Brewer Park is really popular all year round. It's located right off of Carleton University,…read morebetween Bronson and Sunnyside, on Brewer Way, right next to the Ottawa River. It's used quite a bit for sports, as it has numerous soccer and football playing fields, baseball diamonds, a basketball net, a hockey arena and speed skating oval in the winter, and is close to Brewer Pool for indoor swimming. It also has bike paths, play structures, a pond, and even a mini waterpark, which makes it particularly fun for kids and families. I always see children playing here with their family, friends, and pets, as well as Carleton students that live so close by. The first time I visited Brewer Park was in the fall for House of Paint, an annual graffiti festival, with live art, DJs and MCs, breakdancing, and BBQ. It takes place at the legal wall under Dunbar Bridge, and the festival is eco-friendly, community-supported, and unique.

I can't believe there aren't more reviews for this excellent park! I came here when I worked in…read morechildcare, and it was a kid's paradise. It might even be my favourite place to bring kids in the city, especially on a hot day. There's an awesome two tiered splash pad here, along with 4 or 5 awesome play structures (which are accessible). There's tons of room for kids to run around, and there's also some other cool features to explore like the community garden, pond, and legal graffiti wall. They have public washrooms and they're fairly clean. This is a fantastic place to bring the little ones, but the House of Paint hiphop festival is also a ton of fun for adults.

What a cool little park that I didn't even know existed! Harrold Place Park is a long but narrow…read morepark that is sort of like the median along a boulevard. There's a road on both sides of the park, but it's in a residential area, so the road is not that busy. There are 4 sections to the park. Two long narrow sections and 2 smaller oval sections at the ends. One of the long narrow sections is a fenced-in play area. No dogs are allowed in this area. It has a splash pad, swings and a play structure with slides. It has some benches, picnic tables (some under gazebos, which I like sitting under) and even a table with a built-in checkers/chess board. The other long narrow section is open green space. Dogs are allowed. There's enough space for a badminton net or volleyball net, if people wanted to put up their own and play. The 2 oval sections at the ends of the long narrow sections are also just open green space. Again, dogs are allowed in this area. These sections are smaller. I feel that Harrold Place Park makes really good use of space and it's an excellent community park for those who live in the neighbourhood. Looking for more parks with tables with built-in checkers/chess boards or more parks with splash pads? Check out my parks in Ottawa Collection here on Yelp: https://www.yelp.ca/collection/fhwH7F0hdh8_PpmaXsHSmw?utm_content=Collections&utm_source=ashare

Iona Park is a fairly large community park. It has a play structure, swings, and splash pad, as…read morewell as a lot of green space to run around. There are also park benches. There are sunny areas as well as shaded areas. The park has 2 entrances, one on Iona and one on Wesley. The signage with the park's name on it is really old. It's like it was forgotten when all the new park signs were put up with the new City of Ottawa logo. I kinda like the old sign though, makes it more unique. The sign is at the Wesley Ave entrance. There is oddly no sign at the Iona St entrance. Street parking only.

This place is a hidden gem and deserves a 6*…read more Since we were 2 adults and a 7-yr old, I reserved one Pedalo which can seat 2 adults and 2 children. We arrived at 9 am, enough time to watch a 10min compulsory video, which was well worth it, before we started our discovery expedition, scheduled at 9.30am. This, I find, is the best starting time, as you are not under the intense sun, and much less traffic on the water. Customer service was just impeccable, and not just at checkin, but everywhere we met other staff. We were provided with a guide book, a map, marker, a walkie-talkie and a life jacket. After that, it was just pure adventure going through the labyrinth, following directions and clues. The marsh comes alive with lots of snapping turtles, frogs and small fish. It was a learning expedition for the 7-yr old as for the adults for the entire journey padding away, enjoying the beautiful and peaceful scenery, which took us just over 2 1/2 hours. We had our lunch at one of the many picnic tables available everywhere. Happy to see that washrooms were very clean. This is definitely a place not to be missed.

