Field Trip Finder Ottawa

Homeschool & family fun in Ottawa, ON

Free outings, library-card museum passes, Halloween and holiday events in Ottawa, each checked with the museum, library, city or venue. All prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD).

17current listings
9with upcoming dates
9free or no fee listed
17good for little kids (2–4)

Jump to: Free & low-cost outings · Family & holiday events · Library perks · Halloween events · Trick-or-treating · Calendar · Homeschool groups & resources

Age
Key
  • Free (per source) The organizer’s page says it’s free.
  • Price not listed The cost is on the card, or the source doesn’t say.
  • Next: Sat, Oct 24 The soonest date we found. More dates are under “More details.”
  • Ongoing / by arrangement Open on regular days or by booking, not one set date.
  • Preschool Kids Teens The ages the venue states. “All ages welcome” fits everyone.
  • Good for little kids (2–4) The venue’s own page lists something for toddlers or preschoolers, like a storytime, a tot lot or free entry for under-5s.
  • Area The part of town the event is in.

Tags are our planning notes, not the venue’s. Always check with the venue before you go.

Calendar

Tap a date to see that day's events. Only listings with set dates appear here; places you can visit any open day are listed further down.

Resources

Library perks

Free museum passes with an Ottawa Public Library card.

  • Museum pass: Canadian Museum of History and Canadian War Museum Good for little kids (2–4)The pass gives free general admission with your library card. Passes are Express items: you can borrow one at a time for 7 days, with no renewals and no holds. Passes are not valid for special-fee exhibitions or events. Official page
  • Nature Card: Canadian Museum of Nature Good for little kids (2–4)The Nature Card gives free general admission with your library card. Passes are Express items: you can borrow one at a time for 7 days, with no renewals and no holds. Passes are not valid for special-fee exhibitions or events. Official page
  • Ingenium pass: Agriculture and Food, Aviation and Space, Science and Technology Good for little kids (2–4)The pass gives free general admission to Ingenium's three museums with your library card. Passes are Express items: you can borrow one at a time for 7 days, with no renewals and no holds. Passes are not valid for special-fee exhibitions or events. Official page
  • Artpass: National Gallery of Canada Good for little kids (2–4)The Artpass gives free general admission to the permanent collection. Passes are Express items: you can borrow one at a time for 7 days, with no renewals and no holds. Passes are not valid for special-fee exhibitions or events. Official page
  • Access Passes: free museum passes with your library card Good for little kids (2–4)With an Ottawa Public Library card, borrow free passes for general admission to the National Gallery of Canada's permanent collection, the Canadian Museum of History and Canadian War Museum, Ingenium's three museums and the Canadian Museum of Nature. Passes are Express items: you can borrow one at a time for 7 days, with no renewals and no holds. Passes are not valid for special-fee exhibitions or events. Official page
  • 📚 Little Free Libraries near youFree book-sharing boxes in neighborhoods — take a book, leave a book. Open the map

Getting a card: Sign up for an Ottawa Public Library card at any branch, and check the library for who can get one. Access Passes are Express items: one at a time, 7 days, no renewals and no holds.

Full details, rules and sources (5 passes)

Museum pass: Canadian Museum of History and Canadian War Museum

Canadian Museum of History and Canadian War Museum (through Ottawa Public Library) · Ottawa (Downtown & Gatineau · Downtown & central Ottawa)
History museumFree (per source)Ongoing / by arrangementGood for little kids (2–4)Downtown & central OttawaAll ages welcome

The pass gives free general admission with your library card. Passes are Express items: you can borrow one at a time for 7 days, with no renewals and no holds. Passes are not valid for special-fee exhibitions or events.

More detailsLess
  • When: Year-round
  • Time: Not listed on source
  • Price: Free with a library card
  • Ages: All ages
  • Booking: Not listed on source
  • Proof of homeschool: An Ottawa Public Library card
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Nature Card: Canadian Museum of Nature

Canadian Museum of Nature (through Ottawa Public Library) · Ottawa (Downtown · Downtown & central Ottawa)
Natural history museumFree (per source)Ongoing / by arrangementGood for little kids (2–4)Downtown & central OttawaAll ages welcome

The Nature Card gives free general admission with your library card. Passes are Express items: you can borrow one at a time for 7 days, with no renewals and no holds. Passes are not valid for special-fee exhibitions or events.

