At Trent Valley Archives, we recognize the importance of helping people learn about their history. To this end, we host a variety of events throughout the year to help people access their past– and we do it in ways that are always informative and entertaining!
We run workshops on a variety of subjects, including history writing, interpreting land records, and caring for your archival documents. Our guided tours are also very popular — learn about Peterborough’s heritage on foot, by bus, or by bike. Other events bring history to life through re-enactment.
Planning a special event? Private tours are available for groups of 15 or more. Our guided tours are popular for birthdays as well as workplace socials. A tour with Trent Valley Archives will show you a whole different side of Peterborough that you won’t soon forget! To view some of the events we’ve run previously (and will likely run again), please visit our past events page. Contact us today to plan your event.
The World of the Kid on Simcoe Street
The Kid from Simcoe Street Themed Downtown Walking Tour
NEW FOR 2026!
James Clarke’s memoir, The Kid from Simcoe Street, features many references to the buildings that bordered his tenement. Simcoe Street at that time was vibrant and exciting, capturing the spirit of what made Peterborough distinctive with its combination of residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
Join local historian Elwood Jones on a tour of this unique neighbourhood. As you walk along Simcoe Street from George Street to Reid Street, you’ll discover what the streetscape looked like in young James’ day, and how it changed both before and after he resided there. Featuring stops at many of the locations significant to his childhood (like the Clarke family tenement and his beloved Fire Hall), the tour will give you a glimpse into the setting of this year’s Trent Valley Archives Theatre production before you go to see the show.
This is a walking tour that covers several blocks in the downtown core. The tour sticks to the main sidewalks and is on primarily flat ground, but may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine.
The tour begins in the parking lot directly behind the Peterborough Public Library off of Simcoe Street. Please come 5-10 minutes before the start of the tour with either a printout or screenshot of your ticket to show the tour guide.
Tickets Available: Sunday May 24 at 2pm
Tickets Available: Sunday May 31 at 2pm
Trent Valley Archives Theatre: The Kid from Simcoe Street
The coming-of-age story of retired Judge James Clarke, growing up in Peterborough, ON. during the Second World War.
Tickets Available: June 4 and 5 at 7:30pm
Tickets Available: June 6 and 7 at 2pm
Honouring Our Military History
A Little Lake Cemetery Walking Tour
A walking tour of Little Lake Cemetery featuring stories of Peterborough residents who served their country and community during wartime. As you traverse through the cemetery with local historian Don Willcock, you’ll hear about the lives of people such as Colonel J.W. Miller, who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg; John Roach, who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and brothers Harry and Heber Rogers who were both POWs during the Great War.
This is a walking tour in Little Lake Cemetery that covers a large portion of the cemetery grounds. It stays on the main roadways whenever possible, but covers some uneven and hilly ground and may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine.
Please note that this tour covers difficult and sensitive material and may not be appropriate for everyone. If you have any questions about accessibility or the content of this tour, please contact us.
The tour begins in front of the chapel in Little Lake Cemetery. Please arrive at the meeting spot 5-10 minutes before the start of the tour with either a printout or screenshot of your ticket to show the tour guide.
Tickets Available: Sunday June 14 at 2pm
Peterborough Perpetrators: True Crime Tour
Join true crime enthusiast and knowledgeable tour guide Maddie More as she tells you about the robberies, murders, and other crimes that captivated the attention of the Peterborough community in the 19th and 20th centuries. Featuring both new discoveries and returning favourites, Peterborough Perpetrators will take you through the streets of downtown Peterborough where you’ll learn about the fatal shooting of hotel owner Murray Green in the 1970s, a conflict between two circus workers that ended in tragedy in the 1880s, and career criminal John Parks’ notorious escape from the Peterborough jail in the 1920s.
This is a walking tour that covers several blocks in the downtown core. The tour sticks to the main sidewalks and is on primarily flat ground, but may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine.
Please note that this tour covers difficult and sensitive material and may not be appropriate for everyone. If you have any questions about accessibility or the content of this tour, please contact us.
The tour begins in front of the cenotaph in Confederation Park. Please come 5-10 minutes before the start of the tour with either a printout or screenshot of your ticket to show the tour guide.
Tickets Available: Friday July 10 at 7pm
Tickets Available: Friday July 24 at 7pm
Tragic Tales Tour in Little Lake Cemetery
A Little Lake Cemetery Walking Tour
Join knowledgeable tour guide Mona Wilkes in Little Lake Cemetery to listen to some of Peterborough’s most tragic tales from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As you walk, you’ll hear about people like strongman Daniel McDonald, whose competitive spirit ended up costing him a hefty price; John Andrew Sherlock, whose thirst for adventure led to his untimely death during a military expedition in Egypt; and Janet Hunter, a woman who did everything she could to provide for herself and her newborn son, only to be let down by society.
