Guelph Museums
52 Norfolk St. N1H 4H8 Guelph, ON, Canada

Guelph Civic Museum and McCrae House are temporarily closed due to the province-wide shutdown. Stay home. Stay well. Stay engaged through our Museum Everywhere page at guelphmuseums.ca and on our socials.

Celebrate the first day of Spring Break by making your own bottle rocket. ADULT SUPERVISION REQUIRED

Celebrate the first day of Spring Break by making your own bottle rocket. Offered in partnership with Royal City Science and Creative Encounters. Mission: STEM-possible safe-at-home science challenges will be released daily at 11 am from April 12 to 16.

Lest we forget. #VimyRidgeDay #CanadaRemembers #GuelphRemembers

Kick off your weekend with a free online concert by Preetam Sengupta! Fourth Fridays are sponsored by Beth and Ryan Waller, Guelph Real Estate Agents. ____________________________________________ About Preetam Sengupta:... Preetam Sengupta is a storytelling singer-songwriter from Sarnia, who has called Guelph home for over ten years. His 2017 album Patience earned him a Folk Music Ontario Award that included a certificate which he gave to his parents. Often compared to Paul Simon, Preetam’s live show is built around simple performance, playful stage banter, very little pyro (which the Museum appreciates!), and a genuine desire to connect with his audience. Preetam Sengupta Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1dkBlsVJDbzWzrgKhilgZL

We love Guelph stories...and we look forward to hearing yours!

Heather Ellis presents, Hidden Scars: Uncovering the Lived Experience of Shell-Shocked Ex-Servicemen. 1918 marked the end of the First World War, but for returning soldiers it was the beginning of adjustment, recovery and, in some cases, collapse. The transition from war to peace was especially difficult for those diagnosed with a psychological illness. ‘Shell shock’ has become synonymous with the Great War and frequently appears in the history, literature, and film of the co...nflict. While these studies highlight the emotional turmoil and hardship faced by soldiers, they often obscure the reality of war neurosis. Ellis' talk highlights the post-war lives of shell-shocked ex-servicemen and their families through their disability pension applications. It explores the challenges families faced when veterans were hospitalized for extended periods of time and demonstrates the power struggle between pension officials, physicians, veterans, and their family members. Offered in partnership with the Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies.

Due to a province-wide lockdown to reduce the spread of COVID-19, we regret that the museum will be closed from December 24 to at least January 23, 2021. We look forward to welcoming you to the Museum when it is safe for us to gather again. In the meantime, we invite you to explore the Museum’s online offerings at https://guelphmuseums.ca/online/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Take good care.

Black Heritage Month The Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) has announced it will recognize February 2021 as Black Heritage Month. GBHS Presid...ent, Denise Francis, proposed the change to Black Heritage Month. "We must empower our community by allowing them to see their history as magnificent." This month will commemorate past and present accomplishments within the Black community and set sights on our bright future ahead. The GBHS calls on the community to honour our past, celebrate today, and look forward to the future. Do you want to see change? #GBHS #BHM #BlackHeritageMonth #February #celebrate #blackhistorymonth #namechange #ChangeStartsNow #guelphcommunity See more

Ring in the new year Listening and Learning! As we start the year in lockdown, we are taking advantage of quiet moments to listen and learn from those working to make Guelph the best it can be. #HistoryHelps #CultureCares Wyndham House For youth, 16 to 25 years old, who are in a situation where they need a place to stay for one night, or longer, Wyndham House is there to help. In addition to short- and long-term housing support, they also help youth navigate through challenging circumstances from getting I.D. to accessing transportation and health services. It is cold outside, and these are difficult times made even harder if you do not have a safe place to go home to. Thank goodness Wyndham House is in our community, looking out for young people who need compassion and care. Learn more at wyndhamhouse.org and follow Wyndham House.

Museum Store Weekend is almost here! Find a curated selection of unique, creative, and educational gifts for everyone on your list. Saturday, November 28 & Sunday, November 29 receive a 10% discount (20% for Museum members) to get started on your holiday shopping while supporting your favourite local museums. Shop in store at the Civic Museum, McCrae House, or at the new #HilltopShop online store (https://etsy.me/3l55dnE).... When shopping online, use code: MUSEUM10. (Members, check your email for your code ) There’s even a door prize the Civic Museum when visiting in person. #BeAPatron #MuseumStoreWeekend #MuseumStoreSunday

Tales from the Hill with Guelph Guild of Storytellers resumes on Wednesday, January 6.

