Start at the Front Door of Rideau Hall
The long approach to Rideau Hall, the Governor General's official residence, is quiet for most of the year. On the last weekend of September 2026, it opens up. For the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the residence throws its doors open on September 26 and 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days, and invites you inside for a weekend built around learning, healing, and art. Walk the state rooms, stand in front of Indigenous artwork displayed throughout the residence, and take part in interactive activities designed around reconciliation rather than spectacle. This is the anchor of the weekend in Ottawa, and it is free to enter.
Sit With the Qulliq in the Reception Room
Plan your visit around the morning. In the Reception Room, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Inuk Elder Aigah Attagutsiak lights and tends a qulliq, the traditional Inuit oil lamp. She keeps it burning through the session, and you can stand close, watch the flame, and learn about the lamp's history and what it has meant — and still means — to Inuit life. Arrive early in the window if you want unhurried time near it; the room fills as the morning goes on. This is the single most memorable hour you can spend in the city that weekend.
Build the Rest of the Weekend Around Art and Making
The Doors Open programme at Rideau Hall is not a passive walk-through. Beyond the qulliq, the two days are organised around hands-on art activities focused on learning and healing through art, alongside the reconciliation-oriented interactive stations set up across the residence. Come ready to participate rather than just observe.
- Both days, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.: the residence is open, with Indigenous artwork on view throughout.
- 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. daily: the qulliq lighting and tending with Elder Aigah Attagutsiak in the Reception Room.
- Throughout: interactive art activities and reconciliation-focused programming.
Know the Date You're Marking
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation falls on September 30. The Rideau Hall weekend is deliberately held in the lead-up to it, on September 26 and 27, so you can treat the residence visit as the centrepiece and let the actual day land a few days later, after you've had time to sit with what you saw and made.
Make It a Weekend, Not a Stop
Two days at Rideau Hall at four hours each is a generous amount of time, so build the trip around it rather than squeezing it in. Give the residence the morning, take the afternoon slowly, and come back the second day if the first left you wanting more — the programme runs both days, and the qulliq is lit each morning. Late September in Ottawa is a good time to be outside between visits, and the city is at its most walkable before the cold settles in.
Mark September 26 and 27, 2026 now. Book your travel around the 10:00 a.m. opening at Rideau Hall, plan to be in the Reception Room before 1:00 p.m. for the qulliq, and let September 30 arrive with the weekend still fresh in mind.