Picnic at Park Hill
Sunday, July 1 – 10 am to 4 pm
Celebrate Canada Day with a picnic and lawn games at Park Hill, the former name for Billings Estate. Relax and enjoy our beautiful grounds while enjoying a prepared picnic lunch. Your picnic basket will include a boxed lunch for each guest (sandwich, dessert, fruit, and drink), a blanket, as well as self-guided games and activities highlighting Canadian, Victorian, and Billings family history. Lawn games will also be set up for added family fun! Complete your day by exploring our exhibitions and completing the photo scavenger hunt included in your basket.
Reservations are required. Reserve your Picnic at Park Hill beginning Friday, June 8 at 10 am by calling 613-580-2088. Picnic seatings are available at 11 am - 12:30 pm and 1 pm - 2:30 pm.
Cost: $10 per group + $7.65 per boxed lunch. (Admission to the museum is included with your picnic reservation).
Bring your own
The museum will also be open to visitors who would like to bring their own picnic lunch, participate in the games on the lawn and explore the exhibitions. Reservations are not required.
Cost: $6.50 single; $10.75 pair; $17.25 family
Victorian Medical Practices
Wednesday, July 11 – 10:30 am to 12 pm
Ages 8 to 13
What did medical care look like in the time of Lamira Dow Billings? The Billings family were the first settlers in Gloucester Township and with no doctors nearby, Lamira was responsible for her family’s care. Both she and her daughter, Sally, would become known in their community for their homemade medicines and remedies.
Learn about country medicine, test your knowledge with Victorian medicine trivia, compare an apothecary kit to modern first aid supplies, make your own remedy – homemade bug repellent, and more! Add your flourish to a get-well poster for CHEO patients that will be signed by kids from across the city at museum programs throughout the summer.
Cost: $6.50 per child
Barcode: 1406420
Registration is required. You can register for this program using the City of Ottawa’s online registration system. Enter the program barcode in the box labelled “Search for programs by barcode”. Click “Add” and log in to complete registration. If you do not already have an account, click “Create new family account”.
Can You Dig It?
Thursday July 5, July 12, July 19, and July 26 – 10 am to 11:30 am
Ages 6 to 9
This program is the perfect fit for aspiring Indiana Joneses! Each Thursday in July we’ll get our hands dirty tackling a different theme with hands-on activities inspired by Canada’s first paleontologist, Elkanah Billings. Learn to dig for artefacts, identify mysterious objects, and practice techniques used by scientists every day in their work.
Cost: $6.50 per child
Registration is required. You can register for this program using the City of Ottawa’s online registration system. Enter the program barcode in the box labelled “Search for programs by barcode”. Click “Add” and log in to complete registration. If you do not already have an account, click “Create new family account”.
July 5 – Paleontology: Fossil Dig
What techniques are used to excavate fossils? What kinds of discoveries have paleontologists like Elkanah Billings made?
Barcode: 1406387
July 12 – Kitchen Midden: Pottery
What are middens and what can they tell us about past societies? What clues can be uncovered from pottery shards?
Barcode: 1406454
July 19 – Archeology of Buildings
Can you guess how a building was used just from its ruins? Can the clues left behind tell you what a building looked like?
Barcode: 1406463
July 26 – Geology
How do geologists set up a dig? Can you identify the stones and crystals you might find?
Barcode: 1406472
Little Critters
Friday July 6, July 13, July 20, and July 27 - 10 am to 11:00 am
Ages 3 to 5
Look up! Look down! What critters might be calling Billings Estate home? We’re taking our cue from amateur entomologist Braddish Billings II and paleontologist Elkanah Billings by exploring the creature world both past and present. Some activities will take place outdoors; please dress for the weather.
Cost: $6.50 per child.
A parent/guardian must accompany children participating in this program. There is no additional program fee for the parent/guardian.
Registration is required. You can register for this program using the City of Ottawa’s online registration system. Enter the program barcode in the box labelled “Search for programs by barcode”. Click “Add” and log in to complete registration. If you do not already have an account, click “Create new family account”.
July 6 – Bugs vs. Insects
What’s more fun than searching out the creepy crawlies hiding in the garden or lurking on the lawn? Let your imagination run wild designing your own bug hat based on a bug of your creation!
Barcode: 1406411
July 13 – Feathered Friends
Can you identify a bird just by its call or its feathers? Make your very own bird feeder to take home with you!
Barcode: 1406456
July 20 – Mammals
From bunnies to badgers, what kinds of furry friends live in Ottawa’s rural areas? Test your knowledge with a memory game and get creative with a mammal-inspired craft.
Barcode: 1406467
July 27 – Ancient Critters
What ancient critters can we find signs of at Billings Estate? Make your own fossil out of clay!
Barcode: 1406477
Heritage Gardening
Saturdays in July and August – 11 am to 1 pm
Complement your museum experience with a drop-in visit to the heritage garden. Costumed interpreters will provide context on the harsh realities of early Canada subsistence farming and how the Billings became some of the most successful farmers in the area. As the season changes, we’ll explore different themes from planting and pest control to harvesting and pickling. Leave with knowledge you can take home and apply to your own backyard garden.
School Programs
School Programs and Educational Activities are offered for students from kindergarten to Grade 8 from Wednesday to Friday during the months of May, June, September and October.
