The Home Almanac

Vol. I, MMXXVIThe Canadian home, in season655 stations, every province and territory

The Date Almanac

A rainy-day in Collingwood: museum and breweries

The Collingwood Museum and tasting rooms at Side Launch and Northwinds

The backup for a wet or too-hot day, all indoors and close together in Collingwood. Start with local history at the Collingwood Museum, settle in for a flight at Side Launch Brewing, the dog-friendly taproom in the old shipyards, and round it off with food and beer at Northwinds Brewhouse downtown. Three stops, none more than 10 minutes apart.

3 stops Season: Year round Around: Collingwood
Directions for the whole day
  1. 1

    Local history · Collingwood

    Collingwood Museum

    The town museum sits by the old rail station downtown, tracing local history from the shipbuilding years to the ski hills. Admission is by donation, it is open Monday to Saturday, and it makes an easy indoor hour between the market and the waterfront.

    Collingwood Museum Directions ›

  2. 2

    A tasting flight · Collingwood

    Side Launch Brewing

    A Collingwood brewery named for the town's shipbuilding past, with a taproom, a dog-friendly beer garden, and a rotating food truck. Open most of the week with flights and pints, a relaxed all-weather stop near the harbour.

    Side Launch Brewing Directions ›

  3. 3

    Food and a pint · Collingwood

    Northwinds Brewhouse & Kitchen

    A brewhouse and kitchen on First Street in Collingwood, pouring its own beer with a full food menu and a beer store on site. Open daily into the evening, it is the easiest brewery stop to fold a meal into.

    Northwinds Brewhouse & Kitchen Directions ›

Before you go

  • The Collingwood Museum is by donation and open Monday to Saturday 10 to 4, so this works best on a non-Sunday.
  • Side Launch opens late morning Thursday to Saturday and around noon the rest of the week, so check its hours for your day.
  • Side Launch has a dog-friendly patio and often a food truck; Northwinds is a full brewhouse and kitchen.
  • Settle who is driving before the tasting rooms, or share one flight between you.
  • This is the all-weather fallback, so keep it in your pocket as a plan B for any of the outdoor days.

A free day out from the Home Almanac. Every stop is a verified place; days change with the season, so print it the week you go.

Questions, answered plainly

Is this a good rainy-day plan?

Yes, that is the point. All three stops are indoors and within a few minutes of each other downtown, so it holds up when the beach and trails are off.

What does it cost?

Low. The museum is by donation, and you pay as you go for flights and food at the two breweries. A flight runs roughly $15.

Is it family-friendly?

The museum is. The breweries are all-ages with food during the day but are mainly an adults' stop; Northwinds' kitchen makes it the easier one with kids.

Are the breweries dog-friendly?

Side Launch has a dog-friendly patio and beer garden. Check ahead for Northwinds, and note patios are weather-dependent.

Can we walk between stops?

The museum and Northwinds are central and walkable; Side Launch is a short drive to the shipyards, so plan a designated driver for the hop.

More day trips around Collingwood · All Ontario day trips