Just under 10,000 visitors toured the restored Streetcar No. 351 along Windsor’s riverfront in 2026, a sharp drop compared to the number of visitors in 2025.
According to the City of Windsor’s Culture Department, there were 9,746 visitors during the 2026 season, which was open to the public from May 1 to October 31.
The $10.3 million Michael D. Hurst Legacy Park along Riverside Drive at the foot of Caron Avenue, which includes the streetcar, officially opened in April 2025.
During its first six months of being open to the public, over 27,000 visitors passed through the site.
The beacon is home to the restored Streetcar No. 351, a historic streetcar that was built in 1918 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and later purchased by the Sandwich, Windsor, and Amherstburg Railway.
The 50-foot-long, 24,000-pound streetcar was restored by RM Automotive in Chatham-Kent and is the focal point of a display honouring the city’s transportation past, as Windsor was the first city in Canada to have an electric streetcar in 1886.
Along with the streetcar building, the site will have a pavilion, a 10,000-square-foot patio with full food and bar service, and washrooms.
A statement from the city’s Culture Department says, “We’re very pleased with the response to Streetcar No. 351 this year, welcoming 9,746 visitors during the 2026 season. The project earned significant recognition, including the University of Windsor Department of History’s Kulisek Prize, finalist honours in the 2026 Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence, and a nomination from Architectural Conservancy Ontario for public education and engagement. The Windsor Essex Chamber of Commerce hosted its Annual General Meeting at the venue, with guests from both sides of the river gathering to explore the streetcar exhibition while taking advantage of the waterfront backdrop this unique setting provides. As part of “Experience Windsor,” the Legacy Beacon also served as the host site for the Riverfront Speakeasy community program. Visitors also enjoyed an enhanced experience this year with the addition of a Museum Windsor gift shop. While regular tours have concluded for the season, private group tours and special events remain available through Museum Windsor at (519) 253-1812.”