GAC Historical Walking Tours are back! 2025 tours are running May through to October
Residents and visitors can learn about Guelph’s history while taking in the beautiful architectural and natural features of the city through six different Historical Walking Tours. GAC has been promoting the cultural heritage of Guelph through these tours for more than 30 years.
Thank you to all of our tour volunteer tour guides for making these beloved tours possible!
Please note: Tours are 60 – 90 minutes and all begin at 10am. Participants are required to register and pre-pay. Guides will not handle cash. Tours with less than two registrations by the Friday prior to the tour at 4 pm will be cancelled.
Full Tour Series Special: $50 to mark GAC’s 50th year
This series includes all 7 Historical Walking Tours for $50. Use the link below to purchase your bundle and pick your tour dates. This full tour series special is available for purchase until May 30th 2025. Those interested in purchasing the bundle are encouraged to do so early for the best chance to get your preferred tour dates.
Purchase the Full Series (all 7 tours) Special here.
Tour 1: Where Guelph Began
This tour encircles the original Market Square area of almost twenty-four acres laid out by John Galt in 1827. Serving as the focal point for Guelph’s early social and business life, the area also contains the sites of many of Guelph’s first buildings.
Dates: May 4, August 3, and September 14
Purchase tickets for Tour 1 here.
Starting point: 25 Waterloo Ave, corner of Dublin Street. (Please use street parking, not 25 Waterloo private lot.)
Tour 2: Downtown Walkabout
The present downtown centre of Guelph, with its wide main street, provides a compact walking tour, which includes many buildings and sites of considerable historical and architectural interest.
Dates: June 29, July 27, September 28
Purchase tickets for Tour 2 here.
Starting point: In front of Guelph City Hall, 1 Carden Street, Carden & Wilson.
Tour 3: Slopes of the Speed
Participants will explore the slopes of the Speed River between Norwich and Macdonell Streets, where many of Guelph’s largest and most distinguished historic homes are located.
Dates: May 25, July 20, August 31
Purchase tickets for Tour 3 here.
Starting point: Guelph Youth Music Centre, 75 Cardigan St, Guelph.
Tour 4: Altar and Hearth (Part 1: Catholic Hill and Part 2: Exhibition Park)
Visitors will get a glimpse of the Victorian era in Guelph. Covering the area west of Norfolk Street, between Essex Street and London Road, the tour includes several historic stone churches and many historic homes representing a variety of architectural styles.
Dates (Part 1: Catholic Hill): June 1, August 10
Dates: (Part 2: Exhibition Park): June 15, September 21
Purchase tickets for Tour 4 Part 1 here.
Purchase tickets for Tour 4 Part 2 here.
PART 1 Starting point: Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk St, Guelph.
PART 2 Starting point: Guelph Public Library- Main Library, 100 Norfolk St, Guelph.
Tour 5: Brooklyn and the College Hill
Participants will be taken to the south side of the Speed River to explore one of Guelph’s early industrial sections, formerly known as Brooklyn, as well as the College Hill area that developed around the Ontario Agricultural College. The tour includes some of the city’s best examples of masonry and stone carving.
Dates: June 22, July 13, August 24, October 5
Purchase tickets for Tour 5 here.
Starting point: McCrae House, 108 Water St, Guelph.
Tour 6: Ward One
This tour of the area southeast of the downtown, between the Speed and Eramosa Rivers, reveals the rich variety of historic architecture and the diversity of peoples who formed Guelph. Particular attention is devoted to residential/industrial proximity and the city’s early Italian community.
Dates: May 11, July 6, August 17, October 12
Purchase tickets for Tour 6 here.
Starting point: Tytler Public School, 131 Ontario St, Guelph.
Walking Tour Booklets
Historical Walking Tour booklets are available at Guelph Arts Council (by appointment) and at The Bookshelf for $5 each. Booklets offer historical information and architectural drawings for self-guided tours and make wonderful keepsakes. You may also open/download digital versions of booklets by clicking on their names below.
Interested in a private tour for your group? Contact us at [email protected] or 519-836-3280.
Digital Tour Booklets (click on name to open/download)
Altar and Hearth (Catholic Hill)
