You could not choose a better city to bring the family over the March Break!
With dozens of Museums and attractions, there is no shortage of things to do in Ottawa. The Lord Elgin Hotel is in the center of all the action, making it the ideal place to stay while you explore the city and have your Perfect March Break Family adventure. When you have finished exploring all there is to see, you can cozy up by the fireplace and play some board games (we have several on hand for you to choose from), or go for a swim in our large swimming pool and warm up in the hot tub or sauna. It will be a wonderful break for the entire family! Click here to book your Perfect March Break now.
Here is just a sampling of what you can do during your Ottawa March Break.
Explore Ottawa for less.
You can now save more with the Ottawa Museums Pass. Choose between a one-day or three-day pass that gives you discounted entry into all of Capital region’s national museums and more. Now with a limited time discount!
Get Active (Indoors and Outdoors)
Camp Fortune
How often can you access a downhill ski center within a 15-minute drive from a major city? This is what makes Gatineau Park’s Camp Fortune, located in Chelsea, Que., so convenient – especially for Spring Break Lessons. The 3 or 4-day programs for kids aged 4 and up include a two-hour lesson and open skiing (the lift ticket is valid for the day), and full-day programs are available for kids aged 7 and up. All programming is offered on weekdays during both the Quebec and Ontario March Breaks.
Maple Syrup Fun
Maple taffy on snow, horse-drawn sleigh rides, delicious pancake breakfasts or brunch – what’s not to love about maple season? Several sugar bushes and other sites located throughout Canada’s Capital Region offer programming during the 2026 maple season, which runs from late February to early April. Check out some of our local Maple farms
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 1st to April 12th.
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 Cultured
Ottawa Art Gallery
The new Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) in downtown Ottawa is offering fully bilingual and hands-on creative camps during both the Ontario and Quebec March break.
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? Each day during the Ontario March Break at the Diefenbunker’s Spy Camp, (kids 7 to 12 years of age learn these new skills and more. The museum is located about 30 minutes west of downtown Ottawa in Carp, Ont. Before and after care is available.
Canadian Museum of Nature
The museum is a great school-break destination for families, with the museum open daily from February 28 to March 22 from 9:30am until 5:00 pm (Thursdays until 8 pm).
Butterflies in Flight
Note: Wait times may be up to 30 minutes on weekends and holidays.
Enter a world of brilliant, live butterflies! Experience the beauty of nature up close as these delicate creatures soar freely in our Solarium. A warm tropical paradise welcomes dozens of new pupae from Costa Rica and the Philippines every week. Watch the amazing transformation of diverse species into majestic butterflies, including the stunning blue morpho, vibrant swallowtails and the iconic monarch, among others!
TICKETS: Advance tickets are recommended, and are for a specified entry time. Book now.
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). Tel: 613-566-4700.
Canadian Museum of History
Housed in a scenic riverfront building designed by Indigenous architect Douglas Cardinal, the Museum is one of Canada’s most popular and introduces visitors to 15,000 years of social and human history — including compelling personal stories; Indigenous cultures, histories and achievements; thought-provoking international exhibitions; and play-based learning at the Children’s Museum.
Home | 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.
Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
Meet the 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.
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 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.