Guelph Chamber Choir went to local designer Lind Design to develop a new logo to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Building community is at the core of Guelph Chamber Choir, learn how Gareth incorporated that value into the fascinating design process. 'Resonance: Guelph Chamber Choir at 40' is on view at Guelph Civic Museum until March 28, 2021. More at guelphmuseums.ca

Join us today at 12 p.m. for the next History Bites: Second World War Remembered Hosted by Guelph Museums’ curator Dawn Owen, History Bites welcomes Julie Allen from Faces to Graves (Groesbeek, Netherlands), Karen Hunter from In Our Fathers’ Footsteps (Guelph), and Sue Pynenburg (Rockwood), niece of Trooper Clarence Oliver James of Guelph, who lost his life in a pivotal battle in the Rhineland on February 26, 1945. Register at guelphmuseums.ca to take part in the conversation... from the comfort of home or catch the Facebook Live Stream. Image: 1981.7.91, Guelph Museums Collection Black and white snapshot of ruins of a building in a European town. A pile of rubble is in between and in front of other buildings. Pedestrians and a cyclist are on the curved, cobblestone street in front of the ruins. #MilitaryHistory #SecondWorldWar #FacesToGraves #InOurFathersFootsteps #Guelph

Ring in the new year Listening and Learning! During a holiday season like no other, we are taking advantage of quiet moments to listen and learn from those working to make Guelph the best it can be. #HistoryHelps #CultureCares The SEED Community Food Project We were astounded to learn that over 20,000 people in Guelph and Wellington County can’t afford healthy food; a situation exasperated by the current pandemic. The SEED, a not-for-profit food project at the Guelph Communi...ty Health Centre, has been working since 2015 to nurture a connected community where everyone has access to healthy food. In response to the COVID-19, they scaled up efforts to provide an Emergency Food Home Delivery program, delivering nutritious food boxes to community members in need. Learn more about the important work they are doing at theseedguelph.ca and follow The SEED Community Food Project.Ring in the new year Listening and Learning! As we start the year in lockdown, we are taking advantage of quiet moments to listen and learn from those working to make Guelph the best it can be. #HistoryHelps #CultureCares See more

Save the date! Next Friday, November 27 Ambre McLean is performing a free online Fourth Friday concert through Guelph Museums’ Facebook Live! Concert starts at 7 p.m. Make sure you’re following @guelphmuseums and tune in: Facebook.com/guelphmuseums/live

A spooky #ThrowbackThursday for you to get you in the Halloween spirit! The headless horseman has nothing on this O.A.C. student prank from the 20s. Can you recognize where on the University of Guelph campus this photo was taken? Image: Black and white slide of a Halloween Prank at the Ontario Agricultural College. A horse skeleton is harnessed to a large artillery gun. A man is standing at the left, with a bicycle on the ground beside him. The large O.A.C. cannon sits in the background on the right.

Your safety is our top priority when visiting the Families Gallery! Not sure what to expect? During your pre-booked visit, the entire room is reserved for only your group (up to 10 people) for 45 minutes of private playtime. Your group will receive its own sanitized play bin that contains everything you need to enjoy the Families Gallery. The bin includes craft supplies, puppets, toys, costumes, and other special activities. Once you finish your visit, we sanitize the items ...and quarantine the bin for four days. Our team is dedicated to keeping our Families Gallery safe and fun for the whole family. You can reserve a time slot for the Families Gallery through guelphmuseums.ca, or call the Guelph Civic Museum at 519-836-1221. Before your next visit, please read our updated visitor guidelines https://guelphmuseums.ca/plan-your-visit/hours/

Grab your Guelph Box for local movie snacks and purchase your 2020 Guelph Film Festival pass! Guelph Film Festival is happening online from November 6 at 4 p.m. to November 14 at midnight. Guelph Museums has the honour of presenting two films at the online festival: Mni Wiconi: Mitakuyelo, Victoria Anderson-Gardner & Spidermable: A Real Life Superhero Story, Kelly Wolfert. Full festival access starts at just $35! 8 Features. 9 Shorts. 3 Live Events. $150 value. Get your pass today at guelphfilmfestival.ca/passes

Today's Her Story #TrailblazerTuesday is Norma Bowen, a trailblazer in education! Dr. Norma Bowen advocated for women's and minority rights, often through the lens of her own experience as a Black woman. A psychology professor and one of the founders of the University of Guelph's psychology program, Bowen worked for the University from 1966 to 1986. Bowen later transitioned into studying the racial and ethnic implications of police hiring. As a woman of colour, Bowen passiona...tely advocated for the rights of women and minority communities. A pioneer in her field, Bowen's work informs gender and race-based issues that are still prevalent today. Learn more about Norma's legacy and how she persevered through the challenges of the times through the online exhibit Her Story: Women Trailblazers of Guelph and Wellington County https://bit.ly/36H4KTH Image: Jeremy Baird giving Dr. Norma Bowen a hug after she read him a story at a Parent-Child interface, 1981. Bowen is sitting in a chair and has a smile on her face. Source: Guelph Public Library Archives, F45-0-1-0-0-1377

