Ottawa Family Fun: Drive-In Movie Night at the Cumberland Village Museum!

How’s this for a great idea for family fun? The Cumberland Museum is hosting a drive-in movie this weekend featuring The Wizard of Oz. From the City of Ottawa website:

“The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, outside under the stars is a rare treat indeed! Listen to the movie and marvel at the Academy Award-winning “Over the Rainbow” right through the radio in your car. Plan to take home a souvenir by having your photo taken with Dorothy, learn about the technology that revolutionized film during the 1920s and 30s, and take our trivia quiz to find out how much you really know about the messages in this classic film. And don’t forget: part of the fun is getting your vintage concessions and snacking on them in the car!”

If you go:
The Wizard of Oz at the Drive-In
Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, 2940 Old Montreal Road
Saturday, August 23 from 6:30 pm – 11 pm
Cost: $10/person, free for children under 5.
No memberships or special passes are accepted for this event.

I mentioned earlier this month that the Museum & Heritage department at the City of Ottawa is our newest bloggy sponsor. I love the idea of working with them because they are all about exactly what I love sharing with you – interesting, educational, inexpensive, local and family-friendly. Here’s a little bit about each of the museums:

Billings Estate National Historic Site
Ottawa.ca/billingsestate
Facebook.com/billingsestate

Visit the historic estate of one of Ottawa’s founding families and spend the day enjoying one of the special events or programs, exploring the exhibitions with interactive and kid-friendly activities, discovering the beauty of well-preserved parkland, or renting the space for your special event or meeting. If you’re visiting with children, there are two new ways for kids to learn about history while spending time as a family. With activities like scavenger hunts, old-fashioned toys, and word games, Experience Backpacks will take kids indoors and out to better understand what childhood was like for kids long ago. Head over to Sally’s Kitchen for the museum’s take on games like Guess Who? and Clue. Hands-on activities like building the Billings’ first cabin from different materials like Lincoln Logsâ„¢ will help your kids connect with the past. These activities are free with regular admission.

Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm until October 31. Educational and community group bookings are available any time upon request.

Fairfields Heritage House
Ottawa.ca/Fairfields
Facebook.com/nepeanmuseum

An impressive 19th century Gothic Revival farm house, Fairfields Heritage House represents the homestead and community-building legacy of the Bell family. Originally built on 660 acres of farm land, the museum tells the epic story of almost 200 years of rich, local history and the people who so actively helped shape the evolution of the area. Recreated historic rooms of this designated heritage site tell the story of the many generations of the Bell family who made their mark on the home, the property, and their community over the 175 years they lived here. Artefacts – including furniture, personal belongings, and artwork – tell the story of the Bell family’s shifting priorities from farming to social issues to politics. With guided tours, as well as programs and events for families, Fairfields Heritage House remains a hub of community activity.

Hours: Tours are available by appointment Monday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.

Nepean Museum
Nepeanmuseum.ca
Facebook.com/nepeanmuseum

Located in the heart of an active neighbourhood, Nepean Museum is a gathering space for families and the community to come together in celebration of local heritage. Spend time engaging in hands-on activities with professional museum educators. An open, welcoming exhibition space, programs designed to spark the imagination, and a collection of artefacts that tell the stories of Nepean’s evolution all come together to make the museum a place where you can learn about history in the way that most appeals to you.

Hours: Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and Saturdays and Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Pinhey’s Point Historic Site
Ottawa.ca/pinheyspoint
Facebook.com/pinheyspoint

If you’ve never seen Pinhey’s Point during the fall season, you’re missing out on something special! The colours along the river on the site and across the river to the Gatineau Hills are breath-taking. Scenic views, historic buildings, stone ruins, and rolling hills come together to create one of the most spectacular places in Ottawa to relax, learn, and explore. Make sure to bring a camera!

Hours: The museum will be closed for drop-in visits as of August 31, though the park remains open year-round.

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum
Ottawa.ca/cumberlandmuseum
Facebook.com/cumberlandmuseum

Unique in the nation’s capital, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum provides an immersive, fun, and educational experience that showcases rural life in the 1920s and 1930s with dozens of heritage and true-to-the-era reproduction buildings – including a working sawmill and blacksmith forge – heritage breed farm animals until October 6, people in costume, vintage tractor-pulled wagon rides, and so much more.

There’s no need to drive more than 30 minutes beyond downtown Ottawa to step back in time at a historic village! Whether it’s for a casual day trip to escape the daily grind, to take advantage of the open space to relax on the Village Green playing vintage games, or to take part in one of the special events, families with children will never be bored at the museum. With animals from Rare Breeds Canada (Eastern Ontario Chapter), Radio Flyer wagons, go-carts, two larger-than-life board games, wagon rides, sawmill and blacksmithing demonstrations and so much more your family will want to come back again and again to experience everything.

Ottawa Valley Live Steamers and Model Engineers: Not offered anywhere else in Ottawa, the OVLSME miniature railway is a rare treat! Visitors can experience model steam trains and learn about railway operation and history. Weather and circumstances permitting, this experience is available between 11 am and 3 pm usually on alternate Sundays. Confirm that OVLSME are on site by calling ahead at 613-833-3059, ext 221.

Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm until October 26 and again from November 29 to December 21, Friday to Sunday from 3 pm to 8 pm. Educational bookings are available Wednesday through Friday. Community group bookings are available by appointment.

That’s a LOT of family fun! Have you been to any of these museums? We’re huge fans of the Cumberland Village Heritage Museum and I’ve been to Pinhey’s Point several times, but there is clearly a lot of exploring left to do here! Through the autumn I’ll be sharing some fun programming that the museums will be offering. Stand by for pumpkin smashing, Edwardian seances, vintage social media, harvest celebrations, culture days and yes, sigh – Christmas activities. 😉

Disclosure: the City of Ottawa is a sponsor of this blog and has provided information about each of the museums. My enthusiasm at having such a great sponsor for the blog is genuine.