Canada · Ontario · Ottawa
Centretown, Ottawa — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Stone churches and downtown streets fill Centretown, the central district of Ottawa, from the Canadian Museum of Nature to Elgin Street.
Hotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Where to stay in Centretown
Where the beds are, and what that means for the visit.
Centretown makes a practical base in the heart of Ottawa, its downtown streets lined with older homes, churches and small hotels within walking distance of Elgin Street. Distances in Centretown are short. You might choose it to stay near the Canadian Museum of Nature and the shops of Somerset Street West, with the rest of the city an easy walk away.
It suits walkers well.
Find hotels in Centretown
Direct booking search for this neighbourhood.
Hotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Things to do in and around Ottawa
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Museums & Galleries
2- Bank of Canada Museum
- Portrait Gallery of Canada
Churches & Religious Sites
3- St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Heritage
- First Baptist Church Heritage
- Glebe Community Centre/St. Paul's Methodist Church/St. James' United Church Heritage
Castles & Historic Sites
2- Valiants Memorial
- Eternal Armenia
Landmarks & Notable Places
8- 149 Somerset Street West Heritage
- 275 MacLaren Street Heritage
- Cheney House Heritage
- Powell House Heritage
- 310 Cooper Street Heritage
Show 3 more →
- Birkett House Heritage
- 324 Somerset Street West Heritage
- 326-328 Somerset Street West Heritage
worth knowingacross 4 categories in and around Ottawa
About Centretown
What are the main landmarks in Centretown?
Centretown carries some of Ottawa's best-known museums and heritage buildings. The Canadian Museum of Nature rises like a castle at one end of the district, while the Bank of Canada Museum and the Portrait Gallery of Canada sit among the downtown blocks. Churches mark the streets too.
They are St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, the First Baptist Church and the Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist. Heritage homes such as Birkett House and Cheney House line quieter streets like MacLaren Street. The mix runs from national museums to family houses.
What is the history of Centretown?
Centretown took shape as a residential core within Ottawa, in the province of Ontario. Churches led the way. Congregations built St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and the First Baptist Church as the streets filled with brick and stone homes across this part of Canada.
Institutions followed, among them the Canadian Museum of Nature. The old street grid still holds.
Where is Centretown?
Centretown sits at the heart of Ottawa. Its downtown grid runs from Elgin Street across to Bronson Avenue, taking in Somerset Street West and the blocks around the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Centretown?
Centretown: Travellers who want a central, walkable base in Centretown near Elgin Street and the Canadian Museum of Nature rather than the outer suburbs of Ottawa.
Good for
More areas in Ottawa
Updated October 2026