Admission & Operating Schedule
Operating Schedule
Fall/Winter Season – Sept. 3-May 31
UPCOMING SPECIALTY TOUR(S) – Click “Book Now” to reserve your spot.
- Christmas Tours – Nov. 27-Dec. 29
- Servants’ Tours – Dec. 1, 14, 19 & 21
Gift Shop – Wed. – Sun. (5 days/week)
10:30am – 5pm
The Tea House Restaurant – CLOSED until June 2025
11 Acre Garden – Sept. 3-October 31 (7 days/week)
1pm – 5pm | Complimentary | No picnicking permitted
Important Safety Note while you are enjoying your walks through the Parkwood grounds, please be aware that there are many different surfaces and transitions from one surface to another (grass, gravel, flagstone, paved walkways). We encourage you to choose appropriate footwear and be aware of the terrain and transitions.
Onsite Parking:
Complimentary limited parking available for Parkwood Guests.
Guided Auto Baron Tour Admission (main floor)
Unavailable until February 1, 2025
Adults: $18.00
Seniors (55+): $15.00
Youth (7-14): $15.00
- Children 6 and under are free
- Family Rate (2 adults & 2 seniors or 2 youth): $50
- Military, Veterans (with ID) are Free
- National Trust Canada Members (with ID) are Free
- All rates are subject to HST
To avoid dissapointment, we recommend buying tickets online or calling 905-433-4311 to book ahead! You can also buy tickets at our Gift Shop, but just a heads up—availability is not guaranteed.
About Our Tours
Parkwood National Historic Site is pleased to offer several tour options for you to choose from. Led by knowledgeable and friendly guides, you will experience the estate as guests of the McLaughlin Family once did as you wander through luxurious interiors and learn about the nationally significant architecture and original furnishings, artwork and artifacts. You will gain insight into the interesting life and lifestyle of Canadian auto baron R. S. McLaughlin. In addition to these tours, you are welcome to visit the 11 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens at no charge.
Guided Auto Baron Tour – up to 90 minutes $18 + HST each
Available year round except when specialty tours are operating, reserve your spot by clicking the “Book Now” button or calling 905-433-4311.
Step back in time and experience life in 1917. For first-time visitors, this is the recommended tour that will provide you with an overview of the entertaining spaces (main floor) of the Estate and an introduction to the McLaughlin Family.
Guided Greenhouse Tour – up to 90 minutes $25 + HST
Available two weekends in February only, reserve your spot by clicking the “Book Now” button or call 905-433-4311.
A stroll through the Parkwood grounds provides a reward at every turn. The Parkwood Gardens have references to the grand gardens of England and Europe but with a 20th-century spirit and much of the landscape design draws inspiration from the English Arts & Crafts gardening movement. This style called for a high degree of formality near the house, dissolving into a less formal presentation with distance from the home. A stroll through the grounds provides a reward at every turn.
Guided Behind the Scenes Movie Tour – up to 90 minutes $35 + HST
Available for 10 days in March, reserve your spot by clicking the “Book Now” button or call 905-433-4311.
Have you ever wondered what happens when a film crew rolls into town and uses Parkwood as a location for a movie or television? Join us on this very popular, limited, once-a-year specialty tour and discover more about the process of filming, the hidden secrets of the film industry, and how we protect Parkwood during filming.
Parkwood is proud to partner with Film Durham.
Guided Private Spaces Tour – Take a Peek Behind the Curtains! – up to 90 minutes $22 + HST each
Available for 5 days in April, reserve your spot by clicking the “Book Now” button or calling 905-433-4311.
Beginning in the Grand Foyer you will be introduced to the McLaughlin Family, after which you will make your way up the grand staircase for a guided tour of the private spaces (bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.) that were used by the family and their guests.
Please be aware that stairs are required to access the second floor.
Guided Garden Tour – up to 90 minutes $20 + HST
Available June – August (Wednesdays & Fridays). Reserve your spot by clicking the “Book Now” button or call 905-433-4311.
A stroll through the Parkwood grounds provides a reward at every turn. The Parkwood Gardens have references to the grand gardens of England and Europe but with a 20th-century spirit and much of the landscape design draws inspiration from the English Arts & Crafts gardening movement. This style called for a high degree of formality near the house, dissolving into a less formal presentation with distance from the home. The Parkwood grounds have three distinct periods in their evolution, and our garden tours provide guests with this rich development story peppered with McLaughlin family anecdotes and stories!
