Brantford travel guide
Bell's telephone homestead, the Mohawk Chapel and the Grand River
A Grand River city where Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and Joseph Brant settled the Six Nations. Visit from May to October, when Chiefswood opens and the river suits paddling. A single day is enough for the main heritage sites, with a second if you want to paddle. Costs are very high, and visa-exempt air travellers apply for an eTA.
Brantford grew up on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario, about 45 minutes by road from Hamilton and 90 from Toronto. It takes its name from Joseph Brant, the Mohawk leader who settled his people here after the American Revolution. Six Nations of the Grand River, the most populous reserve in Canada, lies just to the south.
The city's other big name is Alexander Graham Bell. He invented the first telephone at his father's house in Tutela Heights, just south of town, and the Bell Homestead is now a museum restored to its 1870s look, open Tuesday to Saturday. Nearby stands the Mohawk Chapel (1785), the first Protestant church in Ontario, built by the Crown for the Six Nations. Joseph Brant is buried in its graveyard.
The Grand River is good canoeing and kayaking water, with trails along its banks through town. Wayne Gretzky grew up here, and his name is on an annual hockey tournament that draws teams from across North America. South on Highway 54, Chiefswood, birthplace of the poet E. Pauline Johnson, opens from late May to early October. Downtown can be rowdy on weekend nights.
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Top things to do in Brantford
Telephone history, Haudenosaunee heritage sites and river trails, all a short drive from downtown.
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Best time to visit Brantford
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs from 19C in May to 27C in July; Chiefswood opens, the Grand is good for paddling and the river trails are dry.
Highs of 8C to 12C and grey skies; the Bell Homestead and the chapel are quiet, but Chiefswood needs an appointment.
January averages -2C by day and -10C at night; the Bell Homestead stays open and junior hockey fills the Civic Centre on Market Street.
Chiefswood opens only from late May to early October; outside that window, visits are by appointment.
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Getting there
Wadsworth Street station on the Windsor to Toronto rail line
Take VIA Rail to Brantford, an easy trip: several trains a day on the Windsor to Toronto corridor stop at the station on Wadsworth Street, a short walk from downtown. By road, the city sits where Highway 403 crosses Highway 24, about 90 minutes from Toronto. By road, the city sits where Highway 403 crosses Highway 24: about 90 minutes from Toronto and 45 from downtown Hamilton. Leave the 403 at King George Road/Fairview Drive for downtown. The 403 continues west to Woodstock, and Highway 24 runs north to Cambridge and south to Simcoe.
- VIA Rail
- Toronto in 1 to 1.25 hours, London in about the same, Windsor in 3 to 3.25 hours
- GO Transit bus
- From Aldershot GO station in Burlington, calling at McMaster University in Hamilton
- FlixBus
- Coaches on the Toronto, Hamilton, London and Windsor corridor; check the current network before booking
- Airports
- Hamilton's John C. Munro (YHM) about 35 km east; Toronto Pearson about 100 km north-east with the widest choice
- Brant eRide runs from Paris, Burford and St. George in Brant County if you are touring the countryside.
Where to stay
King George Road hotels or a downtown room by the Grand
Sleep on the highway side of Brantford, along King George Road, where most hotels are. That suits drivers but means a taxi into downtown in the evening; a few downtown rooms near the Grand River put you closer to the evening restaurants.
- King George Road
- The Comfort Inn and the restaurant strip on the north side, handy for Highway 403 but car-oriented
- Holiday Drive
- The Best Western Brantford Hotel and Conference Centre has an indoor pool, whirlpool and playground, a good family pick
- Colborne Street
- The Bell City Motel is a plain, budget base on the road east of the centre
- Downtown
- Close to the Transit terminal and the river, but the bar strip near the Lorne Bridge is loud on weekend nights
Getting around
Darling Street terminal buses and Bell City Cabs
Ride Brantford Transit for downtown, the King George Road strip and the Civic Centre, with routes from the Darling Street terminal, and drive or call Bell City Cabs for the heritage sites. The Bell Homestead, the Mohawk Chapel and Chiefswood sit outside the bus network. The heritage sites are another matter: the Bell Homestead, the Mohawk Chapel and Chiefswood all lie on the edges of town or beyond, so a car or a taxi is far quicker. Three local taxi firms cover the city: City Taxi, Brant Taxi and Bell City Cabs.
- Brantford Transit
- City routes radiating from the Darling Street terminal; check the timetable for evening and Sunday service
- Car
- Easiest for Tutela Heights, the Mohawk Chapel and Chiefswood on Highway 54
- Canoe or kayak
- The Grand River runs through the city, and a paddle is the best way to see the valley
- For the Bell Homestead, drive the Brantford Southern Access Road, then Mount Pleasant Street and Tutela Heights Road.
Know before you go
What makes Brantford worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Bell Homestead, with the house set up as it was when the telephone was being worked out.
- The graveyard of the Mohawk Chapel, a quiet spot where Joseph Brant and his son John are buried.
- Chiefswood, Pauline Johnson's family home and a National Historic Site south of the city.
Good to know
- Downtown gets rough on weekend nights, especially between the Lorne Bridge and Stanley Street; keep to busy streets.
- The Bell Homestead closes on Sundays and Mondays, so plan around its Tuesday to Saturday hours.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Brantford, month by month
Warm summers and snowy winters in the Grand River valley.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Brantford (Environment Canada, via Wikipedia).