More detailsLess
  • When: Year-round
  • Time: Not listed on source
  • Price: Free with a library card
  • Ages: All ages
  • Booking: Not listed on source
  • Proof of homeschool: An Ottawa Public Library card
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Ingenium pass: Agriculture and Food, Aviation and Space, Science and Technology

Ingenium museums (through Ottawa Public Library) · Ottawa (Three museums · East & south Ottawa)
Science museumFree (per source)Ongoing / by arrangementGood for little kids (2–4)East & south OttawaAll ages welcome

The pass gives free general admission to Ingenium's three museums with your library card. Passes are Express items: you can borrow one at a time for 7 days, with no renewals and no holds. Passes are not valid for special-fee exhibitions or events.

More detailsLess
  • When: Year-round
  • Time: Not listed on source
  • Price: Free with a library card
  • Ages: All ages
  • Booking: Not listed on source
  • Proof of homeschool: An Ottawa Public Library card
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Artpass: National Gallery of Canada

National Gallery of Canada (through Ottawa Public Library) · Ottawa (Downtown · Downtown & central Ottawa)
Art museumFree (per source)Ongoing / by arrangementGood for little kids (2–4)Downtown & central OttawaAll ages welcome

The Artpass gives free general admission to the permanent collection. Passes are Express items: you can borrow one at a time for 7 days, with no renewals and no holds. Passes are not valid for special-fee exhibitions or events.

More detailsLess
  • When: Year-round
  • Time: Not listed on source
  • Price: Free with a library card
  • Ages: All ages
  • Booking: Not listed on source
  • Proof of homeschool: An Ottawa Public Library card
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Access Passes: free museum passes with your library card

Ottawa Public Library · Ottawa (Any library branch)
LibraryFree (per source)Ongoing / by arrangementGood for little kids (2–4)All ages welcome

With an Ottawa Public Library card, borrow free passes for general admission to the National Gallery of Canada's permanent collection, the Canadian Museum of History and Canadian War Museum, Ingenium's three museums and the Canadian Museum of Nature. Passes are Express items: you can borrow one at a time for 7 days, with no renewals and no holds. Passes are not valid for special-fee exhibitions or events.

More detailsLess
  • When: Year-round
  • Time: Not listed on source
  • Price: Free with a library card
  • Ages: All ages
  • Booking: Borrow the pass at a branch.
  • Proof of homeschool: An Ottawa Public Library card
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.
Local homeschool resources & groups
Homeschool co-ops & classesHomeschool days, discounts & library programs
Check before you go. We copy details from each venue's own page and show when we last checked. Where a page doesn't say something, we write "Not listed on source" instead of guessing. Dates sell out and programs change, so confirm with the venue.

All upcoming

Every dated event, soonest first (the next date for each listing).

Halloween events (5 listings)

Carnivals, festivals, corn mazes & spooky outings

Halloween events in Ottawa, checked on each venue's own page on Oct 24, 2026. Adults-only and haunted-attraction events are left out.

Amazing Autumn Weekends

Canada Agriculture and Food Museum (Ingenium) · Ottawa (Central Experimental Farm · East & south Ottawa)
Halloween eventNext: Sat, Oct 24Good for little kids (2–4)East & south OttawaAll ages welcome

Autumn farm fun that includes the Spooky Barn and a light-hearted Games Room. Included with museum admission.

📅 Add a date to your calendar
Sat, Oct 24Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sun, Oct 25Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sat, Oct 31Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sun, Nov 1Apple / OutlookGoogle
More detailsLess

Upcoming dates: Sat, Oct 24, 2026; Sun, Oct 25, 2026; Sat, Oct 31, 2026; Sun, Nov 1, 2026

  • When: Oct 24–25 and Oct 31–Nov 1, 2026
  • Time: 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Price: Included with museum admission
  • Ages: All ages
  • Booking: Not listed on source
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Science for tots: Halloween at the farm

Canada Agriculture and Food Museum (Ingenium) · Ottawa (Central Experimental Farm · East & south Ottawa)
Toddler programPrice not listedNext: Fri, Oct 30Good for little kids (2–4)East & south OttawaPreschool

A Halloween-themed session with stories, songs, sensory play and hands-on farm-inspired activities, plus a chance to meet some of the museum's animals. It is for babies, toddlers and preschoolers with a caregiver. Museum admission is included with registration.

📅 Add to calendar
Apple / Outlook (.ics)Google Calendar
More detailsLess (includes a notice)

Upcoming dates: Fri, Oct 30, 2026

  • When: Fri Oct 30, 2026
  • Time: Not listed on source
  • Price: Fee varies by museum; check the museum
  • Ages: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers with a caregiver
  • Booking: Not listed on source

⚠️ Not fully confirmed: The page says fees and registration vary by museum and gives no price or time for this session.

Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Halloween at the Bunker

Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum · Carp
Halloween eventFree (per source)Next: Sat, Oct 31Good for little kids (2–4)Beyond the city (Carp, Dunrobin)

Free Halloween programming at the entrance and in the Blast Tunnel, with trick-or-treating while supplies last. Going inside the museum needs regular admission.

