Historic Kitchener
What builds a city? What makes it grow? Explore the people, places and stories that shaped Berlin’s – and Kitchener’s – early history.
- Downtown Kitchener
- Meet: Civic Park, opposite Centre in the Square
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Availability: April - November
- Distance Covered: 1.9 km (ends at County Gaol at Queen & Weber)
- Price: $30/person
Kitchener wasn’t always Kitchener. It grew from one of many small settlements, to Berlin, to Kitchener in 1916, to become the largest city in Waterloo Region today. The civic history of Berlin, now Kitchener, is truly a community affair.
The evolution of its local government, city halls (yes, more than one!) courts, school and public institutions are best learned through intriguing local stories: the city’s Carnegie library and its first librarian; the teacher who died while marking; the wealthy landowner who made a significant land donation; a man accused of murdering his wife, and a woman accused of poisoning her husband; and Berlin’s 3 hangings!
Led by: Todd Bowman
Accessibility: Route follows paved surfaces on city sidewaalks. Accessible for scooters & wheelchairs.
Historic Kitchener Walking Tour Details
Of course, we have the obligatory Liability Waiver and Release form that must be signed by each person in advance of joining the walk. Why a waiver for a walking tour, you ask? Couldn’t get insurance without it. Stroll pays insurance… you sign the waiver.
A sense of curiosity, a few questions and a willingness to learn something you didn’t know before.
Of course, dress for the weather; bring a hat, water bottle, umbrella, solid walking shoes (no flip flops!) and anything else you need to be comfortable on the walk.
We walk rain or shine or snow!
However, we do heed storm watches and warnings and would never put you in danger. Stroll may cancel and reschedule a walk due to an issued weather advisory.
We don’t make scheduled bathroom breaks along the walking route. Please attend to personal needs before or after the walking tour.
Twice a year Stroll hosts a series of public walking tours in the spring and fall. Make sure you are on the Stroll newsletter list so you know when they are available!
Absolutely! The walking tour guides have chosen routes with the best possible accessibility in order to accommodate as many people as possible. However, construction happens and we do our best to re-route safely.
If you have any questions about the accessibility of a specific walk, please contact us in advance of booking.
We’ll say it again… Always arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of time! If you arrive exactly at departure time, you’re already late! If you arrive really late, your walking tour will likely be shorter than you planned for.
Public Tours: We start on time so you might miss the introduction. If you’re really late, you might miss the tour if we’ve already moved on.
We know you’re a curious bunch so we’ve been preparing blog posts with additional resources from many of the walking tours. Happy reading!
