This museum illustrates Canada's history from prehistoric times, through the original Canadians, early settlers and explorers, to the fur traders, and mass immigration to modern times. Life sized reconstructions of all these stages in history fill the museum. Another museum that is very much worth a visit is the National Museum of Science and Technology . This includes historical displays of such items as steam locomotives, bicycles, domestic technology, communications and space technology, computers, printing presses and cars. There is a large telescope, which along with many other exhibits is hands-on.
Many different workshops are available.
The most popular and prominent recreational facility in Ottawa is the Rideau Canal . This was originally built to provide a safe passageway for British gunboats, and later it served a commercial purpose for the logging industry. Today the Rideau Canal is the world's longest ice-skating rink. Some civil servants and students even skate to work or classses. There are cross-country skiing trails on the banks of the canal.