Events and Programs
Upcoming Special Events and Programs in 2012
Adults $6.00; Seniors $5.00; Children $3.50; families (max 2 adults) $15.00. Children under 5 are admitted for free unless otherwise specified. Special event and program fees may apply. Contact the museum for special group rates.
Summer
| Event | Description | Date and Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mother's Day Tea | Show mom how much you care by treating her to our popular tea service for Mother’s Day. As the gardens are beginning to bloom, enjoy your tea to the sounds of the harp, have your fortune told, make Victorian crafts with your children, and learn about the incredible lives of the Billings women during the season opener of the museum and the tea room. Tea charges are extra. | Sunday, May 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Mother’s Day Flower and Plant Exchange | Support the Alta Vista Community Association and add some new life to your garden with our plant and flower exchange. Bring perennials to trade, or purchase some for your backyard. Please note that only cash will be accepted for purchases. Admission to the exchange is free. | Sunday, May 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Chautauqua! | Experience a night out from a time when radios weren’t yet popular but tent shows certainly were. The Ottawa StoryTellers will provide an evening of music, comedy, politics and culture from the start of the 20th century as they recreate the once popular travelling Chautauqua. Cost: $15/person | Friday, May 25 from 7 p.m. |
| Raise a Toast: Wine Tasting | Enjoy the elegant comfort of our ballroom as you hone your wine tasting skills during this tasteful evening at Billings Estate. Sommelier Geoffrey Skeggs will pair regional wines with a variety of small plates while our interpreters relate the history of entertaining in early Ottawa. Cost: $35/person | Friday, June 1 from 7 p.m |
| Doors Open Ottawa | Built in 1829, Billings Estate is the oldest wood-framed house in Ottawa. Take advantage of this city-wide event to tour the house from basement to attic – for free! Cost: FREE | Saturday June 2 and Sunday June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Father’s Day Antique Car Show | Polish up your chrome and put on your driving cap because it’s antique auto season again at Billings Estate! Travel with dad through the decades to see how much cars have changed over time before having your picture taken with the Billings 1959 Cadillac. With crafts for kids, a barbershop quartet and a barbecue, this is sure to be a memorable Father’s Day. | Sunday June 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Dominion Day | Take a stroll through the ages to discover the different ways that Dominion Day was celebrated in the past. With the house decorated as you’ve never seen it before, and with the staff dressed in theirvintage Sunday best, you will enjoy live music, an old-fashioned picnic lunch, lawn games and a Victorian medical show. Escape the crowds downtown and spend Dominion Day in the beautiful grounds of Billings Estate. | Sunday, July 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Little Critters | Can you find any bugs hiding in the Billings garden, or lurking in the lawn? Explore the backyard of one of Ottawa’s first entomologists every Wednesday and Saturday morning to collect the critters that live here. Study what you find before making a buggy craft and letting our new friends loose! Cost: $6/child. | Wednesdays and Saturdays from July 4 to July 28, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. |
| Junior Curator | Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at a museum? Visit us every Thursday to find out what really goes on. By the end you’ll have your own conservation kit to help care for your own collectibles and put them on display! Cost: $6/child. | Thursdays from July 5 to July 26, 10 to 11:30 a.m. |
| Preschool Picnics | The very young and their families will explore a new theme at the museum every Friday in July and August. With over eight acres of green space and some of the oldest buildings in the city, Billings is ideal for exploring ideas like gardening and the seasons, pioneers and baking. Join us for a picnic afterwards as serve snack from our tea room! Cost: $8/child. | Fridays from July 6 to August 31, from 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
| Get Growing | The Billings farm used to spread over 1200 acres but today it’s the perfect size for kids to get their hands dirty and discover the secrets to becoming an expert gardener. Study a different plant every Friday in July to learn how it grows and then find out how it tastes as you track the progress of the garden. Cost: $6/child. | Fridays from July 6 to July 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
| Historic House Party | Head to the vintage shops before joining us for this historic house party! Start the evening by tasting some classic cocktails from the 1940s, ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s and learn how they came to be. Dance the night away to music from the same decades, provided by Timekode Soundsystems. Cost: $30/person | Friday, July 6 from 7 p.m |
| Friday the 13th Séance | What better way to spend Friday the 13th than in the spooky setting of our ballroom? Bring your own spirits with you or channel those who occupy Ottawa’s oldest wood-framed house during one of our more popular programs. Cost: $25/person | Friday, July 13 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Savouring Sunday | Maybe Grandma had it right all along! If you’re a foodie and into history, or maybe you just want to learn some new skills, you won’t want to miss this event. Learn to preserve food through pickling cucumbers and beans, making apple jelly, candying flowers, get a primer on how to make beer at home, and more through this full day of workshops. | Sunday, July 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Guided Paddle of the Rideau River | Celebrate our bicentennial anniversary by following in historic footsteps – or more specifically paddle strokes! Experience the history of the Rideau River in a whole new way as one of our interpreters leads this guided paddle along the historic waterway. Discover the impact that the Billings and others had on the area from when they arrived in 1812 to today. Join us afterwards for a picnic snack. Please note that you must bring your own equipment including: canoe or kayak, paddles and life jackets. Cost: $10/person, including picnic. Participants 18yrs and under must be accompanied by an adult. Total route is approximately 8kms. | Saturday, July 28 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Can You Dig It? | Get your hands dirty while learning about archaeology and paleontology at the home of Canada’s first paleontologist. From learning the basics for starting a dig to cleaning artefacts and putting them on display, kids are sure to dig Can You Dig It?, the only outdoor archaeology in urban Ottawa. Cost: $6/child. | Wednesday, August 1 to Wednesday, August 29 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Bug Hunt! | It’s time to explore the grounds for our buggy neighbours! Explore the life cycle, diet and habitat of a different insect every Wednesday and Sunday in August by hunting the grounds to see what you can find, playing games and making crafts to take home. Cost: $6/child. | Thursday, August 2 and Thursday, August 30 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Campfire and Storytelling | The countryside moves downtown every Friday night in August as the Ottawa Story Tellers tell tall tales, true stories and some that are in between! Bring a blanket, lawn chair and your imagination to Billings Estate to roast marshmallows and relax as we explore some of the local legends from Ottawa and the Valley. Cost: $6/person, $10/couple and $16/family | Friday August 3 to August 31, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
| Vintage Motorcycle Show | If you enjoyed our Antique Car Show in June, you will definitely want to come back for this display of Vintage Motorcycles! Join members of the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group as they roll up to the Estate to display their wide collection of classic bikes! While here you’ll want to explore the site, make heritage crafts, listen to live music and have a snack at our corn boil. | Sunday, August 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
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