Visitor Experience Centre
Your first stop for tourism information, locally made gifts and rotating exhibits in the heart of downtown Hamilton
Welcome to Hamilton
In 2022, the City of Hamilton’s Tourism and Culture Division received funding from FedDev Ontario to create a new mixed-use tourism, exhibition and programming space called the Visitor Experience Centre.
This new space was designed to provide the highest quality experience for tourists and locals, showcasing Hamilton’s rich cultural heritage and providing meeting and event space for the City and its community partners.
The Visitor Experience Centre hosts a program of rotating exhibits that are free to visit.
Events at the Visitor Experience Centre
Upcoming events at the Visitor Experience Centre are featured below. For a full listing of events at all Hamilton Civic Museum sites, check out our Events page.
Visit Us!
Contact & Site Info
Visitor Experience Centre
28 James St N, Hamilton, Ontario, L8R 2K1
Admission
Admission to the Visitor Experience Centre is free.
Hours & Accessibility
Open year-round, Tuesday through Saturday, 10am - 4pm.
Closed Sundays, Mondays and all statutory holidays.
The Visitor Experience Centre is fully accessible.
Exhibitions at the Visitor Experience Centre
The Visitor Experience Centre offers a diverse program of temporary exhibitions that are free to visit.
Opening January 27, 2026
Coming Soon - Punching In: the work of Hamilton Music
Celebrate the Hamilton's Year of Music with this new exhibition! The show will highlight local musicians, from Jackie Washington to Boris Brott, Terra Lightfoot and the Arkells, as well as the industry that helps to create and share this music.
Explore stories from Hamilton’s many recording studios and learn about the contributions of promoters, venue owners, songwriters, photographers and sound engineers to your favourite Hamilton songs, before stepping back and reveling in the nostalgia of iconic Hamilton concerts and music venues, past and present.
This exhibition has been curated by Hamilton Civic Museums with members of the Hamilton music community. .
This free, public exhibition will be on display at the Visitor Experience Centre January 27, 2026 through December 31, 2026. The Centre is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10am-4pm.
Explore the Visitor Experience Centre with Mayor Horwath
In late fall, 2023, Mayor Andrea Horwath visited the inagural exhibition at the Visitor Experience Centre. In this video she explores Moving Forward, Looking Back: why heritage conservation matters to Hamilton and shares her personal memories of the historic Lister Block building.
