Heritage Day Celebration: Enjoy Free Guided Tours of Hamilton’s Dundurn Castle This Weekend

The Hamilton Wentworth Heritage Association, in collaboration with the City of Hamilton’s Tourism and Culture Division, invites the public to a complimentary Heritage Day celebration.

Credit: City of Hamilton

Scheduled for February 24 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Heritage Day celebration will take place at Dundurn Castle. Attendees will enjoy a variety of presentations, including insights into local heritage, stories of migration, archaeological findings, and discussions on provincial legislation’s impact on heritage inventories and light refreshments. The event will also spotlight the LGBTQ+ heritage sites in Hamilton and feature a segment on re-enacting historical events.

Free guided tours of the historic site are offered on both days of the weekend, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. These tours aim to honour the rich history of the region. Pre-registration is unavailable, and tours are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with registration at the Gift Shop on the day of the visit.

The tours are an opportunity to explore the 40-room Italianate-style villa, which once served as the residence of Sir Allan Napier MacNab, prime minister of the Province of Canada before Confederation, and his family. The castle, now a museum, showcases life in the 1850s for both the family and their servants, highlighted by the latest conveniences of that era, such as gas lighting and running water. The City of Hamilton, which acquired the property at the turn of the 20th century for $50,000, has invested nearly $3 million in renovations to make the castle accessible to the public. Visitors will learn about the castle’s history, the restoration of its historic kitchen garden, and the role of Dundurn Castle in the community.

Queen Camilla, a direct descendant of Sir Allan MacNab, is the Royal Patron of Dundurn Castle.