December 2019 Events at Hamilton Civic Museums

HAMILTON, ON - The City of Hamilton is pleased to present the following upcoming events at its civic museums. 

Battlefield House Museum & Park National Historic Site
77 King Street West, Stoney Creek | 905-662-8458 | [email protected]

An Evening with Jane Austen
The event will celebrate the writings of author Jane Austen and help bring the charm of the early 19th century to life with fashion, music, dancing and refreshments.
Date:  Saturday, November 23, 2019
Time: 7:00 to 10 pm
Ages: Adults
Cost: $25.00 per person. Pre-registration required. Call or email to book.

Christmas in the Pioneer Spirit
Gather your family together, take a break from holiday shopping and step back in time to experience the warmth, welcome and simplicity of an early 19th century Christmas. The Gage Family home comes alive at this special time of year with evergreen boughs on the mantles and enticing aromas in the air.

Date: November 23, 2019 to December 31, 2019 (Tuesday to Sunday).
Closed: Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Year’s Day
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm
Ages: All
Cost: Adults: $7.50, Seniors/Youth: $6.50, Children: $5.50, Infants: Free, Family: $22.00

Friends of Battlefield House Museum Lecture Series
An illustrated talk by Zig Misiak will feature the Native Nations during the War of 1812.

Date: December 3, 2019
Time: 7:30 pm to 9 pm
Ages: All
Cost: $2 for non-members

Dundurn National Historic Site
610 York Boulevard, Hamilton | 905-546-2872 | [email protected]

Victorian Christmas
Enjoy the beauty of a mid-19th century family Christmas celebration at Dundurn Castle. The Garden Club of Hamilton decorates the Castle in Victorian splendor with cedar boughs, ribbons and dried flowers. Bring your family and share a Hamilton holiday tradition.

Date: November 23, 2019 to December 29, 2019 (Tuesday to Sunday)
Closed: Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Year’s Day
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm
Ages: All
Cost: Adults: $12.00, Seniors/Youth: $10.00, Children: $6.50, Infants: Free, Family: $32.00

First Day of Christmas
Visit Dundurn for the first day of its Victorian Christmas for FREE! Join costumed interpreters at Dundurn Castle for a free visit of the lavish home of Sir Allan MacNab and his family. The Castle will be decorated by The Garden Club of Hamilton with cedar boughs, ribbons and dried flowers. Bring your family and share a Hamilton holiday tradition. Please bring a non-perishable food item to help stock the Good Shepherd's pantry!

Date: November 24, 2019
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm
Ages: All
Cost:  FREE Event

Dough-Re-Me: Historic Cooking Workshop
Family fun is on the menu! Come to Dundurn and prepare some tasty treats in the historic kitchen below stairs. While your treats are baking in the oven, costumed interpreters will guide you on a tour of the home. Complete your visit with a tasting of your delicious treats.

Date: November 30, 2019
Time: 9 am to 12 noon
Ages:  6 years and older
Cost: $55 for 1 adult and 1 child. Pre-registration is required.

Victorian Christmas Delights: Historic Cooking Workshop
Enjoy an authentic Victorian Christmas cooking experience at Dundurn. Your culinary journey begins as you are greeted by costumed cooks who lead you below stairs to Dundurn's 19th century kitchen for a unique and entertaining experience preparing seasonal desserts! A tour of Dundurn decked out for the season is also included.

Date: December 1, 2019
Time: 9 am to 12 noon
Ages: 14 years and older
Cost: $60 per person. Pre-registration is required.

Delicious Desserts: Historic Cooking Workshop
Baking for the holidays is a large part of many household traditions. Delve into a bit of Scottish heritage by learning how to make Christmas pudding and baked goods. Come home with new skills and a recipe book

Date: December 6, 2019
Time: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Ages: 14 years and older
Cost: $50 per person. Pre-registration is required.

