In need of a little Downton Abbey pick me up?Planning a Great Canadian Day Trip to some of these close-to-home historic sites will make you feel like you’ve stepped onto the set of your favourite show.

Dundurn National Historic Site

This 40-room Italianate-style villa that was built in the 1830’s was home to Sir Allan Napier MacNab, railway magnate, lawyer and Premier of the United Canadas and his family. Downton fans will love exploring this Hamilton landmark and discovering the Canadian perspective of the family who lived above stairs and the servants who lived and worked below. The Monarchy obsessed will also be interested to learn the castle’s connection to British royalty: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall is the museum’s Patron and the great, great, great granddaughter of Sir Allan MacNab.

Costumed garden staff will share informative stories and historic gardening knowledge about the two hundred varieties of heirloom fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers grown in the garden for Dundurn’s kitchen. The tours are complimentary with admission.

If you were a fan of Downton’s Miss Patmore, Dundurn’s Historic Cooking Workshops will be right up your alley. Start off with a tour of the Kitchen Garden, where you’ll help the gardener select the ingredients for what’s being cooked that day. Then, you’ll take a seat in the outstanding historic kitchen below stairs and watch the cooks work their culinary magic on the cast iron range.

Myrtleville House Museum

If you were captivated by the stories of the hard-working farm hands, like Timothy Drewe, who helped Downton farm the land, you must pay a visit to Myrtleville House Museum in Brantford. Built in 1837 for Allen and Eliza Good, the house tells the story of four generations of the Good family and their remarkable influence on development, politics and agriculture in this part of Ontario. The magnificent wood frame farmstead is a focal point of the site, which also features period gardens, a workshop with a blacksmith forge and icehouse, a smoke house and a bake oven.

 

Whitehern Historic House & Garden National Historic Site

If you enjoyed Downton Abbey for its never-ending family drama, plan a trip to Whitehern Historic House & Garden. The McQuesten family was an enterprising Scottish-Irish clan that occupied this downtown Hamilton mansion from 1852-1968. With bankruptcy, legal battles between family members and struggles with mental illness and addiction, their story, which spans three generations, is filled with Downton-grade drama.

Erchless Estate, Oakville

For a chance at actually encountering some characters from days gone by, add Erchless Estate to your itinerary. Mysterious sightings of at least nine ghosts have been reported at the property, which was built in 1858 by Colonel William Chisholm, a merchant and ship builder and the founder of the Town of Oakville. Named after the Chisholm clan’s seat in Invernesshire, Scotland, six generations of the Chisholm family lived at Erchless Estate over a period of 130 years. Rumour has it that some of them have never left. Rebecca, who was the wife of William Chisholm, dropped dead at the Estate’s gate one day and there have been reported sightings from time to time at the gate and in the gardens ever since. Other reported spirit sightings include Christopher Columbus Lee, a former butler, and survivor of the Underground Railroad, who has been seen walking up the steps and throughout the property and Colonel Chisholm’s son, Robert, inside the adjacent Custom House.

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Experiences & Tours View All >>

Now thru December 31

Airborne Experience

iFLY Toronto

2007 Winston Park Drive, Oakville, Ontario, ON, L6H 6P5

4 Flights x 1 Flyer From 1 to 6 flyer(s) per session From $89.99, ''super...

Now thru December 31

Self Guided Public Art Tour

Downtown Hamilton BIA

20 Hughson Street South, Hamilton, ON, L8N 2A1

Free of charge

Now thru November 23

Grand Voyageur (Guided)

Grand Experiences Outdoor Adventure Company

115 Grand River Street North, Paris, ON, N3L 2M4

Trip includes all paddling gear, experienced Voyageur Canoe interpretative guide, shuttle service between Paris &...

Now thru October 31

Guided Walk & Wade

Fly Water Guiding

17 Alexander Avenue, Paris, ON N3L 2V6

Walk and Wade (Full Day): $425 one angler, $475 two anglers Walk and Wade (1/2...

July 10 - August 4

Theatre Aquarius Summer Drama Program

Theatre Aquarius

190 King William Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8R 1A8

"Two sessions, July 10 - July 21 and July 24 - August 8, Monday –...

Now thru December 31

The Downtown Flashback Tour

Downtown Milton BIA

251 Main Street East, Milton, ON, L9T 1P1

Free of charge

Now thru December 31

Paintball

Cameron Speedway & Amusements

2633 Upper James Street, Mount Hope, ON, L0R 1W0

Prices vary, pre-booking online is suggested, online waiver must be filled out

Now thru January 5

AGH Virtual Tours: Fridays at Four

Art Gallery of Hamilton

123 King Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8P 4S8

Now thru December 31

Coffee & Colours Adult Classes

Williams Mill Creative Arts Studios

515 Main Street, Glen Williams, ON, L7G 3S9

Reservation is required for Coffee & Colours. Email paulinegladstone@icloud.com to book and confirm a date...

Now thru June 3

Oaks and Acorns Nature Play: Late Spring Session

Royal Botanical Gardens

680 Plains Road West, Burlington, ON, L7T 4H4

Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays, April 25 to June 3; 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Now thru October 31

Fun Farmyard

Springridge Farm

7256 Bell School Line, Milton, ON, L9T 2Y1

Admission to Fun Farm Yard is per person, ages 2-92. There is no charge to...

Now thru October 31

Introductory Outdoor Rock Climbing Lessons

Zen Climb

3A Marilyn Ave.Toronto, ON M1S 1B9

Pre-requisites: Being able to walk up a flight of stairs independently. Duration: 6.5 hours in...

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