Parliament Hill

Fast Facts

• The Parliament Buildings are set on a dramatic hill overlooking the Ottawa River.
• The original structure burned to the ground in a tragic fire in 1918 - except for the Library, which was saved by a quick-thinking employee who closed the Library's massive steel doors.
• Guided tours take visitors through public galleries, to the Senate and House of Commons (when not in session) and to the top of the Peace Tower, where an observation deck provides the most dramatic 360º view of the Capital.
• There are hundreds of individual gargoyles, grotesques, reliefs and bosses carved into the stonework of the buildings, including four looking out from high on each corner of the Peace Tower.
• The 53-bell carillon in the Peace Tower marks each quarter hour; the Dominion Carilloneur performs daily free concerts.
• Each morning during summer months, the front lawn of Parliament Hill is the setting of the daily Changing the Guardceremony; each evening the public is invited to gather again to witness the awe-inspiring Sound and Light show - spectacular lighting effects and stunning giant images projected on the Parliament Buildings set to words and music. Both events are free.
• Parliament Hill is the focal point for Canada Day celebrations each July 1, with hundreds of thousands gathering for great entertainment and the massive fireworks finale.
• The grounds of Parliament Hill are dotted with numerous sculptures of important Canadians.
• In December, the Hill is bathed in the colours of thousands of lights as one of the premier sites of the Christmas Lights Across Canada.