Christmas Evening Tours
Enjoy a unique opportunity to see Dundurn Castle decorated for Christmas in the evening. Begin your evening with carol-singing in the front hall, followed by an extended tour of Sir Allan MacNab's lavish home and a chance to sample an assortment of traditional Christmas foods served in Dundurn's historic kitchen.

Date: December 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 2019
Time: 7 to 9 pm
Ages: All
Cost: $30 per person. Pre-registration is required.

Ring in the New Year
Enjoy a unique opportunity to see Dundurn Castle decorated for the holidays in the evening. Sir Allan MacNab was very proud of his Scottish Ancestry and celebrated the New Year surrounded by family and friends. Ring in the New Year at Dundurn with music, an extended tour of MacNab's lavish home and a chance to sample an assortment of traditional holiday foods served in the historic kitchen.

Date: December 27, 2019 to December 29, 2019
Time: 7 to 9 pm
Ages: All
Cost: $30 per person. Pre-registration is required.

Fieldcote Memorial Park & Museum
64 Sulphur Springs Road, Ancaster | 905-648-8144 | [email protected]

Exhibition: Stories from the Edge
Set on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, with a bounty of water and resources, Ancaster has attracted humans since the retreat of the last glacier over 10,000 years ago. Using 31 stories and artifacts, one for every year the museum has been open, this exhibition offers snapshots of Ancaster’s history from the earliest human occupants to the present day. Sponsored by the Shaver Family Foundation.

Date: Through December, 2020 (Tuesday to Saturday)
Closed: Sundays and Mondays, Good Friday, Canada Day, and Christmas Day through New Year's Day
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm
Ages:  All
Cost: Adults: $4.00, Seniors/Youth: $3.50, Children: $3.00, Infants: Free, Family: $12.00

The Big Sing!
Location: Ancaster Old Town Hall, 310 Wilson Street, Ancaster
Embrace the holiday spirit and enjoy live music with hot cider and treats. Enjoy a delightful concert and a carol sing-along, performed by Strata Vocal Ensemble. www.stratavocalensemble.ca

Date: December 13, 2019
Time: 7 to 9 pm
Ages: All
Cost:  $10 per person. $20 per family. Pre-registration is required.

Griffin House National Historic Site
733 Mineral Springs Road, Dundas – 905-648-8144 – [email protected]
Griffin House is closed this month.

Hamilton Children's Museum
1072 Main Street East Hamilton | 905-546-4848 | [email protected]

Wednesday Wigglers
Explore the environment through adult-facilitated and child-directed activities by engaging in this themed drop-in program that includes story time, songs, discovery and creation centres.

Date:

• December 4 – In Your Neighbourhood
• December 11 – Transportation
• December 18 – A Journey Through Space

Time: 10 to 11:30 am
Ages:  2 to 4 years
Cost:   Adults: $2.50, Seniors/Youth: $2.50, Children: $4.50, Infants: Free, Family: $10.00

Winter Whimsy
School is out! Come into the Hamilton Children’s Museum for some winter fun. Visit the museum galleries and enjoy a variety of crafts and activities each day of the winter school break.

Date: December 27, 2019 to December 30, 2019
Time: 10 am to 3 pm
Ages: All Ages
Cost: Adults: $2.50, Seniors/Youth: $2.50, Children: $4.50, Infants: Free, Family: $10.00

Blue Year's Eve
Celebrate a family New Year at the Hamilton Children's Museum. Visit all three galleries and join in on six 'count-downs' throughout the day. Have fun with indoor and outdoor activities to say goodbye to the past year and hello to the New Year!

Date: December 31, 2019
Time: 9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Ages: All
Cost: Adults: $2.50, Seniors/Youth: $2.50, Children: $4.50, Infants: Free, Family: $10.00

Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology National Historic Site
900 Woodward Avenue, Hamilton | 905-546-4797 | [email protected]

Trains, Trains and More Trains
Join the Golden Horseshoe Live Steamers for their Christmas train display inside the 1913 Electric Pump House building. Live steam and electric “G”-scale miniature train models will be on display, including a Christmas train and Thomas the Tank Engine. Families can also take a photo in our train photo booth and take home a train-themed craft. Guided tours of the 1859 steam-powered Pump House will be available.

