Near Pleasant Park and Riverside road (2100 Cabot st) you will find the oldest standing wood frame houses in Ottawa, the Billings Estate. It was built in 1829 by the Billings family and has been their residence for over 150 years. This historical landmark provides a glimpse of the past, with Victorian tea on their gardens, wedding ceremonies and you can visit one of Ottawa's oldest cemeteries. During Halloween they hold special haunted tours where maybe you will see the ghost of Braddish Billings himself on the prowl. I recommend that you take a tour, if you dare.... If you like my reviews, photos or videos please give it a thunbs up.

A hidden Ottawa gem. You can tour the museum in less than an hour but it is a really well put together display of early life in Ottawa.

Great looking old house. So much history on this ground. One of the oldest house still standing in Ottawa.

Lovely place to visit. Nice grounds to roam around. The Estate has set up a Halloween Mystery on the grounds. Lots of fun activities to do as you tour around.

Review of Tea on the Lawn @ Billing’s Estate Visited on Fri, May 26, 2023 Loved everything about this quaint high tea setting. It was our first time visiting since prior to the pandemic. Staff were great, so friendly and attentive. Food is delicious and love that you can swap tea for another beverage choice. Looking forward to more visits.

Was there for an outdoor wedding. Super beautiful. Would definitely recommend this spot for any event.

Very beautiful. Even in sunny -30C. Did not take a tour inside.

A great little hidden gem of a museum! Picture perfect spot to get married or host any kind of outdoor event. The grounds are stunning and the staff are incredibly helpful.

Lovely staff. Surprisingly kid-friendly. Enjoyable information features with a mix of activities and audio information that was good for my young kids who have limited reading ability/desire, but who were still interested in looking at the items, exploring the house, and hearing some stories about the past!

My family got the takeaway tea (total of 7, 2 of which were but free). We chose to bring a blanket and eat on the grounds. Such a beautiful location! The food was delicious! The mint in the cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches (total of 2 included) was an unexpected, but pleasant surprise. It truly enhanced the flavour. The egg salad sandwich was good. The scone was so buttery, fresh and delicious! For the 2 with nut allergies a large orange was given for dessert :) for the rest of us, a delicious slice of cake. The littlest one got lemonade and the rest of us received a fantastic variety of choices of loose leaf teas (black or herbal)

There is a wonderful variety of teas and sandwiches, with vegan and vegetarian options. A little more attention to detail could be paid. Tea was served at a leisurely pace, giving our party much time together.

'The tea on the lawn' is so very lovely. And so affordable. It's always a great experience! The Estate is interesting as well.

Absolutely wonderful place for high tea. The setting and serving are all conducive to the atmosphere. Definitely a worthwhile visit, even if just to tour the grounds of this beautiful estate.

Great Halloween tour!

Today was the classic car show. What a wonderful event and beautiful site to tour. Always enjoy learning about the history of venue's. What a fabulous site for family events and weddings too!

Beautiful little museum with very knowledgeable staff

Interesting history about the Billings family and fantastic afternoon tea. Delicious sandwiches, scones and dessert. Lemonade and ice tea were delicious

Very pretty property. Only seem to go in the spring. We went for a Father's Day car show in 2018. It was a gorgeous warm day. We were to enjoy our picnic afterwards with the "grandparents":).

Interesting history of Ottawa that is worth knowing.

It look cool

Interesting to learn about your local history. Inside displays were excellent! And the take away tea with finger sandwiches, scone, dessert and tea was fresh and yummy enjoyed outside on the property grounds. Pity that more has not been done around the property though especially the old family cemetary and the bent fence.

I'm a wedding planner and have worked at Billings Estate Museum more times than I can count. Billings is one of my favourite venues to work at. The property is stunning and always well-kept. The staff are friendly, organized and efficient. I always look forward to working here.

We had are wedding here and everything about it was amazing. The onsite coordinator Merideth did an excellent job of answering all our questions and setting our expectations for the day of. This is a beautiful venue and we couldn't be more impressed with Merideth and her team.

