The history of the Distillery District dates back to 1832 when two brothers-in-law, James Worts and William Gooderham, founded the Gooderham and Worts Distillery. Throughout the 19th century, this distillery was very successful and by the 1860’s, it had become the largest distillery in the world.

Unfortunately, the Gooderham and Worts Distillery started to have problems in the 1920’s. With prohibition and then World War I, profits dwindled and in 1923, the distillery was sold to Harry C. Hatch. The distillery continued to operate for the next 150 years however, over time, it became less and less profitable.

In 2001, the Distillery District was bought by Cityscape Holdings Inc and with the Dundee Realty Corporation, they hatched a plan to revamp the Distillery District and to turn its 40 historical buildings into a cultural and entertainment mecca. In 2003, after heavy restoration, the Distillery District opened its doors and it was an instant success.