A Passport Place for Everyone

Summer vacation is a time to relax and soak in the sun, why stress yourself out with planning when you can let us do it for you? With 100+ Passport Places, free to visit with a National Trust membership, there’s plenty to choose from. Let us plan your summer vacation with these Passport Places! We have a recommendation for everyone, from the animal lovers, the military history buffs, to the inventors and discoverers in your family.

 

For the Animal Lovers

We are sure animal lovers will rejoice at these Passport Places where they can get up close and personal with some adorable furry creatures!

 

Kings Landing, Prince William, NB

 

During the summer months, Kings Landing is home to quite the array of animals, including pigs, horses, cows, and sheep! Visitors can hop on a horse-drawn carriage, say hello to the farm animals, and even give some generous pats to the farm dog Finnegan! What a good boy!

 

O’Keefe Ranch, Vernon, BC

O’Keefe Ranch is home to some cute little critters! Meet the goats at a goat yoga class, say hello to Razzle the zebu cow and his girlfriend April, and stop in to see the Jacob and Shetland sheep. O’Keefe Ranch even helped with the repopulation of the Jacob Sheep, a breed of sheep indigenous to the Middle East and thought to be over 2,000 years old!

 

Cape Bonavista Lighthouse, Bonavista, NL

Bonavista is one of the few places where you have the chance to see puffins on land! Between May and August, the lighthouse is home to a puffin colony. Plus, you might even see a whale or two when you look out to the Atlantic Ocean!

 

For the Military History Buffs

Calling all military history buffs! There’s plenty of military history to explore in Canada, including the War of 1812, World War I, World War II, the Boer War, and more.

 

Hamilton Military Museum, Hamilton, ON

Hamilton has a strong connection to the War of 1812, with the region playing a crucial role in the war and many decisive battles taking place here (such as the Battle of Stoney Creek, which took place at fellow Passport Place Battlefield House). The Hamilton Military Museum, located in the historic Battery Lodge at Dundurn Castle, is dedicated to sharing the stories of the War of 1812, as well as Hamilton’s connection to the Upper Canada Rebellion.

 

Billy Bishop, Owen Sound, ON

Visit the home where Canada’s First World War Ace tried to fly for the first time! Through the lens of the Victorian home of the Bishop family, the Museum shares the story of the people of Owen Sound. Billy Bishop Museum’s exhibitions, collection, and programs reflect the service and sacrifice of veterans and the Canadian experience with war and conflict.

 

For the Inventors and Discoverers

The budding geniuses, the technological tinkerers, and the imaginative inventors are sure to find something to fascinate and inspire them at these Passport Places.

 

Banting House National Historic Site, London, ON

It was at this home where Sir Frederick Banting woke up in the middle of the night with the idea that led to one of the most important discoveries of all time: insulin. Referred to as the “Birthplace of Insulin” since 1923, the house is dedicated to Banting’s and London’s role in the discovery of insulin as well as his life and work, including his role in both World Wars, relationship with the Group of Seven, and diabetes education. It is also the site of the Flame of Hope, which symbolizes hope that one day a cure for diabetes might be found.

 

Oil Museum of Canada, Oil Springs, ON

The site of the first commercial oil well in North America, dug in 1858, the Oil Museum of Canada is the perfect place to learn about innovations made by Canada’s oil pioneers and explore the historic oil fields with horse drawn carriage and wander the museum’s exhibits.

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The above historic sites are part of the Trust’s Passport Places program, a National Trust membership benefit that provides free access to over 100 historic places in Canada, as well as 1000+ National Trust places abroad. Become a member today!