Dive right in and explore the rich history of St. Catharines.
Well before its official incorporation as a city in 1876, St. Catharines had a rich history.
Spend an afternoon at the St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre @ Lock 3 and see visiting ships from all corners of the world. You’ll observe these giants climb the escarpment as they travel between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
The Morningstar Mill provides a rare glimpse back in time to when moving water provided power to mechanically grind grain into flour. It features a working gristmill built in 1872, a turbine shed, sawmill, a blacksmith and carpentry shop.
The British Methodist Episcopal Church (BME Church)- Salem Chapel marks a terminus on the Underground Railroad and was home to its most famous conductor, Harriet Tubman who made St. Catharines her home for 10 years. This national historic site was built in 1855.
St. Catharines was a terminus on the Underground Railroad for hundreds of enslaved Black people escaping to freedom in Canada. The Underground Railroad was a network of people who assisted and guided freedom seekers as they fled the United States.
The railroad began at the “The Crossing,” which is located along the Niagara River by historic Fort Erie and ends at the British Methodist Episcopal Church, Salem Chapel.