Date: December 8, 2019
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm
Ages: 5 years and up
Cost: FREE Event. Regular admission rates apply to the museum:
Adults: $7.50, Seniors/Youth: $6.50, Children: $5.50, Infants: Free, Family: $22.00

STEAM Saturdays Kids Workshop – The Shape of Sound
We are excited to present the “STEAM Saturdays” kids workshop series for children between the ages of 7 and 12. Each month focuses on a different subject in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (S.T.E.A.M.) This workshop is a staff-led and supervised event. Parents/Caregivers are welcome to stay but are not required to do so. Consent forms and emergency contact information will be required.

Experience sound like you’ve never seen it before! What’s the difference between noise and music? What is the colour of a sound? Why do some chords sound pleasant, while others are downright chilling? If any of these questions resonate with you, come down to the museum and learn the answers at a workshop with all the bells and whistles! Don’t worry if music is not your thing, just play it by ear and march to the beat of your own drum. The hands-on activities are sure to strike a chord and a take-home craft will have you changing your tune.

Date: Saturday December 14, 2019
Time: 10 am to 12 pm
Ages: 7 - 12
Cost:  $25 per person. Pre-registration is required. Drop-off program.

The Science of Music: Holiday Drop-In Activity Centre
How ever you celebrate the season, holiday music is in the air! Bring the family to take part in our drop-in activity centre, where we will be exploring the science of music and sound. Experiment with different instruments and noise-makers, learn how sound is made, and make your own musical instrument to take home. Please note adult supervision is required in the activity centre. Regular admission rates apply for Pumphouse tours.

Date: December 27 to December 31, 2019 AND January 2, 2020 to January 5, 2020
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm
Ages:  All ages. Adult supervision required.
Cost:   Free Event. Regular admission rates apply to the museum.
Adults: $7.50, Seniors/Youth: $6.50, Children: $5.50, Infants: Free, Family: $22.00

STEAM Saturdays Kids Workshop – Magic with Static
We are excited to present the “STEAM Saturdays” kids workshop series for children between the ages of 7 and 12. Each month focuses on a different subject in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (S.T.E.A.M.) This workshop is a staff-led and supervised event. Parents/Caregivers are welcome to stay but are not required to do so. Consent forms and emergency contact information will be required.

A magician never reveals their secrets…but science can! Learn all about the magic of static electricity, and the science behind different magic tricks and illusions. Kids will leave with a kit of magician supplies and a secret booklet of illusions to amaze audiences with magic tricks using the mysterious power of static!

Date: Saturday January 18, 2019
Time: 10 am to 12 noon
Ages: Ages 7 - 12
Cost:  $25.00 per person. Pre-registration is required. Drop-off program.

Whitehern Historic House & Garden National Historic Site
41 Jackson Street West | 905-546-2018 | [email protected]

The McQuesten Family Christmas
Enjoy this special time of year as the McQuestens look back on the Christmas of their childhood. Once a year, the family's toys are gathered under a whimsically decorated tree. Cedar roping and satin ribbon complete the picture. Come to Whitehern and experience the holidays as they were celebrated through the eras, from the 1850s to the 1930s.

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2019 to Sunday, January 5, 2020 (Tuesday to Sunday)
Closed: Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Year’s Day
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm
Ages: All
Cost: Adults: $7.50, Seniors/Youth: $6.50, Children: $5.50, Infants: Free, Family: $22.00

Additional Resources

• Hamilton Civic Museums’ complete event calendar: www.hamilton.ca/museumevents
• Hamilton Civic Museums: www.hamilton.ca/museums
• For a comprehensive events calendar, download the City of Hamilton CityApp, for Android and iOS users, through Google Play and App Store.
• Image requests: [email protected]