Ottawa is not just Canada’s capital city, it’s a functioning time machine. A simple night on the town can transform into a trip to decades past. Standard travel booklets would claim the stone castles of downtown are the must-sees for those wanting to get in touch with history.
However, for those of you who want to experience more of a recent look at the past, Ottawa has plenty of places that will fulfill your craving for nostalgia. From pierogi arcades to “fully-automatic” bowling alleys, here are some of Ottawa’s best locations to experience a blast from the past.
House of TARG
The House of TARG’s founders put three excellent ideas for an establishment in a blender and got an Ottawa staple as a result. The pierogi restaurant and live music venue also houses a gallery of arcade games. Everyone who orders off their menu will have their selection called out by a synthesized alien voice, straight out of a 1980s cheesy science fiction film.
The crown jewel of the venue is definitely its pristine collection of iconic pinball machines. These are the ultimate retro fan dream, with the machines all themed after nostalgic icons such as KISS, Jurassic Park, Star Wars and perhaps most memorable of all, Shaquille O’Neal.
Level One Game Pub
For those yearning to be immersed in the 16-bit dreamscapes of 1980s and ‘90s video games, Level One Game Pub is the place to And if you’re looking more for early 21st-century nostalgia, the pub’s two floors of fun and food feature game consoles that would fit a more modern definition of ‘retro.’
If you grew up with a weekly family game night, Level One owns pretty much every board and card game known to humankind. Every game owned by Level One is listed on its website, so check that out before diving into the cards and Mario. ‘Retro.’
The Hobby House
If you ever find yourself forced to choose between spending your time in a store or a museum, then the Hobby House is the happy medium you are looking for. The store, which celebrated its 70th anniversary this year, is still run by the founder’s son. Display cases filled with memorabilia from the hobby industry’s history line the walls, including financial records from when it was run out of a single bedroom in 1953.
Hobby shops are unfortunately a dying breed, but during their glory days, they served as the one-stop locale for any and all niche interests such as model trains and Ghostbusters merchandise. Now, the Hobby House stands as one of the last of its kind, and is worth visiting just for its plethora of history.
West Park Bowling
Five-pin bowling is a tradition in Ottawa passed down through generations. The city and its surrounding areas are home to plenty of alleys fulfilling that Saturday night bowling fix so many of us desperately crave. However, none of Ottawa’s other locations have the added nostalgia factor present at West Park Bowling.
West Park has been quite the innovator over the years since originally opening in 1946. They still proudly advertise being “fully automatic,” meaning you don’t need a scratch card to keep score — something that would have seemed as futuristic as
flying cars at the time. The facility’s equipment is still intact from its opening days, but everything feels fresh all these years later.
Even if you aren’t much of a bowler, the satisfaction of watching urethane spheres seemingly defying physics as they fly up the ball return honestly makes the place worth the trip.
Mayfair Theatre
The Mayfair is without a doubt Ottawa’s favourite classic cinema. Its giant silver screen has entertained guests since the Great Depression, officially debuting in 1932. Nowadays, the theatre specializes in screening cult classics and double features. Most notorious among these is The Room, the hilariously awful disaster of a film written and directed by the enigmatic Tommy Wiseau.
The most memorable recent Mayfair showing was the re-released Stop Making Sense, a masterpiece concert film from legendary band Talking Heads. There is nowhere better to watch David Byrne be David Byrne than in a theatre that matches the rustic nostalgia of his music. Oh, and they notably screened The Shining backwards and forwards at the same time, adding another ledger to the theatre’s expansive lore.
The Prescott
Ottawa’s longest-tenured eatery is also one of its most unique. On the surface, the Prescott may seem like your typical sports bar, but its legacy in the Ottawa community makes it so much more. It’s always a treat when the “About Us” section of a business has a word count that would fulfill first-year term paper requirements.
The decor inside the Prescott is very old school, with the retro call booths offering amazing photo opportunities. Watching the reactions of first-time patrons as they lay eyes on the meatball sandwich is priceless. The Prescott is definitely worth a visit just to see jaws drop when hungry customers realize just how much sauce comes with their order.
Ottawa is a place known for its history and I’m sure most of you are all too familiar with the traditional travel pamphlet recommendations. Whether you’re drawn to robot pinball or cult-focused cinemas, I hope one of my recommendations can be part of your future plans when you want to experience a blast from the past.
