Tour the historic distillery of one of Canada’s most famous liquors and see Ontario’s largest casino in this Canadian-American border town.
Discover Windsor, the Canadian border town just across the Detroit River from Detroit’s city centre, known for its heritage architecture and fine whiskeys. Windsor has long been the go-to town for Americans seeking Canada’s laxer alcohol laws. During the Prohibition era, Windsor was a liquor-smuggling hub. Today, its club strip is filled with American 19- and 20-year-olds enjoying an early first drink. Beyond the city’s exciting nightlife, Windsor is a delightful historic town, home to numerous parks and an old town district based around one of Canada’s most famous distilleries.
Find Walkerville, a historic neighbourhood just south of the river that once was its own town. Walkerville is named after the American entrepreneur Hiram Walker, who founded a whisky distillery here in 1858 and proceeded to build a town around it. Stroll through this neighbourhood to find heritage buildings and Hiram Walker’s son’s lavish estate, Willistead Manor. Take a tour of the English-style country mansion in July and December.
While in Walkerville, don’t miss the Canadian Club Distillery, the whisky distillery that started it all. Learn about the whisky-distilling process on a tour and enjoy a whisky sample at the tour’s end.
Explore the Windsor riverfront, where you will find a line of grassy parks with views of the Detroit skyline. Rent a bike to ride the path along the river. Tour the Dieppe Gardens, a nicely landscaped flower garden filled with monuments to the Canadian military. The nearby Odette Sculpture Park features 31 contemporary sculptures, including a silver flying saucer and a bronze elephant.
To experience Windsor’s famed nightlife, visit Caesars Windsor, a waterfront casino just across the river from Detroit’s General Motors Company headquarters. This smoke-free casino has a 27-story luxury hotel and a 24-hour poker room.
To reach Windsor, fly into Detroit’s international airport and cross the Canadian-American border via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Windsor’s reputation may be wild, but it is one of Canada’s safest cities and offers plenty of family-friendly attractions.
