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It is located on 79 acres (0.32 km²) of land at One Sussex Drive in Ottawa. It was built in 1838 by a Scottish architect, Thomas MacKay , and was occupied by his family until 1855.

When Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the new capital of Canada in 1866, Rideau Hall became the residence of the first governor general, Lord Monck. The house has been expanded numerous times since then, including the addition of a tennis court in 1872, as well as an ice skating rink and a tobogganing slide.

The main entrance, completed in 1913, contains all the heraldric shields of the governors of Canada, beginning with Samuel de ChamplainSamuel de Champlain by Theophile Hamel (1870) Samuel de Champlain 1567 1635 was a French geographer, draftsman, explorer and founder of Quebec City. Born in Brouage, France, much of Champlain's early life is unknown. His first trip to North America was on, the first governor of New FranceNew France ( French: la Nouvelle-France describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Brit. There are portraits of the British governors general in the Tent Room and portraits of the Canadian-born governors general (beginning with Vincent MasseyCharles Vincent Massey ( February 20, 1887 December 30, 1967) was the eighteenth Governor General of Canada and the first to be born in Canada. Vincent was the son of Hart Massey who owned the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company. The family was one of Toronto) in the Reception Room. Portraits of the spouses of the governors general are found in the Drawing Room. Inductions into the Order of CanadaThe Order of Canada is Canada's highest civilian honour, awarded to those who adhere to the Order's motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam meaning "they desire a better country. The Order was created on July 1, 1967, on the country's 100th anniversary, to re are usually held in the Ballroom; sometimes they are held in the Reception Room. The prime minister and cabinet members also swear their oaths in the Ballroom, and diplomatic functions are held there.

While many of the rooms showcase Victorian British styles or Oriental styles, the Canadian Room is dedicated to Canadian art and culture. A greenhouseSaint Paul, Minnesota. A greenhouse (or glasshouse is a building where plants are cultivated. A greenhouse is built of glass or plastic; it heats up because the sun's incoming electromagnetic radiation (particularly infrared light) warms plants, soil, and and flower garden, which also contains many Canadian symbols such as a totem poleTotem poles are carved from great trees, most often Western Redcedar, along the Pacific coast of North America. Totem poles often have lineage crests on them. During the nineteenth century, the fashion was for totem poles to be erected as integral parts o from British ColumbiaBritish Columbia or simply B. French: la Colombie-Britannique is the westernmost of Canada's provinces. It was the sixth province to join the confederation of Canada (in 1871). As of 2004, the population was 4,168,123 British Columbians . Geography Its ca, provide flowers for the Hall and the other government buildings in Ottawa.