A Winter Visit to Dundurn Castle National Historic Site Ingrid Carlaw   © Copyright 2026 by Ingrid Carlaw

Photo courtesy of the Archives of Ontario at Wikimedia Commons.

I visited the National Historic Site with my guests on a cold winter day when the castle was decorated for Christmas. The cold air and quiet surroundings immediately set a mysterious mood. It was unlike any other museum in the area and offered a rare insight into life more than 100 years ago, before Confederation. When we arrived, we purchased our guided tour tickets at the Coach House gift store, which was located at the end of the parking lot. Stepping indoors felt like crossing into another time. The guided tour included many interesting anecdotal stories, and visitors were encouraged to ask questions. The tour guides were dressed in historical clothing, which helped create a sense of authenticity, and our guide was very friendly and engaging.

The tour began in the main lobby, which was decorated to reflect the year 1855. The space felt formal yet intimate, and I became more aware of how carefully life was structured within the home. Learning about the hanging staircase and the extremely thick walls made the building feel permanent and imposing, as though it was meant to project status and security. As we moved through the castle, I felt a growing sense of curiosity mixed with quiet respect for the history contained within the walls. Our guide took us through all three levels of the castle, which contained a total of 40 rooms. I learned about the daily lives of Sir MacNab’s wife and children, as well as the lives of the servants who worked and lived there. Knowing that some servants were as young as seven years old added a sobering layer to the experience.

I found the basement felt colder and more isolated than the rest of the house, creating a stark contrast to the grand rooms above. The ice cellar, dug deep into the ground, highlighted the physical demands of daily life and survival in the nineteenth century. A long tunnel had been dug by hand underneath the castle to reach the laundry room and gunpowder storage, and imagining the labor required to create it was humbling. On the main floor, the dining room stood out for its size and elegance. Seeing the table set as it would have been for formal meals made it easy to imagine gatherings filled with conversation and ceremony. At the same time, the narrow hallways and small rooms created a sense of confinement, especially when considering the servants who moved quickly and quietly through these spaces. The worn staircases suggested years of constant use and movement, reinforcing the sense that this was once a busy, lived-in home.

The surrounding grounds were expansive, with winter-bare trees and a wide view from the top of the Niagara Escarpment overlooking Burlington Bay. The stillness of the landscape encouraged reflection and provided a sense of distance from modern life. Standing there, I felt a strong connection between the physical setting and the history it overlooked. Visiting during the warmer months would have allowed more time to explore the grounds in detail. Dundurn Castle also offers workshops throughout the year, and more information is available on their website.

Ingrid Carlaw is a Canadian freelance writer who lives in Guelph, Ontario.