Discovery Harbour in Winter

Mid-Winter Social: Experience winter

Join us for family-friendly activities from the past AND present!

QUICK LINKS

kids smiling in a pile of snow

Quick link to event info and tickets

Jail guard in the Escape Room at Discovery Harbour

Test your Escape Room skills!

Daily Event Calendar

Mid-Winter Social event schedules

two cartoon snowmen sledding on a wooden toboggan on a hill

Have a Winterama button?

Live Music Line Up

Musical guests
information

Artisan Sign in front of Garrison Hall

Artisan & vendor market

Join us on Family Day weekend 2024

About the Mid-Winter Social

Discovery Harbour celebrates winter by welcoming visitors to the historic site in tandem with the Town of Penetanguishene at their 76th Annual Winterama on February 17-19, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily.

All the activities (Saturday, Sunday and Monday – see below for specific times.)

  • Jump on the tractor-pulled wagon ride
  • Strap on snowshoes and stomp along the snowshoeing track*
  • Explore historic Keating House and sample apple cider
  • NEW THIS YEAR: Blacksmith Demonstration!
  • Warm up with hot chocolate and a variety of snacks from the Snack Shack
  • Visit local artisans and vendors in Garrison Hall
  • Roast bannock over a roaring open fire
  • Enjoy guided tours of the original establishment’s Officers’ Quarters and explore a 19th century soldiers’ encampment
  • Explore the H.M.S. Tecumseth Centre and check out the real Tecumseth shipwreck and other museum displays
  • Live musicians will sing your favourite songs on the outdoor stage
  • Say hello to costumed characters! More info and details coming soon!
  • Try to escape the Brig in our Escape Room Experience (additional charge)

    *Some activities are weather dependent*

Good to know:

  • Service animals only will be permitted at this special event
  • The event will run in most types of weather (sun, rain, snow, ice)
  • The event will take part almost entirely outdoors, please dress for conditions

Dates & times:

Saturday, February 17 – Monday, February 19

  • The event runs 11:00am – 4:00pm daily

Mid-Winter Social tickets:

  • Tickets are $12.00 per person (this includes HST)
  • Kids 5 & under are FREE!
  • Indigenous people are eligible for free admission with valid ID (escape room not included)
  • Cash, credit & debit accepted
  • Season pass holders get free admission (escape room sold separately)
  • Reservations are not required. Walk up, walk in!
  • Free parking is available at 93 Jury Drive

Come play at the Mid-Winter Social!

Please click each image below to see a larger version.

How to buy tickets

Tickets are available online (in advance and during the event) via the button below:

Tickets are also available to purchase on arrival, February 17, 18 & 19 at the Discovery Harbour admissions.
(Doors open at 11:00 am each of those days)

Save with a Winterama button!

Sponsored by the Town of Penetanguishene, all Winterama button holders receive a special discounted admission to Mid-Winter Social when buying their tickets at the door!

  • Exclusive $10 admission for button holders (not valid for tickets purchased online)
  • Free entry for kids 5 & under
  • Offer is valid February 17-19
  • Button holders should identify themselves to ticket booth staff upon arrival to activate this special deal

This discount is only available in person. Please show you Winterama button to ticket booth staff upon arrival and complete ticket purchase on-site.

  • Shuttle bus to Discovery Harbour provided by the Town of Penetanguishene
  • Please note Winterama buttons are not available for sale at Discovery Harbour
  • Button holders who wish to book an Escape Room in advance should email Nathalie.Canto@Ontario.ca
  • More info: Winterama.ca
2024 Winterama Button Image

Winterama buttons

Available to purchase from the Penetanguishene Town Hall, the Penetanguishene Centennial Museum & Archives and the Penetanguishene Town Library (additional sales locations will be added).

  • Early Bird pricing $3.00
  • Event Weekend pricing $5.00
  • buttons are not required for kids age 3 & under

Shuttle bus schedule
(provided by the Town of Penetanguishene)

Saturday, Feb 17
10:00 – 12:00pm

1st Pick Up: 51 Dunlop Street

2nd Pick Up: 61 Maria Street

3rd Pick Up: Street Side on Robert Street By Peel St.

4th Pick Up: 13 Burke Street

5th Pick Up: Discovery Harbour

Bus Returns Following the Same Stops

Saturday, Feb 17
12:30pm – 5:00pm

(Last Run at 4:30 pm)

1st Pick Up: 51 Dunlop Street

2nd Pick Up: 61 Maria Street

3rd Pick Up: 8 Owen Street

4th Pick Up: 2 Main Street

5th Pick Up: 13 Burke Street

6th Pick Up: Discovery Harbour

Return Following the Same Stops

Sunday, Feb 18
11:00am – 5:00pm

(Last Run at 4:30 pm)

1st Pick Up: 51 Dunlop Street

2nd Pick Up: 61 Maria Street

3rd Pick Up: 17 Poyntz Street

4th Pick Up: 2 Main St Town Dock (Tourism Information Centre)

5th Pick Up: Discovery Harbour

Return Following the Same Stops

Monday, Feb 19
No Shuttle Running

Parking available at 93 Jury Drive

The shoreline of Discovery Harbour in winter with the Kings' Wharf Theatre, the buildings and the ship

Schedule of events!

