Ruthven Park’s 27th Annual Cars in the Park

Monday, October 13th 2025
10am-4pm

Admission $10 per car.

Rev up your engines and cruise on over to the most anticipated car show of the year! Whether you're a car enthusiast, a collector, or just someone who appreciates the beauty of finely crafted automobiles, this event is for you. It's a celebration of automotive history that you won't want to miss!

Dash Plaques for First 100 Cars, Alfie’s Lemonade, Concession Stand, Door Prizes, Historic House Tours, Cemetery Tours & Children’s Activities!

Please note: This is a rain-or-shine event. In the case of severe weather, Ruthven Park reserves the right to alter or cancel the event at the organizations discretion.

October 15th- October 29th
6pm-7:30pm

$25 per person

Enter a mansion draped in mourning, where superstition, sickness, and sorrow linger in the shadows. Discover strange practices and macabre curiosities born from the Victorians’ fascination with death and illness. From the mansion, follow a lantern-lit path to the haunted cemetery, where the grave digger shares grim tales of burials, mourning rites, and the rituals around death. The experience lasts approximately one hour and concludes in the Coach House for refreshments.

Pre-registration required.
Youth Tickets also available.

October 22nd, 24th, 25th, and 30th
6pm - 8pm

SOLD OUT

Set within the hauntingly beautiful historic Coach House building, we invite you to indulge in a unique and atmospheric Haunted High Tea experience. Serving delicious and savoury sandwiches, scones, sweets and selection of tea options. The experience will with a guided tour of the “Mansion in Mourning: Oddities, Curiosities and Haunted Cemetery Tour” on the main level of the historic mansion, exploring the strange and macabre curiosities from the Victorians’ fascination with death and illness. Guests will then be led by lanterns to the Thompson family cemetery to hear a haunting tale of mourning rites and rituals around death. The event will conclude with the haunted high tea held in the Coach House.

Dress in your finest Halloween attire or simply come as you are - but keep your senses sharp, you never know what might be lurking around the corner…

Pre—registration required.

A Taste of the Holidays at Chiefswood & Ruthven Park

November 29, December 6 & 13 2025
$40 Per person

Celebrate the season with a cozy and culture-rich holiday experience at Chiefswood National Historic Site and Ruthven Park National Historic Site!

At Chiefswood, explore the 1850s Johnson family home dressed in Victorian holiday décor. Enjoy a guided storytelling of the family history followed with an offering of mincemeat tarts, sugar cookies, and option of Riverside Blend coffee, Earl Grey tea, mulled cider, or hot chocolate, all served in a warm, festive setting. 

At Ruthven Park, step into the Thompson mansion for a guided experience adorned with period Christmas decorations and special Victorian Parlour Exhibit. Then head to the historic Coach House for a comforting spread of freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam, paired with aromatic teas, coffee, or hot chocolate.

Your ticket includes admission to both sites, guided tours, seasonal treats, and drinks. Tickets are non-refundable and time slots are pre-assigned.

November 30, December 7 & 14 

Guided tours every hour from 11AM–4PM 

Admission: “Give what you can” food donation per family, per site

Celebrate the season with a joyful day of history, culture, and community at two beautifully decorated heritage homes!

Chiefswood Park: Step into the 1850s Johnson family home, adorned in authentic Victorian holiday décor. Enjoy guided tours rich with stories of Mohawk poetess E. Pauline Johnson and the life in a home “Where Cultures Meet.”  Kids can join festive crafts and activities  Treats include sugar cookies and seasonal drinks like mulled cider, hot chocolate, and tea, all served in a beautiful historic setting.

Ruthven Park: Explore the Thompson family’s Greek Revival mansion, glowing with generations of Christmas décor. Discover the Victorian Parlour Exhibit featuring historical games and holiday pastimes.  Children’s activities in the Coach House  Sip hot chocolate and enjoy a warm welcome in this grand historic space

 All donations support the Cayuga & Six Nations food banks 

Every Friday evening between November 28th and December 19th

5pm-7pm

$25 per person

Experience the magic of Christmas through the eyes of the Thompson family, as their traditions unfold across generations. Wander through the beautifully adorned halls of the historic mansion and immerse yourself in the charm of our Victorian Parlour Exhibit, where a display of family games, conversation pieces and holiday pastimes bring yuletide history to life.

Each 45-minute guided tour is a cozy blend of nostalgia and wonder, culminating in a warm gathering at the Coach House. There, you'll be treated to fresh-baked scones and your choice of tea, coffee, or rich hot chocolate, a perfect ending to a festive evening.

Saturday, December 6th 2025
6pm-8pm
$65 per person

Step back in time at Ruthven Park during our Victorian Christmas Tour experience! Experience the magic and wonderment of the the holidays through a special themed tour of the historic mansion where guests will be guided through a Victorian Christmas including an exclusive visit to the master bedroom decorated for the season! The experience will conclude with high tea in the historic Coach House. As guests sip their tea from a variety of tea options and enjoy the ambient sound of classical Christmas music, a set menu of delicious sandwiches, savoury bites, scones and sweets will be served making this evening an exquisite and unforgettable experience.

December 18th & 20th, 2025
5:30pm - 7:30pm

$65 per person

Join us in celebrating the Scottish tradition of Hogmanay during our Hogmanay High Tea event! Purchase includes a main level tour of the historic mansion exploring the traditions of Christmases past through the various generations of the Thompson family. The experience will conclude with high tea in the beautifully decorated Coach House and a special bagpipe performance. High tea includes a set menu of delicious sandwiches, savoury bites, scones and sweets with a variety of tea options!