Step inside the past and be inspired.

Join us for Doors Open St. Catharines, part of a province-wide celebration of heritage organized through Doors Open Ontario and the Ontario Heritage Trust.

Make us part of your Doors Open day and discover the historic buildings on our pastoral property, engage in hands-on activities and heritage craft demonstrations, explore new community exhibits and so much more.

Hands-on-Heritage

Learn from traditional craftspeople, watch demonstrations, and try your hand using historic materials and practices.

woman wears gloves as she handles disassembled glass pieces of a stained glass window.

Local craftsperson Peter Hudson will be on site demonstrating traditional carpentry techniques and discuss the tools and methods used in historic building trades.

A large group of of children and their families gather around tables of crafts. They are outside under a tent.

Mackenzie Campbell will be working on a stained glass piece while discussing the design and fabrication process behind this historic craft.

Members of the Aboriginal Health team will guide young visitors in creating their own medicine pouches and share information about their work.

A bundle of flax lays on a table as hands work with the dried material.

Ali Macdonald will introduce visitors to the traditional process of flax cultivation and linen production, with demonstrations exploring historical dyeing techniques.

Learn & Discover

Explore the site of the oldest home in St. Catharines, engage with hands-on activities, and view special exhibits.

Visitors chat around a wooden cabin with a metal roof. The cabin is surrounded by trees.

Wander through the John Brown House c. 1796, Norton Cabin c.1817, and our historic grounds. Our knowledgeable volunteers will be stationed throughout to share stories.

A family points out a window of a historic home.

Families are encouraged to explore, create, and play throughout the day with hands-on activities, a scavenger hunt, and lawn games.

A father and three children stand in the middle of an empty highway.

This curated photo exhibit offers a portrait of our collective experience and imagining of Niagara. Visitors will also have the opportunity to add their own photos and stories.

Glimpse a special preview of the upcoming Indigenous Art 2026 juried exhibition presented by the Woodland Cultural Centre.

Stay Awhile!

Take time to enjoy our pastoral grounds by bringing a picnic, or purchasing lunch, snacks and refreshments from Char in the Kitchen.

Raffle Fundraiser: Support Niagara’s Homestead!

Visitors can also enter to win 1 of 2 Niagara experiential prize packages, generously donated by the Fallsview Group. Support us for your chance to win:

Golf for 4 at Peninsula Lakes Golf Club
Dine at The Keg and 1 Night at the Niagara Falls Wyndham Grand

Tickets:
$7 each or 4 for $20

Raffle tickets available June 13 only. VisitThe Brown Homestead info booth during the event.

Doors Open Bus Route

The Brown Homestead is pleased to be a stop on a Doors Open shuttle bus route connecting with Joseph L. McCaffery Sports Park, Power Glen, and Decew Falls Generating Station No. 1. Please check the City of St. Catharines for details.

Accessibility

Our site is currently undergoing rehabilitation, and not yet wheelchair accessible. Stairs are required to access the main floor and second-storey of the John Brown House, as well as our washroom facilities.

Parking

The Brown Homestead currently has limited parking. Parking is located on an uneven grassed and gravel lot adjacent to the John Brown House. The entrance to The Brown Homestead is close to a sharp curve on Pelham Rd. Please be mindful of surrounding traffic.

Doors Open St. Catharines 2026