Dundurn Castle
A neoclassical Regency house of forty rooms built by a premier, shown from both the family's and the servants' side.
Updated 18 October 2026
AI illustration
Sir Allan MacNab, railway magnate and premier of the Province of Canada, built Dundurn between 1832 and 1835 on a promontory over Burlington Bay, a forty-room neoclassical Regency house with the gas lighting and running water that marked wealth in the period. The house is restored to 1855 and the tour deliberately covers both floors of life: the family rooms above and the kitchens, sculleries and servants' quarters below, where the work that sustained the house was done. A cooking programme runs in the historic kitchen using period methods and the garden's produce. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is a descendant of MacNab.
History
Sir Allan MacNab bought the land on Burlington Heights from Richard Beasley, one of Hamilton's early settlers, who had to sell because of debts, and built his house on the foundations of Beasley's brick home; designed by the architect Robert Charles Wetherell, it was finished in 1835 and became famous across Canada for its grand entertainments, with guests such as Sir John A. Macdonald and the future King Edward VII. The pillars and portico were added in 1855 for the wedding of MacNab's daughter Sophia. After MacNab's death the house served as an institution for the deaf; Donald McInnes bought it in 1872 and sold it to the City of Hamilton in 1899, and it was restored in the late 1960s as a Canadian Centennial project (Wikipedia, Dundurn Castle).
What to look for
- The 1855 restoration - forty rooms furnished to a single documented year.
- The service floor - kitchens and servants' quarters given equal weight.
- The historic kitchen - period cooking demonstrations using garden produce.
- The bay setting - the villa on a promontory over Burlington Bay.
When to go
Year-round; the house runs Christmas programming in December and reduced hours in winter. Tours are guided at set times. The kitchen programme runs on published days.
Before you go
Entry is by guided tour only at set times, so arriving without checking can mean a wait. The house is on several floors with stairs. The military museum on site is a separate small building.
Nearby
The Royal Botanical Gardens lie northwest; Webster Falls is west.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q5314924, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Dundurn Castle
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A refillable water bottle - Many cities have public fountains; save money and plastic. Find on Amazon
- A light layer + compact umbrella - For museum air-con and a sudden shower. Find on Amazon
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