• Grow @ the Homestead

    From May - October we are offering FREE in-garden workshops and guest speaker appearances. Check out our schedule and come join us in the garden!

    Program Schedule

  • Seedling Giveaway Initiative

    This spring our team worked together to grow and distribute over 500 free vegetable seedlings to the Niagara community. Then we mapped the impact.

    Explore the Map

  • Reconciliation Action Plan

    With the guidance of the TRC’s findings and 94 Calls to Action, we embrace our responsibility to integrate these policy recommendations into our daily practices.

    Learn How

  • Mapping The Brown Homestead

    This interactive exhibit will guide you on a journey through the past by illustrating the changing layers and cultural landscape of The Brown Homestead over time.

    Explore

  • Heritage Oil Paint Lecture & Oilcloth Workshop

    Discover the art of working with heritage oil paints and design your own one-of-a-kind oilcloth using traditional stencils!

    Register Now

“When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.”

— Alexis de Tocqueville

 Our Mission

Reimagining historic sites …

Our History

Site of the oldest home in St. Catharines …

Our Stories

Featured
Seedling Giveaway Initiative
Seedling Giveaway Initiative

This spring, The Brown Homestead’s staff, volunteers, and partners worked together to grow and distribute over 500 vegetable seedlings to Niagara families — free of charge. Explore the map to see the impact of this program in our community.

Read More →
Rebuilding our Ballroom Wall
Rebuilding our Ballroom Wall

We recently rebuilt the entrance wall into the Ballroom on the second floor of the John Brown House. This project brings us one step closer to completing the home’s full restoration, while offering a great learning opportunity along the way.

Read More →
Reflecting on Heritage in Ontario
Reflecting on Heritage in Ontario

The amendments made to the Ontario Heritage Act under Bill 23 has only exacerbated the issues facing our province’s heritage sector. In Niagara, it’s no different: our heritage is at risk. Lately, the TBH team has been reflecting on the state of heritage in Niagara. Read on for our reflections and suggestions.

Read More →

When a historic building is preserved, the stories embedded into its walls and floorboards are also preserved. On this special crossover episode with Brock University’s Foreword, we take The Tattooed Historian YouTuber and podcaster, John R. Heckman, on an immersive audio tour of The Brown Homestead. We peel back the layers of history found in floor stencils, lath walls, and wallpaper to uncover why purpose-driven adaptive reuse matters in the heritage field. 

Our Journey

School’s out and we’re ready for summer! 🌞 Explore Niagara’s Homestead and make new memories on our pastoral grounds. Check out what’s happening this July. Go to the link in our bio for details on upcoming programs and eve
You asked, we answered! The Brown Homestead is now open to visitors for guided tours! Join us every Thursday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and explore the John Brown House and our pastoral grounds. Open by donation. Details on our website. Head to our li
Today, we honour the relationships we’re continually building with the Indigenous communities that surround us here in Niagara. We have so much to learn from Canada’s Indigenous people and we’re thankful to work with Indigenous le