3 Best Sights in Ottawa, Ontario

This Second Empire–style house built in 1878 was once home to two of Canada's most important prime ministers, Wilfred Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King. The original furnishings, including King's crystal ball, give a glimpse into the lives of these two men whose political life spanned the two world wars. A section of the third floor duplicates the basement office in the residence of Lester Pearson. The Nobel Prize winner was prime minister from 1963 to 1968.

The official residence of the Governor General of Canada since 1867 is where the Queen's official representative welcomes visiting heads of state and royalty. The 1838 mansion has a ballroom and, on the grounds, a skating rink and cricket pitch. The Governor General's Foot Guards are posted outside the main gate in summer. Guided and self-guided tours of the public rooms and grounds are available; call ahead for tours of the art collection.

Established in 1875, this body became Canada's ultimate court of appeal in 1949. The nine judges sit in their stately art deco building for three sessions each year. The 10-foot-high statues of Justice and Truth flanking the entranceway were forgotten for 50 years and then rediscovered in 1969, buried in their original shipping crates under a parking lot.