Tours

Choose one of several thematic walking tours (or better yet, try them all!) on the free Driftscape walking tour app by downloading it to your phone or tablet. Drop in at the Visitor Information Centre for free Wifi for the download or to get help with the app if you need it.

Tours to choose from:

• Perth Downtown Walking Tour
• Heritage Perth Tavern and Brewery Tour
• Vintage Signs and Murals Walking Tour
• Elmwood Cemetery Walking Tour
• 13 Bridges of Perth Tour

Did you know you can also simply turn the app (and notifications!) on as you walk around town and be notified when you are next to a historic property? Cancarta Historic Sites has added hundreds of designations of national significance (three in Perth!) to the app across the province, and you'll receive a notification when you are close by. 

Discover the historical stone architecture and must-see destinations in Perth. Start your tour at Perth Museum then walk through the downtown and uncover the history of the buildings and their unique features.

Click here to download the Perth Downtown Walking Tour to your mobile device.   

Venture to the local taverns and breweries unique to Perth, both modern and historical. Start on the south end of town at Top Shelf Distillers, work your way downtown in and around Gore ST over to Foster Street, which was formerly known as "Tavern Row" or "Brewery Lane" as numerous taverns, hotels and breweries were located on this street, then continue down Wilson ST ending at Perth Brewery on Dufferin ST. 

There are plenty of opportunities to stop for a drink, a snack or a meal along the way, and don't forget to pick up your brewery and distillery merchandise along the way as a souvenir!

Click here to download the Perth Tavern and Brewery Tour to your mobile device.

You will love seeing the faded reminders of the past left behind. With 10 different locations to stop at, this self-guided walking tour will provide you with historical information about the businesses and companies these signs used to proudly display.

Click here to download the Vintage Signs and Murals Walking Tour to your mobile device.

Did you know that local artist and designer Jaana Brett also created a printed Type Tour highlighting hand-painted signs in Perth? You can find it in the gift shop at Perth Museum!

Take a winding stroll through Perth and its beautiful waterfronts from the various bridges which dot the landscape. This tour will take you on a reflective adventure, giving you time to relax and reflect while learning about Perth and its waterfront. While we travel we will also highlight some of Perth's most interesting businesses along your path. We do recommend checking out some of these businesses as you make your way through the tour.

Click here to download the 15 Bridges of Perth Tour to your mobile device.

The rich history of our communities speaks from the stones found within Elmwood Cemetery, a private cemetery, formed in 1872. History records that the Perth's "Old Burying Ground" (Craig Street Cemetery) had filled and health conditions within the cemetery had become a serious issue. A group of citizens approached Town Council in 1866 but with health officials demanding that any new graveyard be developed out of town, Council rejected their requests. The citizens went on to form the Perth Cemetery Company under the Consolidated Statutes of Upper Canada (1856 as amended in 1871) forming this cemetery officially on January 26, 1872. 

Since that time, the Perth Cemetery Company has been run by a volunteer Board of Trustees made up of Interment Rights Holders who thank you for your interest in this cemetery and also for your respect for those who are interred here. 

Elmwood Cemetery is open to anyone in the community. All persons interred in the cemetery, approximately 10,000, are considered important and are given the care, respect and dignity they deserve. This tour can only highlight a few names and stories from our past.

This tour is truly a "work-in-progress" which will continue to be developed and added to going forward.

Click here to download the Elmwood Cemetery Walking Tour to your mobile device.

Want to explore the town on your own? If you prefer paper copies, there are two options: pop into the Perth Visitor Information Centre at 11 Gore St., where you can pick up a self-guided tour brochure or print your own at home. This version has over 65 stops and takes you across town. 

The relationship between the people who settled this area and the local geology tells a compelling story of how this community evolved. This booklet offers a self-guided tour of this story, which is beautifully demonstrated by the landscape of the outdoor museum located at the Crystal Palace and Tay Basin in downtown Perth, Ontario. Start learning about Perth’s geoheritage here, then continue exploring the town and other local attractions to learn even more!

Geodiversity of Perth: A Self-Guided Tour of Rocks on Display at the Crystal Palace, Tay Basin, Perth, Ontario

Learn about heritage Perth, it’s buildings, history and stories led by Perth's Town Crier.

The tour is offered by request on Saturdays in July and August. It leaves from the white Visitor Information Centre door at the back of the courtyard beside the bake oven. It is limited to 20 people and pre-booking is required. The tour is enhanced by use of an audio guide system. 

To book your tour, contact tourism@perth.ca.

Special tours are available as well. Please contact the Museum: 613-267-1947 or 1-855-326-1947 . 

Want to really get into the Halloween spirit? With 200 years of history, it'd be a shame to forget about the people of our past, even if they are still among us. In the annual Perth Ghost Walk near Halloween, tour guide and historian Susan Code McDougall will tell some eerie tales of Perth's past and outline the buildings where ghost sightings have been reported.

Thank you for the Ghost Walk in October 2024.  We have now completed our walks for the current year.  Please check back here as we enter the Halloween season again next fall.  

Call the Visitor Information Centre at (613) 267-1947 for more details on this tour.

To reserve your self-guided tour of up to five people, please book online.

If you would like to reserve a guided tour and/or a larger group, please call the Museum to make arrangements in advance: 613-267-1947 or 1-855-326-1947. 

Are you interested in a tour that takes you and your group through the businesses and to see the sites? Or booking a historian or guide to accompany you on your bus tour? Or a perhaps a greeting or walking tour from Perth Town Crier Brent McLaren? There are so many options available. Call 613-267-1947 or 1-855-326-1947 or email us to discuss what you and your group are looking for.