North America’s smallest jail is in an Ontario village known for its big heart

This village may be small, but it has a pretty big claim to fame. Creemore, Ont., sits 20 minutes outside of Collingwood, a community known for having a “big heart” and for being home to North America’s smallest jail.

If you’re driving to Creemore from Toronto/the GTA, it will take you about two hours. The village is part of Simcoe County and is nestled on the eastern boundary of the Niagara Escarpment.

Now, for the interesting stuff. Creemore’s jail was built in 1892 and only cost $425.20. This economy could never. Its three-cell structure makes it the smallest jail in North America, and it was used for half a century as a “secure place to jail lawbreakers.”

Drunkenness or disturbing the peace were just a couple of the offences that could land inmates an overnight stay in the jail. In the 1940s, new provincial police regulations closed the jail for its original purpose, but it was reopened in the 1960s as a tourist attraction.

If you want to check it out for yourself, it’s open to the public from May to October each year.

While you’re in Creemore, be sure to grab a bite to eat.

Chez Michel Restaurant is a fine dining French cuisine spot, while The Old Mill House Pub is a local favourite with homemade pub classics.

If you’re up for something truly incredible, make your way to The Pine. This chic restaurant has a Michelin Star, and if you can believe it, used to be a gas station. The produce used is grown at local farms, while all meat and fish are sourced within Canada. Bon appétit!

Mill Street is dotted with other cafes, local shops and an art gallery — a perfect street to stroll with plenty of stops in the village’s “downtown”.

We can’t wait to visit you, Creemore.

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