Laurier House, Ottawa

Laurier House, located in Ottawa, is a prominent National Historic Site. It served as the official residence for two notable Canadian prime ministers, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, for whom the house is named, and William Lyon Mackenzie King. Today, this historic dwelling has been transformed into a captivating house museum that welcomes the public for guided tours. Visitors can explore the premises between Victoria Day in May and Thanksgiving in October.

Built in 1878, Laurier House has been modified over the years. It combines Italianate and Second Empire architectural styles. Sir Wilfrid Laurier lived there from 1897 until he died in 1919. After his wife Zoé's passing in 1921, she left the property to Mackenzie King. King called Laurier House his home from 1923 until he died in 1950. Eventually, he gifted the house to the Canadian Crown.

There was a brief consideration by the Cabinet to establish the residence as the permanent official dwelling for prime ministers. However, at the time, the incumbent prime minister, Louis Saint Laurent, opposed this proposal. Consequently, another property known as 24 Sussex Drive, which the Crown had acquired a few years earlier through expropriation, was chosen as the official residence of the prime minister in 1951.

Over the years, Laurier House welcomed numerous distinguished guests to Canada, including King George VI, Sir Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and many others. Since 1988, Parks Canada has taken charge of administering the house as part of the national park system, operating it as a captivating public museum.