Weekly Summer Events at Billings Estate

Billings Estate- 2100 Cabot Street

Captains of Industry

Wednesdays in July from 1 pm to 3 pm

Do you have a future Captain of Industry in your family? This series of programs introduces young visitors to the people who helped make local history great. Just to name a few of the Captains of Industry topics and activities: build a steamboat and play a traditional canal builders’ game to learn about Colonel By, learn about Philemon Wright and the lumber industry by exploring the forestry at the estate and building a log cabin with Lincoln Logs™, with Thomas McKay’s story told through making cement stones and using Jenga™ to understand the engineering of walls.  Ages 8  - 12. Cost: $6/participant.

Geology Rocks

Thursdays in July from 1 pm to 3 pm

Not many people nowadays know that Elkanah Billings was the first professional paleontologist in Canada and worked in the field of geology. This series of programs for budding scientists celebrates Elkanah’s efforts by using hands-on activities to teach about fossils and dinosaurs, minerals, land formations, and volcanoes and earthquakes – including building a beaker volcano using sand and wax! Ages 8 – 12. Cost: $6/participant.

Little Critters

Fridays in July from 10 am to 11:30 am

With 8 acres of parkland so close to the downtown core, this program encourages discovery of the littlest critters living on site. Inspired by the Billings’ own amateur entomologist – Braddish II – young children will learn about a new insect and its lifecycle each week, play insect-related games, go on bug hunts, and make crafts to take home. Bring a picnic lunch or pick up one from our tea room and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the grounds. Ages 3 – 5. Cost: $6/participant.

Preschool Picnics at the Museum

Fridays in August from 10 am to 11:30 am

Introduce your little ones to the wonders of museums at an early age! Preschool Picnics encourage imaginative learning through role playing as Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk (and others!), making fossils to learn about natural history, doing “chores” like pioneer children would have done, and playing matching games to learn about big vs. little to help them understand the world around them. A small picnic lunch is provided. Ages 3 – 5. Cost: $8/participant.

Can You Dig It?

Wednesdays in August from 1 pm to 3 pm

Unearth Ottawa’s best kept secrets by digging into our outdoor, hands-on archaeology program! Each one of these weekly programs focuses on a different aspect of archaeology, and delves into the past by having children participate in archaeological digs to discover buried artefacts. Topics range from how to set up a digging grid, to artifact dating techniques, to making a time capsule.  Ages 6 – 12. Cost: $6/participant.

History Detectives

Thursdays in August from 1 pm to 3 pm

Do you have an aspiring Sherlock Holmes at home? Our History Detectives series of weekly programs presents a different mystery to solve by collecting a series of clues, studying evidence, and carrying out investigative work to crack the case! Helping children develop deductive reasoning skills and teaching them about the history of the Estate becomes fun with cases like: The Case of the Lost Lumber, the Missing Tea Biscuits, the Case of the Train Delay, and more! Ages 6 – 12. Cost: $6/participant. 

Vintage Motorcycle Show

Sunday, August 17 from 10 am to 4 pm

Come meet the keepers of vintage motorcycles and their prized possessions! You’ll learn about different types of motorcycles from different parts of the world and can test your motorcycle knowledge with our family-friendly scavenger hunt. Cost: $6/person, $10/pair or $16/family.