December Events at Hamilton Civic Museums

Hamilton, Ontario - November 30, 2016 - The City of Hamilton is pleased to present these events at its civic museums this December.

For more information about these events, visit Hamilton Civic Museums. For image requests, please contact [email protected].

Battlefield House Museum & Park National Historic Site

77 King Street West, Stoney Creek | Phone: 905-662-8458 | Email: [email protected]

Christmas in the Pioneer Spirit

Dates: November 26, 2016 to January 8, 2017
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm (Tuesday to Sunday)
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 with evergreen boughs on the mantles and enticing aromas in the air. Cost: Adults $7, Seniors/Youth $6, Children $5, Infants Free, Family $20

Friends of Battlefield House Museum Lecture Series

Date: December 6
Time: 7:30 pm
Join us for a historically-themed illustrated talk on the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry with Sgt. Brian Buckle. Call 905-662-8458 for details. Free event

Eat, Drink and Be 'Mary'

Date: Saturday, December 10
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm
Create family holiday memories to take with you into the future at a site steeped in the past. Explore the home of Mary and James Gage to experience the warmth and enchantment of an early 19th century Christmas. Join us for music, caroling, children's activities, hearth-baked treats and mulled cider. Visit with St. Nicholas (bring your camera for a unique photo opportunity) and shop for nostalgic holiday gifts. Cost: Adults $7, Seniors/Youth $6, Children $5, Infants Free, Family $20

Dundurn Castle

610 York Boulevard, Hamilton | Phone: 905-546-2872 | Email: [email protected]

Victorian Christmas

Dates: November 27 to January 8, 2017
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm (Tuesday to Sunday)
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.Cost: Adults: $11.50, Seniors/Youth: $9.50, Children: $6, Infants: Free, Family: $30

Christmas Evening Tours

Dates: December 2, 9 to 12 & 16 to 18
Time: 7 to 9 pm
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. Cost: $27 per person. Pre-registration required; purchase early to avoid disappointment.

Ring in the New Year: A Holiday Evening Tour at Dundurn

Dates: December 28 & 29
Time: 7 to 9 pm
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. Cost: $27 per person. Pre-registration required; purchase early to avoid disappointment.

Fieldcote Memorial Park & Museum

64 Sulphur Springs Road, Ancaster | Phone: 905-648-8144 | Email: [email protected]

Exhibit: A Forest of Christmas Trees

Dates: November 22 to December 24
Time: 1 to 5 pm (Tuesday to Saturday)
Visitors attending this special exhibit will be the judges and will vote for their favourite trees. The winners will be announced on Friday, December 16, 2014 at “The Big Sing!"
Cost: Adults $3.50, Seniors/Youth $3, Children $2.50, Infants Free, Family $10

The Big Sing!

Date: Friday, December 16
Time: 7 to 9 pm
Embrace the holiday spirit at the historic Ancaster Old Town Hall, 310 Wilson Street, for live music, hot cider, treats and Christmas Tree Awards. Enjoy a delightful concert and carol sing along, performed by Strata Vocal Ensemble.Cost: $10 per person, $20 per family.

Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology National Historic Site

900 Woodward Avenue, Hamilton | Phone: 905-546-4797 | Email: [email protected]

Christmas Train Day

Date: Sunday, December 4
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm
Experience G-Scale railway fun-day in the Electric Pump-House. Cost: Free event. Regular admission rates apply to the museum. 

Christmas Railway Workshops

Dates: Tuesday, December 27 to Saturday, December 31
Time: 12 noon to 4pm
Marvel at the G-Scale railway in the Electric Pump-House, and enjoy the drop-in self-guided craft centre in the Woodshed.Cost: Free event. Regular admission rates apply to the museum. 

Hamilton Children’s Museum

1072 Main Street East Hamilton | Phone: 905-546-4848 | Email: [email protected]

Wednesday Wigglers

Dates: Dec 7 – Clifford the Big Red Dog | Dec 14 – Gingerbread and Cookies | Dec 21 – Snow
Time: 10 to 11 am & 2 to 3 pm
Families can enjoy semi-structured preschool programming and a visit to the children’s museum. Enjoy songs, activities, story-time, sensory play, and a craft with a different theme each week. Suitable for children ages 0 to 4 yrs.Cost: Adults: $2, Seniors/Youth: $2, Children: $4, Infants (under 1yr) Free, Family: $9

Blue Year’s Eve

Date: Saturday, December 31
Time: 9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Celebrate a family New Year at the Hamilton Children’s Museum. Visit all three galleries, join in on six countdowns throughout the day. Have fun with indoor and outdoor activities to say good bye to the past year and hello to the New Year! Cost: Adults: $2, Seniors/Youth: $2, Children: $4, Infants (under 1yr) Free, Family: $9

Whitehern Historic House & Garden

41 Jackson Street West | Phone: 905-546-2018 | Email: [email protected]

The McQuesten's Childhood Christmas

Dates: November 19, 2016 to January 8, 2017
Time: 12 noon to 4 pm (Tuesday to Sunday)
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. The table is beautifully set with the China they used for Christmas and New Year's. Cedar roping and satin ribbon complete the picture. Experience the holidays as they would have been celebrated through the eras, from the 1850s to the 1930s. Cost: Adults $7, Seniors/Youth $6, Children $5, Infants Free, Family $20

Won't It Be Jolly

Date: Saturday, December 10
Time: 6 to 7:30 pm – Children/Families (includes carols, treats & craft) | 8 to 10 pm – Includes carols, treats & games
Begin the holiday season with a visit to Whitehern. A rare opportunity to see the house in the evening, dressed in its Christmas finery, music will be playing, while costumed interpreters take you on a stroll through three different eras of Christmas past. The cozy Stable will be waiting for traditional 1930’s parlour games (or crafts for the children), stories, carols, cocoa, cider, tea and biscuits. As Ruby McQuesten wrote in a letter to her brother in December 1902, “Hurrah, Won’t it be jolly!” Cost: Adults $7, Seniors/Youth $6, Children $5, Infants Free, Family $20; Pre-registration required.