Guided Basement Tours – up to 60 minutes $22 + HST each
Available for 10 days at the end of July until the beginning of August. As one of our most popular tours, this sells out quickly so advanced reservations are suggested by clicking the “Book Now” button or calling 905-433-4311.
Just like most homes, the basement at Parkwood is used for storage and a place to work on repair projects for the estate. When the McLaughlin’s were in residence the basement was the industrial hub of the mansion including laundry facilities, the cannery, the boilers, the workings of the elevator, the wine cellar, and much more.
This annual 10-day tour interprets these fantastic areas of the house, along with information that Parkwood has collected over the years through our oral history collection program. A few stairs are required to access the basement areas of the estate. This tour is a must-do for inquisitive minds and is best suited for adults, and not as suitable for young children.
Guided Servants’ Life Experience Tour – up to 60 minutes $22 + HST each
Available for one week only in October, reserve your spot by clicking the “Book Now” button or calling 905-433-4311.
The Servant’s Life Experience allows visitors to journey into the past to see spaces that include the servant’s dining hall, the butlers’ keep, the head housekeeper’s room, and the third-floor bedroom spaces occupied by many of the female household servants from 1917-1972. Join us as we share with you the history of these spaces through the 55 years that the McLaughlin Family was in residence. Stairs are required to access many of the spaces on this tour.
Guided World War II and Parkwood Tour – up to 90 minutes $22 + HST
Available for 10 days in November, reserve your spot by clicking the “Book Now” button or call 905-433-4311.
Towards the end of the 1930’s, Sam and Adelaide McLaughlin were looking forward to retirement and the idea of life slowing down to a more comfortable pace.
When war was declared in September 1939, a shift occurred at Parkwood. The WAR EFFORT CALLED!
Join us for our brand new Parkwood and the Second World War Specialty Tour. On this tour, you will learn the surprising day-to-day home front activities and the role Parkwood and the McLaughlin’s played while Canada was at war, through interpretation, oral histories, and artifacts.
Guided Christmas Tour – up to 90 minutes $22 + HST
Available beginning November 27, reserve your spot by clicking on the “Book Now” button or calling 905-433-4311.
What a great way to celebrate the holidays!
Using historic décor, the main floor of the mansion will be transformed into a Christmas wonderland!
*CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE*
Parkwood Collects, The Art Collection Tour – Guided tour, up to 2 hours
This tour interprets the impressive art collection on both floors of the mansion. This tour is currently unavailable due to ongoing conservation.
Group Tours
Looking for somewhere new to take your group. Come visit Parkwood and immerse yourself in one of Canada’s premier estates. Whether you are a school group, a community organization or a bus tour we look forward to hosting you. For more information, group rates, or to make reservations for your group tour, please contact samantha.george@parkwoodestate.com or call 905.433.4311 ext. 34084. (typically we require three week’s notice)
View our Group Tour Registration and Cancellation Policy Form below:
–Accessibility
- Tours are unavailable from Nov. 18-26
Due to the historical nature of period construction, some areas of the Estate and grounds have limited accessibility. We are doing our best to improve accessibility whenever and wherever we can so that Parkwood is a place that can be enjoyed by everyone. Here are some key things to note:
- A wheelchair or walker is available for use upon request
- There is an accessible push button door into the Carriage House/Gift Shop and the north entrance of the mansion
- 2 designated accessible parking spaces, located near the entrance of the Carriage House.
- While enjoying the grounds please be aware that there are many different surfaces and transitions from one surface to another. (grass, gravel, flagstone and paved walkways)
- Light levels inside the mansion are low to protect artifacts and may prove a bit of a challenge for those with vision challenges.
- Most areas of the main floor inside the mansion are accessible, with wooden ramps leading into the mansion
- We have a wheelchair accessible bathroom located inside the Carriage House
- The Gift Shop is accessible for wheelchairs and lighting
Service Animals
Certified service animals trained to carry out tasks for persons with disabilities are allowed on the grounds, in the Gift Shop and, in the museum accompanied by their designated handler. Emotional support, companion, or therapy animals are not permitted in the mansion, but are allowed on the grounds.
Animals pose additional risks to the integrity of our museum and national historic site and its artifacts within.