This is a walking tour in Little Lake Cemetery that covers a large portion of the cemetery grounds. It stays on the main roadways whenever possible, but covers some uneven and hilly ground and may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine.
Please note that this tour covers difficult and sensitive material and may not be appropriate for everyone. If you have any questions about accessibility or the content of this tour, please contact us.
The tour begins in front of the chapel in Little Lake Cemetery. Please arrive at the meeting spot 5-10 minutes before the start of the tour with either a printout or screenshot of your ticket to show the tour guide.
Tickets Available: Friday July 17 at 7pm
Tickets Available: Friday July 31 at 7pm
Mainstreet Music: Downtown Peterborough’s Iconic Music Venues
True Crime Tour in Downtown Peterborough
NEW FOR 2026!
Peterborough has always been known for its vibrant music scene, but it would not have earned this recognition without the live music venues who nurtured the scene and helped local musicians find their place in a fast-paced industry over the years. Some of them were short lived and others became downtown institutions, but all of them have left their mark on the musicians and music lovers who frequented them.
Join live music enthusiast and knowledgeable tour guide Maddie More for a look into some of Downtown Peterborough’s music venues, both past and present, and the impact they have had on the community. Focusing on the latter half of the 20th century, you’ll visit the sites of iconic music venues like the Brock Arena, home to Hank Williams lore; the King George Hotel, where Tom Connors became “Stompin’ Tom”; and the Spill, which kept Peterborough’s alternative music scene alive well into the 21st century. You’ll also discover some forgotten music venues, remembered only by those few who found a sense of belonging within their walls.
The tour may even take you into those venues that are still supporting the local music scene to this day, with enough time to spare for a drink! For that reason, this tour is 19+.
This is a walking tour that covers several blocks in the downtown core. The tour sticks to the main sidewalks and is on primarily flat ground, but may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine.
The tour begins in the Quaker Foods City Square on Charlotte Street. Please come 5-10 minutes before the start of the tour with either a printout or screenshot of your ticket to show the tour guide.
Tickets Available: Friday August 7 at 7pm
Tickets Available: Friday August 21 at 7pm
Women’s History Tour in Little Lake Cemetery
A Walking Tour in Little Lake Cemetery
Join knowledgable tour guide Gillian Holden in Little Lake Cemetery to meet some of the women who lived and worked in Peterborough during the 19th and 20th centuries and helped shape the city into the thriving community it is today.
This is a walking tour in Little Lake Cemetery that covers a large portion of the cemetery grounds. It stays on the main roadways whenever possible, but covers some uneven and hilly ground and may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine. If you have any questions about accessibility or the content of this tour, please contact us.
The tour begins in front of the chapel in Little Lake Cemetery. Please come 5-10 minutes before the start of the tour with either a printout or screenshot of your ticket to show the tour guide.
Tickets Available: Sunday September 13 at 2pm
Tickets Available: Sunday September 20 at 2pm
Eerie Ashburnham (East) Ghost Walk
Our Eerie Ashburnham Ghost Walk: East Side Stories features the haunted history of Peterborough’s most famous structure, the Lift Lock, the Peterborough Theatre Guild’s ghost-in-residence and the strange signtings at the former St. Joseph’s Hospital, as well as many lesser known hauntings.
This is a walking tour that covers several blocks in Ashburnham, including a trek up Armour Hill, and may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine.
Please note that this tour covers difficult and sensitive material and may not be appropriate for everyone. If you have any questions about accessibility or the content of this tour, please contact us.
The tour begins at the Peterborough Museum and Archives parking lot. Please arrive at the meeting spot 5-10 minutes before the start of the tour with either a printout or screenshot of your ticket to show the tour guide.
Tickets Available: Wednesday October 21 at 7pm
Tickets Available: Thursday October 22 at 7pm
Tickets Available: Friday October 23 at 7pm
Downtown Ghost Walk
A popular Halloween tradition since 2003.
Costumed guides recount spooky tales on this lantern lit tour around Downtown Peterborough’s most haunted buildings.
This is a walking tour that covers several blocks in the downtown core. The tour sticks to the main sidewalks and is on primarily flat ground, but may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine.
Please note that this tour covers difficult and sensitive material and may not be appropriate for everyone. If you have any questions about accessibility or the content of this tour, please contact us.
The tour begins in front of the cenotaph in Confederation Park. Please arrive at the meeting spot 5-10 minutes before the start of the tour with either a printout or screenshot of your ticket to show the tour guide.
Tickets Available: Wednesday October 28 at 7pm
Tickets Available: Thursday October 29 at 7pm
Tickets Available: Friday October 30 at 7pm