The Bell Homestead, the Mohawk Chapel and Chiefswood by car
Go to Brantford by car between Tuesday and Saturday, when the Bell Homestead in Tutela Heights opens at 9:30am. See the 1870s house where Alexander Graham Bell's family lived and the telephone exhibit, then drive to the Mohawk Chapel and to Chiefswood, birthplace of the poet E. Pauline Johnson, on the Six Nations territory.
Be there at opening. Bell's father's house has been put back to its 1870s state, and it is easy to picture the young inventor testing calls from here; the adjoining exhibit runs through the history of the telephone from those first experiments. Allow an hour and a half.
Late morning, drive back toward the city and out to Mohawk Street for the Mohawk Chapel. The Crown built it in 1785 for the Six Nations who came here with Joseph Brant, and it was the first Protestant church in Ontario; Edward VII gave it royal status in 1904. Walk slowly round the graveyard, where Brant and his son John lie.
For lunch, head to The Olde School Restaurant on Powerline Road, set in an 1870s schoolhouse. In the afternoon, between late May and early October, follow Highway 54 south to Chiefswood, the family home of the Mohawk poet E. Pauline Johnson and now a National Historic Site. Finish with an hour on the Grand, by canoe if you can arrange one or on foot along the riverside trails back in town.
King George Road diners and Sunday lunch in an 1870s schoolhouse
Eat along King George Road, the north-side strip near Highway 403, more than downtown. Angel's Diner at number 125 opens at 8am daily for breakfast and lunch, with dinner from Tuesday to Saturday, and Zander's Fire Grill at 190 serves burgers in a rock-and-roll setting. For Sunday lunch, book the restaurant in an 1870s schoolhouse.
Farther up at 190, Zander's Fire Grill and Brew Lounge is loud and themed on rock and roll, with burgers, wings, ribs and live music, and stays open past midnight at weekends.
Sociable Kitchen and Tavern, at 45 King George Road, is the place to bring a mixed group: sharing plates and mains with proper vegan and gluten-free choices, and weekend brunch hours from 10am.
The most memorable room in town is The Olde School Restaurant at Powerline Road and Paris Road West, a converted 1870s schoolhouse decorated with a nostalgic collection from its school days. It serves lunch through the week and is open for Sunday lunch too, which makes it a good end to a heritage morning.
Downtown drinking centres on Market Street. Locals know the Boston Pizza at number 50 less as a pizza chain than as a busy weekend bar, complete with a doorman. If you want a quieter evening, eat on King George Road and skip the downtown crowd after 11pm.
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How we research our Brantford travel guide
Bell Homestead opening days and VIA Rail times are confirmed with the City of Brantford and the operators; Destination Canada and the eTA page cover the rest.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of BrantfordGovernment of CanadaDestination Canada
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Brantford.
General
At his father's house in Tutela Heights, south of the city, now the Bell Homestead National Historic Site. That is the origin of the Telephone City nickname.
Hamilton's John C. Munro (YHM) is closer, about 35 km east, but has a short route list. Toronto Pearson, about 100 km away, has far more flights.
Built in 1785 for the Six Nations, it was the first Protestant church in Ontario and received royal status in 1904. Joseph Brant is buried there.
Yes. The reserve begins just south-east of Brantford and includes Chiefswood, the birthplace of the poet E. Pauline Johnson.
The stretch from the Lorne Bridge to Stanley Street and the Eagle Place area east of the core, where bar fights and robberies are most common. The rest of the city is calm.
Yes. The Grand flows right through the city and is popular for canoeing and kayaking.
Yes. He grew up here, and the city hosts an annual Gretzky hockey tournament with teams from across North America.
Yes, with a car and a Tuesday to Saturday date in summer. See Bell's house in the morning, the Mohawk Chapel at midday and Chiefswood in the afternoon.
Ride Brantford Transit for downtown, the King George Road strip and the Civic Centre, with routes from the Darling Street terminal, and drive or call Bell City Cabs for the heritage sites. The Bell Homestead, the Mohawk Chapel and Chiefswood sit outside the bus network. The heritage sites are another matter: the Bell Homestead, the Mohawk Chapel and Chiefswood all lie on the edges of town or beyond, so a car or a taxi is far quicker.
Timing & weather
About 1 to 1.25 hours on the Windsor corridor trains. Driving takes around 90 minutes on Highway 403, depending on traffic.
Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30am to 4:30pm. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
The best time to visit Brantford is May to Oct. Chiefswood is open, the river suits canoes and kayaks, and the trails along the Grand are dry.
- Best overall: May - October (Highs from 19C in May to 27C in July; Chiefswood opens, the Grand is good for paddling and the river trails are dry)
- Shoulder: April, November (Highs of 8C to 12C and grey skies; the Bell Homestead and the chapel are quiet, but Chiefswood needs an appointment)
- Winter: December - March (January averages -2C by day and -10C at night; the Bell Homestead stays open and junior hockey fills the Civic Centre on Market Street)
Getting there
Take VIA Rail to Brantford, an easy trip: several trains a day on the Windsor to Toronto corridor stop at the station on Wadsworth Street, a short walk from downtown. By road, the city sits where Highway 403 crosses Highway 24, about 90 minutes from Toronto. By road, the city sits where Highway 403 crosses Highway 24: about 90 minutes from Toronto and 45 from downtown Hamilton.
Visa & documents
Visa-exempt travelers, including citizens of the UK, the EU and Australia, need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or through Canada. US citizens need only a passport. Other nationalities need a visitor visa.
Health & safety
Canada's main risks are natural: wildlife, summer wildfires and extreme winter cold. Store food properly in bear country, check wildfire and road conditions before summer drives, and carry winter gear when driving in snow. Call 911 for police, fire or ambulance anywhere in the country.
