Why are the museums in Ottawa all closed on Monday?

January 18, 2008 by Barbara.

With Grandma, Uncle Roger, Aunt Lisa and Brock in Ottawa for an extended weekend, I ran headlong into an unpleasant hostessing reality. All of the national museums in Ottawa are closed on Monday during the winter. It’s not that scandalous, I suppose, except that it seems silly not to expect tourists to come for a long weekend and want to visit a museum. Ottawa is a cold weather destination, after all, with cross country ski trails in the city, in Gatineau Park and elsewhere in the region. There are many downhill ski resorts close by as well. And, of course, Ottawa is known for Winterlude and the World’s Longest Skateway on the Rideau Canal. People in Winnipeg have lately challenged the latter claim and the January thaw we’re coming out of isn’t helping Ottawa’s claim much. Still and all, Ottawa is city to be visited in the winter. I should note that the Agriculture Museum is as open on Mondays as it is on any day in the winter, which is to say that the barns are open but there are no guides in them and the exhibit space is closed. It’s a good, free diversion but not the sort of thing to which you’d send out-of-town folk. I turned to my handy-dandy entertainment coupon book for inspiration and got lucky. The Diefenbunker is open 7 days a week year round.

On Monday afternoon, Uncle Roger, Aunt Lisa and Brock headed to Carp (pronounced cairp by the locals) and the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum. From all accounts, they each found it an interesting experience. I particularly enjoy this museum as it is unlike other museum I’ve visited (and that includes many museums, military and otherwise). I was surprised that Uncle Roger hadn’t been there before but I guess I don’t think to recommend it as often as I should.

I haven’t been since Reid still rode around in the Baby Bjorn carrier on my front and I’d come, too.

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