864 historic places
139 events
49 VisitLists
185 Photo Contest entries
3 Instagram Takeovers
& endless amounts of fun!
This year for Historic Places Days, the National Trust for Canada coordinated social media takeovers, joint posts, received phenomenal photo contest entries, and more. If you missed the fun, or simply want to relive it, then no worries! Here is a recap of all the fun we had during Historic Places Days 2025.
How to Visit a Historic Site
In partnership with Parks Canada and with the cooperation of Laurier House National Historic Site in Ottawa, the National Trust for Canada created a silent-film themed reel to celebrate the launch of Historic Places Days. Watch as Gail explores Laurier House and follow along with her top tips and tricks for visiting a Historic Site.
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There are many important steps to visiting a historic site, but the most important is having fun ☺️
#HistoricPlacesDays launches today, with support from @parks.canada 🗝️🥳From July 11-20, visit a historic site near you, enter one of our contests, and show some love for history from coast to coast to coast! Learn more on historicplacesdays.ca.
Thank you to Laurier House in Ottawa, ON for showing us around!
Where will you go during Historic Places Days?
#LaurierHouseNHS #HistoricPlacesDays2025 #ExploreCanada #ChooseCanada
Follow Along with the Restoration of the Queen’s Gates
In June 2025, the Queen’s Gates of Parliament Hill were reinstalled following restoration by skilled craftspeople at Dominion Restoration. The gates have welcomed visitors to Parliament for nearly 150 years and are a celebrated design. Follow along with the restoration and reinstallation process.
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Follow along with the restoration of Queen’s Gates, which have greeted visitors to Parliament Hill for nearly 150 years! 🔨🇨🇦
Beginning in March 2024, the gates were removed and transported to Montreal where skilled craftspeople @restauration.dominion worked carefully to preserve and restore the gates. The process included a phosphoric acid treatment to remove subsurface rust, new fastenings, and a new zinc-epoxy-polyurethane paint system. In June 2025, the gates were reinstalled at Parliament Hill and are ready to greet visitors for another 150 years!
Dominion Restoration has also worked to preserve other important pieces of Canadian built heritage, including Montreal City Hall and Papineau Chapel.
#DYK the gates are named for Queen Victoria, who was the reigning monarch when they were first installed on the Hill? 👑
Église Ste Marie Instagram Takeover
Église Ste Marie, North America’s largest wooden church, took over the Trust’s Instagram stories to share their history, mission, and their future plans for the historic church.
Beaconsfield Historic House and Heritage PEI Takeover
Heritage PEI and Beaconsfield Historic House took over the Trust’s Instagram. They shared photographs of the house and exhibits, a sneak peak of their guided tours, and shared information about their BOG tours.
Check out their Instagram Reel and join Yoelle for a preview of some of their programming!
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Follow Yoelle for a sneak peek of Beaconsfield guided tours..👀🎩
#HistoricPlacesDays
Lougheed House Beaulieu Flower and Artisan Market Takeover
Lougheed House took over the Trust’s Instagram stories to share the happenings at their annual Beaulieu Flower and Artisan Market. This market transforms the lawn at the historic house and invites community members to engage with local artisans and vendors.
Lock and Paddle at the Rideau Canal
On July 19, some of the National Trust staff headed to the Lock and Paddle event at the Rideau Canal. They brought their watercraft and enjoyed the opportunity to view a historic site from a unique angle!
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We’ve loved seeing your #HistoricPlacesDays adventures—from stunning photos to creative #CanadianVisitLists! Our team joined in too, exploring an iconic site in a fun, active way.
What’s your favourite activity at a heritage site?
Remember: #HistoricPlacesDays may last two weeks, but historic places from coast-to-coast-to-coast are open year-round. Plan your next adventure anytime at historicplacesdays.ca!
@parks.canada @skruitwagen
Contests
This year, we had two contests running: the Photo Contest and the #CanadianVisitList contest!
There were some great VisitLists and photos submitted, like our winner’s list 2025 PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation VisitList #CanadianVisitList by Mitchell Crouse. Congratulations Mitchell!
And congratulations to Alton Mills Arts Centre, who won our prize for a historic site featured in a VisitList!
Thank you to everyone who submitted a VisitList!
Thank you to everyone who entered our photo contest this year, and congratulations to all of our daily prize draw winners. Our GRAND PRIZE winners were shots from McCrae House in Guelph, ON and Halifax Citadel National Historic Site in Halifax, NS!
Fun from Sites!
