This was Hamilton’s first theatre built expressly to show “talkies” — motion pictures with sound. The beautiful art deco building was fully restored in 2017 by the Westdale Cinema Group and has become a cinematic, cultural and economic hub. The venue now hosts live events as well as films. It is also a community space managed as a not-for-profit charitable organization.

The former Carnegie Hamilton Public Library (1913-80), which now houses the Supreme Court of Justice Family Court, was constructed with a grant of $100,000 from American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and officially opened on May 5, 1913 by the Lieutenant Governor (and fellow-Hamiltonian) Sir John Morison Gibson. This library, which offered visitors open shelving for the first time, was moved after six decades of service to its current location on York Street next to the Jackson Square complex. Designed by local architect A.W. Peene in the neoclassical style, its outstanding architectural features include two-storey pilasters, massive corner piers, the entablature with dentillated cornice and a prominent staired entranceway. A central two-storey atrium with marble balustrade, double staircase and skylight unifies the interior and provides a spacious and elegant entrance lobby. In 1987, it was designated by the City of Hamilton as a significant heritage landmark and one of the finest surviving Carnegie libraries in Canada. For Digital Doors Open, learn more about the history of this building through the video below.

This 1885-86 building in the heart of Dundas has been a foundry, indoor skating/curling rink, bus depot, warehouse and, since 2016, this brewery. The wood post-and-beam/brick masonry structure has been preserved yet modernized with the latest in craft beer equipment. The brewery focuses on German-style lagers with an emphasis on quality and authenticity.

As an Anglican church, St. Mark’s served the community for over 100 years before closing in 1989. Now owned by the City of Hamilton, the site has undergone extensive restoration, preserving the heritage character of the building and park, while adding modern services, gardens and accessibility. It now has a new life as a community arts and cultural programming space.

Built in 1914 as a vaudeville and movie theatre, this distinctive beaux-arts building was designed by Stewart & Witton. After 76 years of continuous operation, the theatre closed in August 1990. But, in 2018, it reopened as an independent art-house cinema. Original architectural features — including lavish interiors — have been beautifully restored, and a new neon sign recreates the long-lost original.

The Mohawk Trail School is a historical one-room schoolhouse built in 1882. It is a fine example of architecture that served early education in Ontario. It became a museum in 1967 as part of the centennial celebrations. Come and tour the schoolhouse — the oldest surviving example in the community that is still presented in its original form.

Tisdale House is the oldest home in Ancaster. In the 1820s, the building was occupied by "Charcoal Burner" John O’Neil and housed two charcoal kilns. Later, the house became an undertaker’s parlour run by George Moore. The house has been fully retrofitted and is now home to the Ancaster Community Policing Centre and the Hamilton Police Museum.

The Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology is the site of the original 1859 Hamilton Waterworks. The museum features two 13.7-metre high (45 feet), 70-ton steam-powered pumping engines that supplied the city with clean drinking water from 1859 to 1910. Made in Dundas, these engines are the oldest surviving examples of their kind in North America today.

Located on the grounds of Dundurn National Historic Site, this museum preserves and shares the military history of Hamilton and area through exhibits, programs and events. The building, originally constructed as a gate house for Dundurn Castle in the late 1830s, was first known as Battery Lodge, being located on the site of a War of 1812 artillery emplacement.

Griffin House is a modest one-and-a-half-storey wood-frame residence that was built in the Georgian style with clapboard siding and six-over-six sash windows. Constructed by Englishmen in 1827, it was purchased by Enerals Griffin and his wife Priscilla in 1834 – both born as slaves in Virginia, but who escaped to Canada. On this site, with their 20 hectares (50 acres) of land, the Griffin family lived as part of the Ancaster community for 150 years. Today, Griffin House stands as a testament to the determination of African-American men and women who escaped slavery and found peace in Ontario. For Digital Doors Open, watch the video below to learn more about this fascinating property.

The Tropical Greenhouse at Gage Park, opened in July 2021, is a 1,300-square-metre (14,000-square-foot) greenhouse containing a unique collection of subtropical plants, palm trees, a waterfall and fish pond. Visitors can view the production greenhouses where annual plants intended for the City’s gardens and traffic islands are started. Plants will be transferred this year beginning May 24.

Fieldcote was built in 1948 as a private home on the outskirts of the former village of Ancaster. Today, as the village expands, it serves as a cultural heritage centre with an emphasis on local history and the promotion of fine arts. The idyllic setting is the perfect venue for music, with beautiful, landscaped gardens and walking trails.

The Erland Lee (Museum) Home is a National Historic Site that serves to tell three stories: that of the Lee family, who lived in the home from 1808-1970, of the Stoney Creek community, and of the Women's Institute, which was founded in the home's dining room in February 1897. The Lee Home is a beautiful example of carpenter's Gothic architecture.

Dundurn Castle is one of the finest examples of high regency-style architecture in the country. Constructed in the 1830s for Sir Allan Napier MacNab (railway magnate, lawyer and politician), the buildings deteriorated under subsequent owners, but were restored in the 1960s to their original splendour. Today, Dundurn Castle tells the story of the MacNabs and the people who served them.

Opened in 1956, the Dundas Museum & Archives is a private, non-profit museum that collects, interprets and celebrates the unique identity of the Valley Town. As part of Doors Open Hamilton, they welcome the public to tour its permanent galleries. As well, you can visit the historical c. 1848 Doctor's Office and the 1873 Pirie House.

The Imperial Cotton Factory, built in 1900, ran as a factory until 1972. It has been repurposed as the largest creative hub in the Hamilton area — with studios for artists, artisans, musicians, craftspeople and entrepreneurs. Film and television productions, photographers and special events are also drawn here. This is one of the best examples of adaptive reuse in Hamilton.

Battlefield House Museum, part of which dates to 1796, was once home to the prominent Gage family. Learn about the stories of the people who built the house and the ongoing efforts to preserve and restore it. Explore the Dunington Grubb landscape (which includes the impressive Battlefield Monument) and hike around a 13.8-hectare (34-acre) patchwork of meadow and forest.

Balfour House is Hamilton’s last great escarpment estate. Several prominent Hamiltonians have called it home since 1836, most recently the family of St. Clair Balfour. Owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust and managed by the City of Hamilton, the building and garden are spectacular. Come and explore how this architectural gem grew from a simple homestead into a grand estate.

The Auchmar Estate is considered to be the last surviving country estate on Hamilton Mountain. It was built for the Honourable Isaac Buchanan, a local Scotsman, entrepreneur, politician and civic leader in 19th-century Canada. Visit this Gothic revival manor house and learn about its storied past before strolling the walled and landscaped grounds that surround it. No parking on site.

Enjoy a look inside the Ancaster Old Township Hall. Built in 1871 by William H. Thuresson, it is one of the finest pieces of stone architecture in Ancaster — complete with original apron stage, hardwood floors, arched windows and historically accurate colours. It was the first threatened heritage building in Ancaster but has been happily saved.