Where Is The ByTowne - How Do I Get There - Where Do I Park?

The ByTowne Cinema is located in downtown Ottawa at 325 Rideau Street, between King Edward Avenue and Nelson St. We have a lovely old-style flashing marquee, so we're easy to spot once you get within a block or two. Link to MapQuest for directions.

From Downtown, Glebe or Westboro:
(Click here for downloadable instructions in pdf format)
Take Bank, Elgin or the Ottawa River Parkway to Wellington St. (the street with the Parliament Buildings). Follow Wellington east until it becomes Rideau St. (at the Rideau Centre), then follow Rideau for five more blocks. You will see our flashing marquee on the left.

From Hull, Aylmer, Gatineau:
(Click here for downloadable instructions in pdf format)
Use the route of your choice to Hwy. 5 in Hull and take it southbound. You will cross from Québec to Ontario on the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, which leads directly onto King Edward Ave. Follow King Edward south to Rideau St. (at the tall Quality Inn hotel) and turn left.

From the West End:
(Click here for downloadable instructions in pdf format)
Take the Queensway East to the Nicholas St. exit and take the northbound ramp towards downtown. At the first traffic light, turn right onto Laurier. At the fourth traffic light on Laurier, turn left onto King Edward. Follow King Edward four more blocks to Rideau St. and turn right.

From east or south:
(Click here for downloadable instructions in pdf format)
Take the Queensway (if you're coming from the east) or Riverside Drive (if you're coming from the south) to the Vanier Parkway. Follow the Vanier Parkway north to Montreal Rd. and turn left. Montreal Rd. continues to the Cummings Bridge over the Rideau River, where it turns into Rideau St. Continue a few blocks along Rideau until you can spot the ByTowne marquee on the right.

If you opt for public transit, any bus that will get you to the Rideau Centre is a good start. From the Rideau Centre, we're just six blocks to the east, so you can walk pretty easily in under 10 minutes. Or you can hop on the eastbound #2 (Blair), #7 (St. Laurent), #14 (St. Laurent) or #18 (St. Laurent) and the bus will bring you the rest of the way.

If you're coming from the east, you may want to use the westbound #2 (Bayshore), #7 (Carleton), #14 (Iris) or #18 (Britannia) buses, all of which stop in front of the Rideau St. Loblaw's, about fifty paces from the ByTowne's front door.

Click for larger image

If you're driving to the ByTowne, you may be wondering "Where do I park?" Unfortunately, the ByTowne Cinema does not have a parking facility, but metered street parking stretches all along Rideau Street from King Edward Avenue to Friel Street and beyond. Street parking can also be found on Nelson Street in Lowertown, as well as Besserer and Daly Streets in Sandy Hill.

Remember to read the signs to determine when you can park and for how long, and of course, obey the snow removal signs in wintertime.

The ByTowne is bordered by a parking lot at the rear of the building which belongs to our neighbour the Days Inn Hotel. The lot is accessible from Rideau Street via a lane just west of the ByTowne, the flat-rate evening charge is $4.00. Bring coins, as the lot uses a coin-operated pay station.

Another lot charging an evening flat-rate is located next to the Quality Hotel at the corner of Rideau Street and King Edward Avenue. The parking garage entrance is on King Edward, right next door to the Ottawa Little Theatre. The price (after 6 pm) is $5.00, which may be worth it for those who like a covered, heated parking garage.

Our third recommendation is a bit farther away, but only $2.00 in the evenings. The lot is located north of us along Nelson Ave. It also uses an automated ticket-vending machine, and the entrance is just beside an auto repair shop called K.I.T. Motors. Look for the large friendly yellow sign that says "$2".

If you're more visually inclined and the above is more confusing than illuminating, check out the accompanying ByTowne Parking Map.