Dundurn Castle facts for kids
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| Established | 1830s |
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| Location | 610 York Boulevard Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | Regency château |
| Designated: | 1984 |
Dundurn Castle is a historic and grand house in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is built in a style called Neoclassical, which means it looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings. This huge house is about 1,672 square meters (18,000 square feet) in size. It took three years to build and was finished in 1835.
The castle has forty rooms and was very modern for its time. It even had gas lighting and running water! Today, the City of Hamilton owns Dundurn Castle. They bought it around 1899 or 1900. The city has spent a lot of money to fix it up and open it to the public. The rooms have been carefully restored to look just like they did in 1855. This was when its owner, Sir Allan Napier MacNab, was very successful. People dressed in old-fashioned clothes guide visitors through the house. They show what daily life was like in the 1850s. Camilla, Queen of Canada, is related to Sir Allan MacNab. She is the Royal Patron of Dundurn Castle.
History of Dundurn Castle
Dundurn Castle is a type of house called a Regency house. It was completed in 1835. The architect who designed it was Robert Charles Wetherell. Sir Allan MacNab bought the land for the castle from Richard Beasley. Beasley was one of the first people to settle in Hamilton. He had to sell his land because he was having money problems. MacNab built Dundurn Castle on top of the old brick house that Beasley had owned.
Once it was built, Dundurn Castle became famous across Canada. It was known for its big parties and fun events. Important guests like Sir John A. Macdonald and King Edward VII visited the castle. Sir Allan MacNab later became the Premier of the Province of Canada. This was a very important political job, like being a leader of the government. He held this position between 1854 and 1856.
The large pillars and front porch of the castle were added in 1855. This was done to get ready for the wedding of MacNab's daughter, Sophia. After Sir Allan MacNab died, the castle was used as a school for deaf people. Later, in 1872, Donald McInnes bought it. He then sold Dundurn to the City of Hamilton in 1899.
On June 1, 1928, the Hamilton Aviary opened at Dundurn Castle. An aviary is a place where birds are kept. In the late 1960s, Dundurn Castle was restored again. This was a special project for Canada's 100th birthday. Now, it is known as a National Historic Site of Canada. This means it is a very important place in Canadian history. In 1996, the Aviary moved to Churchill Park in Westdale. There is even a special bagpipe tune called a Strathspey written to honor Dundurn Castle.
Hamilton Military Museum
The park around Dundurn Castle also has the Hamilton Military Museum. This museum is in an old building that was moved when York Street was made wider in the 1970s. The museum has displays about different wars and conflicts. These include the War of 1812, the Rebellions of 1837, the Boer War, World War I, and World War II. It also shows the important part women played in the military.
You can see uniforms, medals, weapons, and old photographs. There are also other items related to the military. The museum has a library too. It has books and materials about Canadian military history. You can visit the library by making an appointment.
Exploring Dundurn Park Grounds
Dundurn Castle is a public museum, and its park has other interesting things to see. Dundurn Park and its green spaces are popular places for wedding photos. Sometimes, an outdoor theater called the Cockpit Theatre held events and plays.
A large German artillery piece, which was captured during World War I, used to be in the park. It was removed in the mid-1980s. Until about 1990, the park had an aviary, which was later moved to the Westdale neighborhood. There was also a covered pavilion where people could have picnics. Now, a beautiful walled garden is in its place. The big gates at the front entrance of the park came from England. However, the stone pillars next to them were cut from the Dundas mountain. In 1931, some parts of the gates were moved to the Chedoke Golf Club.
Dundurn Park has its own folly. A folly is a building built just for decoration, often looking like an old ruin. This one is just east of the castle. Many people were confused about what it was for. Some thought it was a theater, a laundry, a boat-house, a place to store food, an office, or even a chapel. There is a story, an urban legend, that many secret tunnels run from the Castle to different parts of the estate. One of the entrances was supposedly through the folly.
Sir Allan MacNab was first buried in 1862 on the Dundurn Park grounds. His grave was between Dundurn Castle and another building called Castle Dean. In 1909, his body was moved to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in western Hamilton. His grave did not have a marker until 1967. Then, a local club placed a bench and a grave marker there.
A special curved plaque was put up at Fieldcote Museum in Ancaster on July 20, 2014. It marked 200 years since a very important historical event. This event is known as The Bloody Assize. It involved the execution of nine men who were found guilty of treason during the War of 1812. These men were brought from York (now Toronto) and executed near what is now Inchbury Street, at the east end of Dundurn Park. Their burial place has not yet been found by archaeologists.
A large garden is grown near the eastern edge of the park. The food from this garden is used in the castle's kitchen. Any extra food is given to a local food bank. Tours of the castle usually end in the kitchen. There, visitors can try samples of food that people ate in the 1850s.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo Dundurn para niños
- List of attractions in Hamilton, Ontario
- Ravenscrag House, Montreal
- List of castles in Canada