Nestled in wetlands near Wakefield Quebec, Eco-odyssée is ingenious! In a nutshell, little…read morewaterways have been carved out of wetland and/or bog to create a maze. I am not a naturalist so maybe I am not using the correct terminology but bear with me as I try to explain... You rent a paddleboat, choose an adventure and off you go, trying to find your way back to the start. We had an absolute blast yesterday, even with the heat of the day. The paddleboats are equipped with little awnings to protect you from the sun. And don't worry, if you get completely lost (which we didn't), you can reach the crew via walkie talkie, which is included in the price. It takes about 1.5 hours to do the basic adventure. The rental for one paddleboat is just over $50 with the taxes and seats 2 adults or 2 adults plus 2 kids. This activity rates "mild" in my opinion and I am not much of a physical activity kind of a girl. Although we brought bug spray, we didn't use it at all: no mosquitos nor deer flies. But thank goodness we brought water, although we had to pace ourselves: there are no "pee brake" spots in the middle of the bog. I am totally gaga over this place. I think whoever thought of this is brilliant! Visitors to our region should be introduced to this activity. And when you are done, where better than to spend the rest of the day than in Wakefield? Boutiques, restaurants and a really awesome bakery. Only 30-35 minutes from downtown Ottawa. A must!!!

Westboro Kiwanis Park is a great little park. It's fairly large with several play structures, a…read morewading pool, a tennis court, and lots of green space with picnic tables. The Dovercourt Recreation Centre is located in this park, and they have an indoor pool, a gym and other amenities. They offer classes as well. There's a parking lot with free parking.

Fisher Park is a great park with a huge field, splash pad and play structures. The thing is since…read moreit's attached to a school, the field is off-limits to the public during school hours, so the school kids can access it. There's a splash pad that's quite cool with water spurting and spraying out of different structures. The play structures are also cool. There are swings and slides, and also climbing structures made of rope. I think it's very fun for kids there. There are a few park benches, but only 2 picnic tables. There's one out in the open and one that's under a gazebo. There's an entrance off Harmer Ave and an entrance off Holland Ave. Street parking only.

Tillbury Park is a community park with a fairly large play structure with swings and slides, a…read morebasketball court and open green space. There are a few benches throughout the park. It's a good size. It's a city park, and not all that picturesque, but functional as a community park.

I visited for the first time today with my kids, and overall it was a great experience. It was…read morequite busy, but there was adequate staff on hand, and everything felt well-managed. My kids had a great time. We visit a lot of play places, and while I've heard some people complain about the price (around $25 per child), I think it's very reasonable since you can stay and play for the entire day. The memberships are also well-priced in my opinion, especially since they are open daily, the visits are unlimited and they're valid for a full year. The staff were friendly, and all of the equipment appeared to be in good working order. The space is small enough to easily supervise your children, but still large enough to keep them entertained. In my opinion, it's best suited for kids up to about age 8. There isn't a food menu, but the snack prices are very reasonable (e.g., $0.50 for juice, $1 for water, $1.75 for chips). Many similar places tend to overcharge for these items. I also called ahead and was told it was fine to bring my own coffee, which I appreciated. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 is the lack of food options. That said, I understand space is limited and that food is available for parties.

my son is having a blast but half the play structures are fixed with duct tape, there's old socks…read moreand food and wrappers in the ball pits, some of the plastic structures have caked on dirt ... I won't be back but at least he had fun! fingers crossed he won't get sick because they clearly don't clean regularly.

Near the casino, this is a perfect 5 km loop. It's typically clean and not overly crowded, which…read moremakes it a great spot for a walk or a run. In the summer you can rent paddle boards and kayaks for 20$ or free with the gatineau access card! Près du casino, c'est une boucle parfaite d'environ 5 km. C'est généralement propre et pas trop achalandé, ce qui en fait un excellent endroit pour marcher ou courir. Durant l'été la location de kayaks et paddlboard est à frais de 20$ ou bien gratuit avec la carte acces gatineau!

Beautiful views, and a decent walk. Really bummed those topiaries that are all over Google aren't…read morethere anymore, but it was a good time-if a gray day.

My parents came to visit me for the weekend for the Tulip festival. We had a picnic at this park…read moreand it was fantastic! Great sunny weather and lots of people. The trees were green and the tulips were out. It's a large area where you have enough space to have privacy. There is lots of shade as well. This was not my first time and won't be my last.

The park is very peaceful and quiet. It is beautiful and has many different flowers. It also has a…read morewonderful view of the Parliament Hill, Ottawa River and the Canal. It's nice to go for a walk/run along the river or go for a picnic and enjoy a laid back and relaxing time. It's a must-see in Ottawa.