ruthven park national historic site

Loved the history and WW1 artifacts including the time vested in preserving the house and it's rich heritage

We picked out Ruthven from the CAA Tour Book as a day trip from Toronto and it exceeded our expectations.The mansion sits on the banks of the Grand River in a beautiful meadow enhanced by many large trees. The exterior of the building is attractive and well maintained. The interior can be viewed on a one-hour guided tour and, although some of the rooms are in need of renovation, it is a very lovely house, fully furnished with articles from the Thompson family who built and occupied it for five generations. Our very knowledgeable guide brought the place to life.The grounds are also open to the public and they too warrant at least an hour to do them justice.There are five walking trails ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 km in length. The butterfly meadow was particularly attractive in late summer and the riverside trail is a peaceful stroll along the river bank. The small Thompson family cemetery is well worth a visit.The grounds also serve as a field station for the Haldimand Bird Observatory. Two birders were working in their "piggery" and were quite prepared to show and tell about the work they do. The site has good washroom facilities.Two tips. Firstly, our GPS could make no sense of the address on the Ruthven website. At a cross roads in Cayuga is a visitor's centre (which was closed when we were there). Drive north from this crossroads and you will arrive at the well-marked Ruthven. Secondly' the staff at the mansion could not locate any trail guides. We found them in a rack in the men's washroom.

I wasn't sure of what to expect with this tour of the Estate. Our tour person, I believe her name was Chelsea ?? made the experience well worth it. Her knowledge and respect she shared with her presentation of the family members that lived in the home made you feel like you knew them by the time the visit ended. I along with my friend really enjoyed it. You just never know what gems there are to visit in our close surroundings.

It is after all, a park! An eagle seemed to guide my drive down the road to the parking lot, hopping tree to tree and disappearing into the tree cover, only as I was getting out of the car with my camera. I couldn't tell if he was a bald eagle or not, (they have recently been reintroduced to this area and are thriving apparently). There are a few short trails informing about snakes, insects and birds of all kinds as well Ruthven is a member of a "bird banding" network. I wish I had been better prepared for an outdoor day (binoculars etc) to explore the grounds more The mansion is, as has been said, a time capsule, from the original chandelier in the drawing room and the formal dining room furnishings to the 60's kitchen, which, I must say brought a smile to my face in reminiscing. The guide was excellent in relating the "characters" of the Thomson family and brought the family tree with her as we went through making it so much easier to connect the various furnishings, art and artefacts to the generation. I think its the first time I've gone through a pioneer home/museum where I've been able to connect the period pieces to my generation, my parents generation, to their parents generation and beyond, so easily. A very worthy destination for a daytrip. There is so much to explore in Ontario

We have often driven by Ruthven and thought it would be a great place to visit. MY party of four had a great visit to this very intersting site. Kelly , our guide brought the story of the five generations who lived there, back to life. It was just like it was when it was given to the trust fund.Surprised by hearing that even though it is a national historic site, Ruthven does not receive any government funding. Hard to believe that the whole town of Indiana has disappeared...

The very educated and well spoken staff guide you through the areas of the park. The highlight for me was grand Mansion preserved the way it was left to the care takers.

Ruthven park is a hidden gem. It's location in a park like setting on the Grand River is reninescent of a southern plantation. You can almost hear the horse drawn carriages driving up to the columned porch entrance. It is available for special events as well. You are only 4 km from the Twisted Lemon, a wonderful gourmet restaurant in Cayuga.