We’ve got a great line up of activities for you this Family Day Weekend.
Some activities are weather dependent – we will post on our social media channels if any changes occur.


FREE hot chocolate!

Join us on Saturday, February 17th to celebrate World Kindness Day!
Sponsored by Bayfield House Retirement Lodge and The Villa Retirement Lodge, the first 200 hot chocolates are FREE!


Delicious food!

We will have some great food options for the whole family at the Mid-Winter Social!

picture of food truck serving window

Patti Wagon Food Truck

Serving up a delicious range of family favourite, hot food options and sides!

Discovery Harbour’s Snow Shoe Cafe

Hot chocolate, snacks and more! Find us at the TEC centre!


Musical guests!

Musical guests will be on the outdoor stage at Garrison Hall from 11:30am – 3:30pm. Picnic tables and firepits will be available for visitors to sit and enjoy the performances. The artisan market is located in Garrison Hall. Washrooms are available here as well.

Musical Guest line up for Mid-Winter Social at Discovery Harbour Feb 17-19. Chris Figgures, Eric Kidd, Karla Crawford

Vendor and artisan market

Located in Garrison Hall at the Mid-Winter Social, our Artisan and Vendor market is sure to have a little something for everyone!


Make your Family Day weekend epic:
book your Escape Room experience!

Running during the Mid-Winter Social: Experience Winter event is our captivating Escape Room experience.
Gather your team of 4-6 players and solve puzzles and challenges to escape!

You and your guests have run afoul of perhaps the toughest Bo’sun in His Majesty’s Royal Navy, Bo’sun Starkweather!  Oh, he is a “Jack Nasty Face”, no doubt about it, and has a sense of humour as dark as the night sky.  Which is why he has concocted a series of puzzles and challenges designed to frustrate, confuse and mislead you.  Beat him at his game and you gain your freedom!  Fail, and the black-souled Bo’sun may leave you in this dank, dark place for good!  Look lively now!  The clock is ticking. You and your mates are running out of time!

Three guests completing an escape room while the costumed jail guard stands by
A guest using an old school telephone
A guest taking a close look at a morse code machine as part of the escape room

Experience our epic Escape Room!

Please click each image below to see a larger version.

Dates & times:

Saturday, February 17 – Monday, February 19

  • Times 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm
    • Reservations are required

Escape Room experience tickets:

  • Tickets are $36.00 per person
    • Includes HST and admission to the Mid-Winter Social event
  • Cash, credit & debit accepted
  • Season passes not valid for the escape room
  • Passes & coupons can not be accepted for the Escape Room

Escape Room capacity:

  • The Escape Room requires a minimum of 4 people to complete
  • Bookings without the minimum number of people will be cancelled with no additional notice

Good to know:

  • This experience is suitable for those 12 years and older
  • You will need at least 4 players 16 years or older to successfully complete the challenges
  • Teams will have up to 1 hour to escape from the Brig, using clues and solving puzzles
  • As part of your experience, your team will be accompanied by the “Jail Guard”. They will offer you hints if you ask.
  • Please arrive at least 15-20 minutes before the start of your experience to allow for parking and admission

While we love our furry friends, we are not able to accommodate pets at this special event (service dogs are welcomed of course). Thank you for your understanding.

  • Please arrive 15-20 minutes early to allow time to allow for parking and admissions.
  • Taking photos is encouraged.
  • Smoking or vaping (including marijuana) is not permitted on Discovery Harbour property.
  • Light snacks will be available for purchase from the Snack Shack.
  • Please note this event takes place mostly outdoors and, visitors should plan to dress accordingly for weather and terrain.

93 Jury Drive, Penetanguishene, L9M 1G1

Parking info

Please park in the parking lot provided and make your way on foot through the black entrance gates to the boardwalk area and The Charthouse (Admissions building).

Need more info?

Please contact us at hhp@ontario.ca or (705) 549-8064 if you have any questions.

Discovery Harbour traces its roots back to the original British naval and military base in Penetanguishene, built to safeguard access to Upper Canada after the War of 1812.

“His Majesty’s Naval Establishment on Lake Huron”, (as it was first called) kept ships prepared to supply British posts to the northwest. By 1820, it was home to over 70 people, including sailors, officers, shipwrights, and soldiers. Five large ships, 15 smaller vessels, and numerous workshops and dwellings were built.

In 1828, a British garrison on Drummond Island was relocated to Penetanguishene. By 1834, Canada was defended exclusively by these forces. An impressive stone Officers’ Quarters was built in 1845. The military occupied the site until 1856.

Discovery Harbour is operated by Huronia Historical Parks, and is an Attraction of the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.

The shoreline of Discovery Harbour in winter with the Kings' Wharf Theatre, the buildings and the ship

Need more info?

Please contact us if you have any questions: