Exploring historic sites in Hamilton

Dundarn Castle in Hamilton

On a day trip to Hamilton, we checked out a few of the museums/historic sites that the place had to offer. It was during “Doors Open” when we went there which meant we did not have to pay the $30 family admission fee. Yay! Free is good J…and it really was good. We learned a lot touring the sites and the girls found it interesting, too!

We started with the War gallery beside the gift shop. It was pretty much a room with some cool artifacts from the First World War. There, we also found the Remembrance Day garden where there were poppies painted on stones by students to remember the fallen soldiers, alongside info and the poem, In Flanders Fields.

We then explored the Dundurn Castle. This 40-room villa from the 1830’s was once the site of a military encampment of the British in 1813. It was the home of Sir Allan MacNab and his family who was a railway magnate, a lawyer and the Premier of the United Canadas in the 1850’s. Costumed staff were available all throughout the house giving information and available for questions. The house was just magnificent, quite reflective of the affluence of the time. The basement was entirely for the servants and there were bells for the family to communicate to them. They had gas lights when most folks used candles, a machine to clean and polish cutlery, and a whole dining hall amidst the cellar and pantry. They even had a microbrewery for the servants to drink beer as apparently they drank beer instead of water as it was not purified.

Storage room @ Dundarn Castle, Hamilton

Wine Cellar @ Dundarn Castle, Hamilton

 In the main floor, the butler had his own room and pantry. In this floor we also saw the library, smoking and game room, dining room and drawing room. In the 2^nd floor, the bedrooms had separate sitting and dressing rooms. Each room in the house had a fireplace as well. It was not hard to imagine how grand it used to be.

Room of Sir Allan MacNab @ Dundarn Castle, Hamilton

We went to the Military Museum next where we checked out the exhibit of the War of 1812 featuring recovered artifacts and even original uniforms. 

Miltary Museum in Hamilton

We also had a chance to dress up using some costumes available. In the second floor, we saw a video and some images from the Hamilton and Scourge shipwreck sites—the only two complete 1812 warships in the world and still intact under Lake Ontario! This place was more kid-friendly since apart from the dress up station, there was a play area in the 2^nd floor where there was a campsite, giant checkers and blocks.

Children's playarea in the Military Museum, Hamilton

Before we left, we took a peek at the Cockpit Theatre (closed at the time and currently used for theatre performances and private events) initially a pavilion used for cockfighting. 

The Cockpit, Hamilton

We also walked through the Kitchen Garden which provided nutritious veggies for the main house.

Kitchen Garden complete with costumed staff, Hamilton

It was a very interesting history lesson for us and it was great that these sites were preserved and restored to share with future generations. If you are a tourist or had no background on Canadian history, you will still be able to appreciate these sites.