked Up

Haunted Walk of Ottawa

The cloaked guides from the Haunted Walk of Ottawa dare you to join them on their tours of the historic old Carleton County Jail and many other areas of Ottawa!

Escape Rooms

Nothing bonds a family and friends together like choosing to be locked up in a room and working together to escape! Escape attractions throughout the city like Escape Manor and Jigsaw Escape Rooms have rooms and themes that are suitable for all ages. If your kids are older, you might even be able to create your own escape by sitting back and relaxing in the lounge areas (some of which have cash bars) while your kids have a blast solving clues and attempting to break out.

And…while it is still early….

here are some sneak peeks of what is in store this summer..

Ottawa Jazz Festival 2025 Lord Elgin Hotel
The Ottawa Jazz Festival which takes place in Confederation Park from June 20 to 29th, right across the street from the hotel, has a stellar line-up this summer. Check it out here!! LINE-UP AND FESTIVAL DETAILS

On the heels of the Jazz Festival, is Bluesfest from July 4 to 14th… Check out their line-up this year here: BLUESFEST 2025