📅 Add to calendar
Apple / Outlook (.ics)Google Calendar
More detailsLess

Upcoming dates: Sat, Oct 31, 2026

  • When: Sat Oct 31, 2026
  • Time: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
  • Price: Free programming at the entrance and tunnel; museum admission to go inside
  • Ages: Not listed on source
  • Booking: Not listed on source
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Rideau HALLoween: Under the Big Top

Rideau Hall · Ottawa (Rockcliffe · Downtown & central Ottawa)
Halloween eventPrice not listedNext: Sat, Oct 31Good for little kids (2–4)Downtown & central Ottawa

Candy for trick-or-treaters, activities for families and circus performances in the Tent Room. A Halloween-themed Crescendo concert runs in the Ballroom from 11 a.m. to noon. All visitors go through a metal detector, costume masks must be removed for screening, and costume weapons may be confiscated.

📅 Add to calendar
Apple / Outlook (.ics)Google Calendar
More detailsLess

Upcoming dates: Sat, Oct 31, 2026

  • When: Sat Oct 31, 2026
  • Time: 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
  • Price: Not listed on source
  • Ages: Not listed on source
  • Booking: Not listed on source
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Trail & Treat

YMCA Outdoor Centre · Ottawa (Dunrobin · Beyond the city (Carp, Dunrobin))
Halloween eventNext: Sat, Oct 31Good for little kids (2–4)Beyond the city (Carp, Dunrobin)All ages welcome

A Halloween trail event at the Y Outdoor Centre. Registration is limited. Children under 3 are free.

📅 Add to calendar
Apple / Outlook (.ics)Google Calendar
More detailsLess

Upcoming dates: Sat, Oct 31, 2026

  • When: Sat Oct 31, 2026
  • Time: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Price: Ages 4–13 $25; youth 14–17 $15; adults $5; under 3 free
  • Ages: All ages (youth 14–17 are priced separately)
  • Booking: Register online; registration is limited.
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Trick-or-treating (2 listings)

Trunk-or-treats & Halloween-night neighborhoods

Halloween falls on Saturday, Oct 31, 2026. We list trick-or-treat events only when a library, city or venue page confirms them, checked Oct 24, 2026.

Trunk-or-treats & trick-or-treat events, Oct 24–31

Halloween Costume Parade & Trick-or-Treating

Ottawa Public Library, Ruth E. Dickinson Branch · Ottawa (Ruth E. Dickinson · West Ottawa & Kanata)
Trick-or-treatingFree (per source)Next: Fri, Oct 30Good for little kids (2–4)West Ottawa & KanataPreschool · Kids

Show off your costume at the branch, then go to the first- or second-floor circulation desk to pick your treats. Drop-in. Fri Oct 30: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sat Oct 31: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

📅 Add a date to your calendar
Fri, Oct 30Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sat, Oct 31Apple / OutlookGoogle
More detailsLess

Upcoming dates: Fri, Oct 30, 2026; Sat, Oct 31, 2026

  • When: Fri Oct 30 and Sat Oct 31, 2026
  • Time: Oct 30: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Oct 31: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
  • Price: Free
  • Ages: Ages 0–12
  • Booking: Drop-in.
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Elgin Street Halloween Party for Families

The Shops on Elgin · Ottawa (Elgin Street · Downtown & central Ottawa)
Trick-or-treatingFree (per source)Next: Sat, Oct 31Good for little kids (2–4)Downtown & central Ottawa

Free trick-or-treating and family activities on Elgin Street.

📅 Add to calendar
Apple / Outlook (.ics)Google Calendar
More detailsLess (includes a notice)

Upcoming dates: Sat, Oct 31, 2026

  • When: Sat Oct 31, 2026
  • Time: 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • Price: Free trick-or-treating
  • Ages: Not listed on source
  • Booking: Not listed on source

⚠️ Not fully confirmed: The source is the organizer's Eventbrite page (The Shops on Elgin), not a city page.

Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Bigger Halloween events that also have trick-or-treating (listed under Halloween events): Halloween at the Bunker (Sat, Oct 31), Rideau HALLoween: Under the Big Top (Sat, Oct 31).

Safety tips
  • Most neighbourhoods trick-or-treat on the evening of Saturday, Oct 31. We did not find official city hours, so ask neighbours or your community association. Dress in warm layers.
  • Young children should go with an adult. Stay in well-lit areas and carry a charged phone.
  • Clocks fall back one hour on Sunday, Nov 1.

