Willistead Manor to open its doors to residents free of charge in July
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.