Yummy Vietnamese food!

Basic museum was ok

I like the museum the house well preserved,but Only for visit it once though

A lovely quaint museum to see with a lot of local history. Guided tours are available with your admission fee. Lots on the go, so check out their website for upcoming events which are starting again slowly. Tea on the lawn is really nice, and one of my favourite places to go. Served outdoors under a tent in the backyard of the grounds. When the sun is shining, and the flowers are in bloom (which is all the time), a luncheon outside is spectacular. A hidden gem! Usually "High tea" in Ottawa is $35 - $70. Not sure what the price will be this year (if they have it again and I am hoping that they do), but it used to be around $12 per person. Also, no tipping because it is run by the City of Ottawa, so I would give a donation to the museum instead. Reservations have to be made in advance for the High tea, but entrance to the museum is open to the public at anytime.

Absolutely lovely place to go and have a light afternoon tea! Their tea can accommodate most dietary restrictions as well! The staff are so pleasant and pay close attention to detail which is so important. Fell in love with this place and will be going more frequently~ Thank you so much

A well maintained and preserved historic site. It is really a lovely spot nestled in a cozy corner of Alta Vista. The grounds are a beautiful space to walk around. If you're visiting for the first time, I would imagine you'd be able to soak up the entire experience the site has to offer in under 2 hours. If you have young children, some of the content may not be exciting for them. Being a historic home and property, only some of the Billings Estate is wheelchair accessible ♿

High Tea in the garden is excellent! Great price too.

The mystery tour was well done and lots of fun.

Went to Billings Estate for afternoon tea. It was lovely! Would definitely do it again

Quite a place in the middle of Ottawa. Unfortunately the Museum was closed due to Covid.

Very interesting historic site nestled in the heart of Ottawa. We were lucky to participate in a live interactive performance of "A Practice of Deceit," a historically accurate adventure through the grounds of the estate.

Interesting place to visit... Ottawa history. Also had a fabulous lunch... but book ahead.

The tour was awesome and far more entertaining then I had expected. Reserve your time online in advance and it will cost roughly $6 per adult. Our guide - Margaret - was a gem. She took us through the entire estates history and was able to inform us of its relevance as well as that of the neighbourhood. With the COVID environment we lucked out and the tour to ourselves for the three of us. Bring a picnic - plenty of tables, a one minute walk to your car from the picnic tables, and indoor washrooms if the museum is available.

Was lovely had high tea wonderful

Beautiful grounds, very interesting history

cool place worth the trip

(Translated by Google) Very interesting place that tells the story of the ancient Billing family who contributed to the development and growth of the city (Original) Luogo molto interessante che racconta la storia dell'antica famiglia Billing che ha contribuito allo sviluppo e alla crescita della città

Went for the Christmas tea! It was delicious and in an enchanting setting. I think we started a tradition!

Beautiful wedding venue

BILLINGS not BLINGS. That second 'L' makes a big difference

I participated in their Halloween themed escape room with friends here and we had a wonderful time! The staff really knock the experience out of the park!

Went for curse at park hill. Was a fantastic experience. I look forward to visiting during the regular season to learn more and see things in better detail

Lovely grounds

Great evening and interesting facts about the Billing Family

Interesting history, and they serve a wonderful afternoon tea with all the trimmings

Ok to visit.

Great visit.enjoyed my time visiting for an event

We came here for a family wedding which was held in an open-sided marquee. One can also go into the (historical) house which was the home of the Billings family in 19th C for a taste of social history.

High tea was excellent in the backyard under the big tent! Scones were warm. Tour of the house was filled with interesting stories. Very knowledgable, friendly staff. One pokestop nearby.

Very interesting place! Tons of history but only one clue to a buried treasure

Tea in the garden!

This place is a dream for history buffs like me.

Unique

Beautiful historic house on well maintained lawns. Parking is easy and the park is pretty quiet most afternoons. Excellent programming by dedicated staff, with historical plaques around the always clean grounds.

This a beautiful and historic spot to enjoy a fee hours. Lovely!

Great historical venue