Free & low-cost outings (3 listings)

Free hour at the Canada Science and Technology Museum

Canada Science and Technology Museum (Ingenium) · Ottawa (Southeast Ottawa · East & south Ottawa)
Science museumOngoing / by arrangementGood for little kids (2–4)East & south OttawaAll ages welcome

Admission is free every day from 4 to 5 p.m. Regular admission is $12.50 for youth (3–17) and $19.50 for adults. Teachers and Indigenous peoples are free (see the page). Parking is $4 per hour. Closed Mondays.

More detailsLess
  • When: Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; free 4–5 p.m. daily
  • Time: Free hour: 4–5 p.m.
  • Price: Free 4–5 p.m.; otherwise $12.50 youth, $19.50 adult
  • Ages: All ages (youth 3–17)
  • Booking: Not listed on source
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Free general admission on Thursday evenings

Canadian Museum of Nature · Ottawa (Downtown · Downtown & central Ottawa)
Natural history museumFree (per source)Ongoing / by arrangementGood for little kids (2–4)Downtown & central OttawaAll ages welcome

General admission is free on Thursday evenings. Every visitor, including free ones, needs a ticket. Children 3 to 12 are priced separately on the other days.

More detailsLess
  • When: Thursdays, 5–8 p.m.
  • Time: 5–8 p.m.
  • Price: Free on Thursday 5–8 p.m.
  • Ages: All ages
  • Booking: Not listed on source
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Mer Bleue Bog Trail

Mer Bleue (National Capital Commission) · Ottawa (Greenbelt · East & south Ottawa)
Nature trailPrice not listedOngoing / by arrangementGood for little kids (2–4)East & south OttawaAll ages welcome

A 1.36 km boardwalk trail through a bog, starting at parking lot P22. The path is mostly flat and one of the Greenbelt's most accessible trails, though the boardwalk is narrow in places, with limited railings and a steeper side slope at the end of the boardwalk (you can turn back before it).

More detailsLess (includes a notice)
  • When: Open for the season; check the NCC page for closures
  • Time: Not listed on source
  • Price: Not listed on source
  • Ages: All ages
  • Booking: Not listed on source

⚠️ Not fully confirmed: The NCC page does not state a fee. Check it for current closures and for winter access.

Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Family & holiday events through Jan 10, 2027 (2 listings)

Ottawa Christmas Market

Lansdowne Park · Ottawa (Lansdowne · East & south Ottawa)
Holiday marketPrice not listedNext: Fri, Nov 20Good for little kids (2–4)East & south Ottawa

An outdoor holiday market on five weekends: Nov 20–22, Nov 27–29, Dec 4–6, Dec 11–13 and Dec 18–20. Friday 5–10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–8 p.m. There is also a New Year's Eve evening on Dec 31 from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

📅 Add a date to your calendar
Fri, Nov 20Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sat, Nov 21Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sun, Nov 22Apple / OutlookGoogle
Fri, Nov 27Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sat, Nov 28Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sun, Nov 29Apple / OutlookGoogle
Fri, Dec 4Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sat, Dec 5Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sun, Dec 6Apple / OutlookGoogle
Fri, Dec 11Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sat, Dec 12Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sun, Dec 13Apple / OutlookGoogle
Fri, Dec 18Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sat, Dec 19Apple / OutlookGoogle
Sun, Dec 20Apple / OutlookGoogle
More detailsLess

Upcoming dates: Fri, Nov 20, 2026; Sat, Nov 21, 2026; Sun, Nov 22, 2026; Fri, Nov 27, 2026; Sat, Nov 28, 2026; Sun, Nov 29, 2026; Fri, Dec 4, 2026; Sat, Dec 5, 2026; Sun, Dec 6, 2026; Fri, Dec 11, 2026; Sat, Dec 12, 2026; Sun, Dec 13, 2026; Fri, Dec 18, 2026; Sat, Dec 19, 2026; Sun, Dec 20, 2026

  • When: Nov 20–Dec 20, 2026 (Fri–Sun) plus Dec 31
  • Time: Fri 5–10 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
  • Price: Not listed on source
  • Ages: Not listed on source
  • Booking: Not listed on source
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Help Santa Toy Parade

Help Santa Toy Parade · Ottawa (Queen Elizabeth Driveway · Downtown & central Ottawa)
ParadePrice not listedNext: Sat, Nov 21Good for little kids (2–4)Downtown & central Ottawa

A holiday toy-donation parade heading south on the Queen Elizabeth Driveway, starting at Somerset St W.

📅 Add to calendar
Apple / Outlook (.ics)Google Calendar
More detailsLess

Upcoming dates: Sat, Nov 21, 2026

  • When: Sat Nov 21, 2026
  • Time: 11 a.m.
  • Price: Not listed on source
  • Ages: Not listed on source
  • Booking: Not listed on source
Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.