Thank you to all of the sites who participated in Historic Places Days 2025. We loved seeing all the interesting stories, activities, and fun that was had via social media. Here are a few social media highlights from participating sites:
The Brown Homestead:
For Historic Places Days, we’re taking you on a quick tour of The Homestead! (Emphasis on quick- there’s so much to see and so little time in a video 😅)
Come by on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday from 10am to 4pm to explore at a slower pace, accompanied by staff or volunteers on a guided tour. And catch Peter Hudson woodworking and bring your tools to be sharpened on-site!
#HistoricPlacesDays #CanadianVisitList #ParksCanada #EveryPlaceAStory #ExploreCanada #HistoricPlaces #CanadianHistory #CdnHeritage #CdnHistory #CelebrateHistory #historicalhome #canada #ontario
Mackie Lake House:
Hey, Daniel! 👋
Listen along as our Summer Heritage Interpreter and Photo Collections Assistant, Daniel McIsaac, describes his favourite artifact from Mackie Lake House—a colourful, abstract portrait of Paddy Mackie by Barbara Rety.
Did you know it’s the 9th annual Historic Place Days across Canada?
It’s the perfect time to celebrate heritage and to support your local heritage destinations. We are closed today on July 15 but welcome you to come visit us at Mackie Lake House Mondays to Thursdays between 10am to 4pm. Catch a tour of the house with Daniel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with the last tour starting at 3pm.
Learn more about Historic Place Days here: https://historicplacesdays.ca/
#HistoricPlaceDays #MyCanadianVisit #CelebrateHeritage #Coldstream
Britannia Mine Museum:
The National Trust for Canada organizes Historic Places Days each year as a vibrant celebration of the stories, crafts, and artistry that connect us to our past.
This Year’s Theme: Makers from Coast to Coast to Coast: Honouring Arts, Crafts, and Storytelling.
Today, we’re highlighting one of the unique artistic and architectural features from our site: the “Eyebrow Windows” of our Administration Building. These windows first appeared on medieval thatch-roofed cottages and later gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially on Queen Anne and Craftsman-style homes.
If you look at them from a distance, you might feel like they’re looking right back at you!
Next time you’re on site, be sure to snap a photo of this charming architectural detail.
#BritanniaMineMuseum #NationalTrustforCanada #HistoricPlacesDays #CanadianVisitList #ParksCanada #EveryPlaceAStory #ExploreCanada #HistoricPlaces #CanadianHistory #CdnHeritage #CdnHistory #CelebrateHistory
Banting House National Historic Site shared their volunteers’ favourite stories to share with tour groups! Check out one of their volunteers’ stories in this reel.
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This year’s theme for #HistoricPlacesDay is Makers from Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast: Honouring Arts, Crafts and Storytelling!
We are celebrating by asking our incredible volunteers their favourite stories to share on tours through Banting House!
Grant is closing off this week by sharing some information about our Faces of Diabetes Gallery! Thanks for joining us in celebrating Historic Places Days!
@nationaltrust
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#EveryPlaceAStory #ExploreCanada #historicplaces #canadianhistory #cdnheritage #CDNHistory #CelebrateHistory #thisplacematters #LdnOnt #birthplaceofinsulin #diabetes #histmed
Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: 8LWGPU6MRKMDSCN1
Seven Oaks House Museum:
This year’s theme for #HistoricPlacesDays is “Makers from Coast to Coast to Coast: Honouring Arts, Crafts, and Storytelling.”
In this video, learn about Harriet Inkster and her passion for Indigenous art, and our beautiful set of beaded cushions which once belonged to her!
📖Learn more about Harriet on our website: Seven Oaks House Museum → History → Research → Harriet Inkster & McGowan Park
🔎Want a closer look? Visit Seven Oaks House Musuem to see the cushions on display!
#CanadianVisitList #ParksCanada #EveryPlaceAStory #ExploreCanada #HistoricPlaces #CanadianHistory #CdnHeritage #CdnHistory #CelebrateHistory #IndigenousHistory #IndigenousArt
National Trust Board of Governors Visit Papineau Chapel
To kick off Historic Places Days 2025, the National Trust for Canada’s Board of Governors visited Papineau Chapel in Montibello, Quebec. Papineau is one of two Trust-owned historic properties.
Manitoba Historical Society Launches InSite
For the launch of Historic Places Days, the Manitoba Historical Society launched their new app, InSite. This app helps users explore thousands of historic sites across Manitoba. The map also includes places that no longer exist, giving users a look into the past.
