Willistead Manor to open its doors to residents free of charge in July

Willistead Manor in the Walkerville neighbourhood of Windsor, Ont. on Tuesday, June 8 2021. (Gary Archibald/CTV Windsor)

The City of Windsor is keeping the celebration of Hiram Walker’s 206th birthday going by offering residents a chance to tour the historic Willistead Manor and the new coach house free of charge.

The city is offering public summer tours of the manor and Coach House Historical Exhibition throughout the month of July on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Tour dates:

• Wednesdays, July 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2022 from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Sundays, July 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2022 from 1 to 4 p.m.

“We are always proud to showcase Willistead Manor, and certainly there is renewed interest with the recent unveiling of the new Coach House Historical Exhibition. I am amazed at the transformation in the space, with the Coach House becoming the latest satellite location in the Museum Windsor family of sites where our stories are shared,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said.

Willistead Manor was built for Hiram Walker’s second son, Edward Chandler Walker, the founder of the distillery, and his wife Mary Elizabeth Griffin Walker in 1906. It was designed by noted Detroit architect Albert Khan who built the Manor House, Coach House and the Gate House on the 15-acre estate.

The manor was designed in the 16th century Tudor-Jacobean style and was named after Edward’s late brother Willis. The Walkers lived there until Edward’s death in 1915. He was buried in St. Mary’s churchyard across the street.

Today, the 36-room mansion is used as an event venue for weddings, receptions, theatre performances, and poetry readings, among others.

“Today’s Windsor would be a shadow of itself without the indelible contributions of Hiram Walker, Edward and Mary Walker, and the Walker Family. Edward and Mary built Willistead Manor, which became one of the greatest gifts our community has ever received,” Dilkens said. “Now, guests touring the site can begin at the Coach House, learning about the man who built the community of Walkerville, the son of Hiram who built the manor, and the woman who worked on it right alongside him. We are grateful to the Merinoff Foundation who funded the exhibition, to the descendants of Hiram Walker, Willistead Manor Inc., and the Friends of Willistead. I invite everyone to visit to learn the story of the man, the family, and the home that shaped a community.”

With the regular tour fee waived, the city is asking guests to instead donate a minimum $2 donation on-site to the Friends of Willistead, a volunteer group that supports events and activities at Willistead Manor.