Free, Drop-In Events
Guided History Tours
All programs, tours and activities are available free of charge!
Private groups (10+) and class tours are available by appointment - Request a Group Tour here!
Learn more about each History Tour below!
Private Group Tours
Please direct questions, accessibility requests, and inquiries to info@lakeshoregrounds.ca
Tours are offered free of charge from Monday to Friday during standard business hours, some evening or weekend requests will be considered depending on staff availability. Group tours available for 10+ participants. Pleases contact for more details.
Kindly indicate date preferences, the size of your group, age of participants, and tour / topic of interest. Please also include any special requests re: tour duration, accessibility, and content focus.
Tours on Offer
Hospital History Tour
Learn about the history of the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital as we explore the patient-built underground tunnels and nineteenth-century cottages. Tour presents an overview of the 89-years of the Hospital's history, acknowledges the varied experiences of patients and staff across different decades, and traces major treatment changes across time. Typically available year-round.
Tour duration: 1.25-1.5 hours
Accessibility: Paved paths, elevators, and ramps used on tour
Length: Approx. 1.2km paved paths, no places to sit along route
Film History Tour
The Lakeshore Grounds have served as a popular filming location for movies, television shows, and commercials since 1977. Step behind the scenes of your favourite productions as we highlight the locations and stories of these productions. Tour route includes the oldest section of the underground tunnels.
Tour duration: 1 hour
Accessibility: Paved paths, elevators, and ramps used on tour
Length: Approx. 700m paved paths, no places to sit along route
Park History Tour
Rediscover Colonel Samuel Smith Park, and trace the many histories that are connected along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. We discuss the traditional lands of the Ojibwe Anishinabe, the military tract of Colonel Samuel Smith, the boundary of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, the expansion of the grounds into Lake Ontario, and the creation of Colonel Samuel Smith Park. Typically available in Spring, Summer, and early Fall.
Tour duration: 1 hour
Accessibility: Park paths are a mix of paved and hard-packed gravel paths
Length: Approx 700m, tour concludes in the park at the shoreline