City of Ottawa Museums and Historic Sites Membership Project

July 18, 2023 - Update

This project has been completed.

We decided to offer: 

No membership or annual pass. 
Free General Admission for children under 18 during the summer of 2023 as part of the departmental Play Free! initiative.
Focus on providing a greater and more regular variety of paid Public Programs.

For more detailed information, please consult the What we Heard report in the Documents section.

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May 5, 2023 - Update

Upon further review of the data it was deemed that focus groups are not necessary.

We are currently in the final stages of data review and analysis.

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October 28, 2022 - Update
Upon review of data collected in the spring and summer, further research is required. Focus Group dates will be moved to early 2023.

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Background and Context

The City of Ottawa owns and operates five museums and historic sites: Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Fairfields Heritage House, Nepean Museum, and Pinhey's Point Historic Site. In 2021, the Recreation, Culture and Facility Services Department undertook the renewal process of its memberships, with the aim of reducing the overall number of membership types. The City of Ottawa Museums and Historic Sites were invited to participate in this process to determine if it made sense to include cultural offerings alongside recreation programming. The decision was ultimately made for museums to not participate in the broader recreation membership program and to undertake a review to determine the feasibility of a multi-museum membership program for the five City-operated museums. The start of this project was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The intention now is to develop a new membership program for multiple museums with an anticipated launch date in spring of 2023.

Prior to this project, only Cumberland Heritage Village Museum had a membership program. This membership had existed since before the City of Ottawa assumed operations of the museum in 2001, and essentially served as an annual pass (i.e. unlimited admission for a year). Declining interest in this membership program prompted the need for a review.

Our Museums

Museum Image	Museum Name	Museum Address	Museum Description
	Billings Estate National Historic Site	2100 Cabot Street Ottawa, Ontario K1H 6K1	Ottawa's oldest standing wood-frame house, Billings Estate National Historic Site sits on 8 acres of green space in the Alta Vista neighbourhood. The museum features a modern exhibition that tells the story of the Billings family and the surrounding community. Other highlights include the gardens, heritage outbuildings, a cemetery and seasonal Tea on the Lawn service.
	Cumberland Heritage Village Museum	2940 Old Montreal Road Cumberland, Ontario K4C 1G3	Located just east of Orleans Cumberland Heritage Village Museum showcases rural life in Eastern Ontario during the 1920s and 30s. Heritage buildings, exhibitions, rare breed farm animals, vintage tools of the trade, and demonstrations transport visitors back in time.
	Fairfields Heritage House	3080 Richmond Road Nepean, Ontario K2B 7J5	Fairfields Heritage House is located in the west-end Bayshore neighbourhood. The impressive 19th century Gothic Revival farm house highlights the community-building legacy of the Bell family.
	Nepean Museum	16 Rowley Avenue Nepean, Ontario K2G 1L9	Just off Meadowlands Road, Nepean Museum features a modern exhibition that tells the story of the local area from its earliest times to the turn of the 21st century. The new MakerStudio space bridges history, science, and the arts, making Nepean Museum a great place for hands on creativity.
	Pinhey's Point Historic Site	270 Pinhey's Point Road Dunrobin, Ontario K0A 1T0	Nestled on the banks of the Ottawa River near Kanata, Pinhey’s Point Historic Site features 88 acres of parkland, shoreline, and farmer’s fields. Inside the nearly 200-year-old manor house, visitors can discover life in 19th century March Township. Together, the house and landscape offer a picturesque destination to relax, learn, and explore.