Last updated on January 26, 2024.

Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, is where the Senate and House of Commons chambers are located as well as the Library of Parliament.

 

Tickets

Free tours Centre Block are available daily in either English or French (as of January 2024). Tickets for sare available online in advance. (Note: the Peace Tower and Centre Block are currently closed for rehabilitation (as of January 2024). I’ll update when new information is available).

When I came on a particularly busy day in the summer, I had to get tickets across the street on a first-come, first-served basis. I visited the information kiosk at 90 Wellington and had to wait 2 ½ hours for my scheduled tour to begin. This gave me a chance to explore the rest of downtown Ottawa, including the Rideau Canal

Parliament ticket office in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Parliament ticket office

The tour was scheduled to begin at 2:20pm, but by the time I waited in line to pass through security, it was 3:15pm. Other than the time glitch, the tour was very informative and interesting. I learned a lot about how the Canadian government works and the guide did a fantastic job answering everyone’s questions.

The security line at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
The security line

 

House of Commons

The first stop on the tour was the House of Commons foyer. It’s reached by walking down the South Corridor past portraits of the Prime Ministers of Canada. The foyer features relief panels of 25,000 years of Canadian history as well as a glass ceiling.

House of Commons foyer at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
House of Commons foyer
House of Commons foyer at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
House of Commons foyer
Door to the House of Commons chamber at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Door to the House of Commons chamber

The House of Commons chamber makes up the west wing of the building. It has seats for 320 members of parliament and 580 people in the upper gallery. The color scheme is green.

House of Commons chamber at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
House of Commons chamber
House of Commons chamber at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
House of Commons chamber

 

Confederation Hall

Next was a quick stop in Confederation Hall, which sits just inside the main entrance. It’s an octagonal hall supported by limestone columns. An inscription placed in the hall on July 2, 1917, commemorates the 50th anniversary of Confederation:

“1867 JULY 1917 ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH COLONIES IN NORTH AMERICA AS THE DOMINION OF CANADA THE PARLIAMENT AND PEOPLE DEDICATE THIS BUILDING IN PROCESS OF RECONSTRUCTION AFTER DAMAGE BY FIRE AS A MEMORIAL OF THE DEEDS OF THEIR FOREFATHERS AND OF THE VALOUR OF THOSE CANADIANS WHO IN THE GREAT WAR FOUGHT FOR THE LIBERTIES OF CANADA, OF THE EMPIRE AND OF HUMANITY.”

Confederation Hall at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Confederation Hall

 

Hall of Honour

From there, we walked down the Hall of Honour. It was originally meant to hold statues of important Canadians but the plan later changed to honor those who died in World War I. Some state funerals are also held there. Just off the Hall of Honour is the Reading Room, where the governing party’s caucus meets.

Hall of Honour at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Hall of Honour
Reading Room at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Reading Room

 

Library of Parliament

At the end of the Hall of Honour is the Library of Parliament. This is the only part of the original building from 1866 that survived the devastating fire in 1916 that destroyed the rest of the Centre Block. The library has over 600,000 items in its collection.

Library of Parliament at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Library of Parliament
Library of Parliament at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Library of Parliament
Bookcases in the Library of Parliament at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Bookcases
Library of Parliament at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Library of Parliament

In the center of the library is a statue of Queen Victoria, sculpted by Marshall Wood in 1871. It’s unique because it’s one of only a few that depict the queen as a young woman.

Statue of Queen Victoria in the Library of Parliament at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Statue of Queen Victoria

 

Senate

Next, we walked to the Senate foyer, which has a ceiling much like the House of Commons foyer. The foyer features portraits of Canada’s monarchs, including King George V, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II.

Senate foyer at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Senate foyer
Portrait of King George V in the Senate foyer at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Portrait of King George V
Portrait of Queen Victoria in the Senate foyer at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Portrait of Queen Victoria

There’s also a very interesting stained glass window commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. The Diamond Jubilee Window was a gift to the Queen from the Senate and depicts her and Queen Victoria along with their royal cyphers.

Diamond Jubilee Window in the Senate foyer at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Diamond Jubilee Window

The Senate chamber has a red color scheme with murals of World War I on the east and west walls. The throne of the monarch is at the end of the room. The governing party sits to the right of the Speaker of the Senate while the opposition sits to the Speaker’s left.

Senate chamber at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Senate chamber
Senate chamber at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Senate chamber

 

Salon de la Francophonie

The final room on the tour was the Salon de la Francophonie. Originally a smoking room, it now serves as a meeting room decorated to showcase Canada’s French identity and history. It was dedicated on March 18, 1993, and contains portraits of the six French kings involved in the settlement of New France. There are also busts of Samuel de Champlain (c. 1567-1635) and Senator Raoul Dandurand (1861-1942).

Salon de la Francophonie at Parliament Centre Block in Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Salon de la Francophonie

 

Peace Tower

After the tour, I took an optional tour of the Peace Tower to get a bird’s eye view of Ottawa and see the Memorial Chamber. This took an extra hour but was well worth it.

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Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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