Hamilton, Ontario has a large variety of historical sites, cultural and educational institutions, and an aviary for exotic birds.
Historical sites and museums
31 Service Battalion Museum, accredited military museum, Heritage Museum; dedicated to documenting Combat Service Support in Hamilton; largest collection of the Canadian Women's Army Corps artifacts; located next to HMCS Haida Auchmar, historic estate of the Honourable Isaac Buchanan Battlefield House Museum, Stoney Creek Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, home of one of the last two remaining operational Lancaster bombers; also in operation Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, Bristol Bolingbroke Dundurn Castle, including the Hamilton Military Museum and Dundurn Park, west end; home of Sir Allan Napier MacNab, former Prime Minister of Upper Canada Erland Lee Museum, birthplace of Women's Institutes, Upper Stoney Creek Hamilton Children's Museum, east end Hamilton Farmer's Market, founded in 1837 Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology, east end HMCS Haida, National Historic Site, historic naval ship; Canada's most famous warship and the last remaining Tribal Class destroyer in the world Nash-Jackson House, at Stoney Creek Battlefield Park Ottawa Street North, textile district, voted one of Canada's favourite streets in the 2011 'Great Places in Canada' contest; ranked in Top 5 spots for antique shopping in Canada by CAA Magazine Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Heritage Museum, downtown Westfield Heritage Village, Flamborough Whitehern Historic House & Garden, downtown
Cultural institutions
Art
Cotton Factory Arctic Experience McNaught Gallery Art Gallery of Hamilton, downtown; second largest permanent collection in Ontario, and third largest in Canada James Street North Art District McMaster Museum of Art, west end
Music Bach Elgar Choir Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Hess Village, commercial and entertainment hub in historic buildings
Theatre Hamilton Theatre Inc., musical theatre
Other popular attractions
Festivals
Festival of Friends, founded in 1975, the largest annual free music event in Canada
Sports
Around the Bay Road Race, the longest continuously held long-distance foot race in North America (since 1894) Canadian Football Hall of Fame, downtown CANUSA Games, Hamilton is twinned with Flint, Michigan, and its amateur athletes have competed in these games since 1958 Jukasa Motor Speedway, a 5/8-mile oval auto racing track, Cayuga, Ontario Flamboro Downs and Flamboro Slots, horse racing as well as car racing
Parks, trails and waterfront
African Lion Safari, Flamborough Hamilton Aviary, Westdale, in Churchill Park along Cootes Paradise Sanctuary lookout trails Bayfront Park, Pier 4 Park, Harbour West, Cootes Paradise, waterfront trail Beach strip and lighthouse pier, beach trail Bruce Trail, Stoney Creek, Hamilton, Dundas, Flamborough Dundas Valley Conservation Area, Dundas Gage Park, large historical park in the middle of the city Hamilton Farmer's Market Pier 4 Park Royal Botanical Gardens, west end Westfield Heritage Village, Flamborough
References