Locomotive 6167 is looking great in her new home at John Galt Park! If you don't have hours to re-watch the live stream videos (found here: facebook.com/guelphmuseums/live), check out today's #ThrowbackThursday time-lapse video from the move! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16C_bV1DAl0

The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Europe, which signaled the end of the Second World War. ‘Guelph and Canada in the Second World War’ is a new online Remembrance Day program for schools and community groups. A Museum educator will guide your group through this worldwide conflict by sharing pictures, stories, and artifacts from Guelph Museums' collection. Available November 3 to 6 & November 9 to 13. Visit https://guelphmuseums.ca/schools-groups/edu...cation-programs/ for more information and to book today. Image: Black and white slide of a long line of soldiers marching up Woolwich Street, Guelph during the Second World War. They are in full uniform and are carrying their rifles over one shoulder. There appears to be a second line of soldiers walking alongside the nearest line. A boy is riding his bicycle in the foreground on the right. In the background are houses along Woolwich Street.

Supporting your local museums just got easier! Introducing Guelph Museums’ new online #HilltopShop Shop select items: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/HilltopShopGuelph Just in time for #MuseumStoreSunday on November 29! Stay tuned for details. #ShopMuseumStores #BeAPatron

History Bites: Second World War Remembered

Now open at Guelph Civic Museum! Experience the soul-stirring sounds of Guelph’s premier chamber choir through 40 years of recording and performance history. This exhibition shares the stories of the people whose lives have been touched by their involvement with choral music since 1980 and sets the stage for the next 40 years of Guelph Chamber Choir. 'Resonance: Guelph Chamber Choir at 40' is on view until March 28, 2021. Book your visit today: http://ow.ly/eLLW50C4hnH

Métis scholar Dr. Kim Anderson is today's #TrailblazerTuesday feature! Kim's innovative intersection of scholarship, activism and artistic practice has made her one of the most distinguished Indigenous scholars working in Canada today. Currently, Anderson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Relations & Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph. She is a member of the University’s Indigenizing Strategy Committee and is driving the creation of safe spaces... for Indigenous students, learners, and faculty. Recently, Anderson co-authored a letter to the federal government, asking why they have not moved on in the investigation of missing and murdered Indigenous women. She says: "Acting on something like this is possible immediately let's go, let’s make a difference right now!" Also to note, is her musical talents. We were very fortunate to have Kim and her son Rajan perform for last week's online Fourth Friday concert. You can view the Facebook Live performance through facebook.com/guelphmuseums/live A woman of many talents, learn more about Dr. Kim Anderson's many projects through the #HerStory virtual exhibit created in partnership with CFUW Guelph, University of Guelph College of Arts, Community Engaged Scholarship Institute, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, and Zonta Guelph. View the virtual exhibit: http://ow.ly/qd1750C47Ba Image: (1) Dr. Kim Anderson sitting in a chair in a garden. She is wearing a jean jacket and has a cup in her hand. (2) The cover of Dr. Anderson's second book "Life Stages and Native Women: Memory Teachings and Story Medicine"

November 16 marks Louis Riel Day in Ontario. Today is the somber commemoration of the execution of Louis Riel in 1885. Each year, Métis people mark this traged...y by celebrating Métis culture, recognizing the many contributions of the Métis in Canada, and highlighting the struggles that Métis continue to face. We encourage you to gather safely with your community to proudly celebrate what being Métis means to you. President Margaret Froh invites our citizens and friends to share her message about Louis Riel Day.

Working with our brilliant friends at MF2 Musicals, Ward 1 Studios, and River Run Centre on a special project coming soon to classroom screens in Guelph and beyond. #COVIDpivot

Join us on Wednesday, November 18 at 12 p.m. for the next History Bites! Hosted by Guelph Museums’ curator Dawn Owen, History Bites welcomes Julie Allen from Faces to Graves (Groesbeek, in the province of Gelderland, the Netherlands), Karen Hunter from In Our Fathers’ Footsteps (Guelph), and Sue Pynenburg (Rockwood), niece of Trooper Clarence Oliver James of Guelph, who lost his life in a pivotal battle in the Rhineland on February 26, 1945. Register in advance through Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/127051637869/) to take part in the conversation from the comfort of home. We will also stream this event through Facebook Live.

Good morning Guelph! #sundaymornings

Charles Pachter’s Lest We Forget series, featuring a portrait of John McCrae, is on view at the Art Gallery of Guelph from October 27 to January 10, 2021. Join the Art Gallery of Guelph for a virtual conversation between Charles Pachter and Shauna McCabe, Director of the Art Gallery of Guelph, on Tuesday, November 10, at 7 pm. Image detail: Charles Pachter, Emblem, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 121.9 x 122.6 cm. Gift of Charles Pachter, 2019, Collection of the Art Gallery of Guelph.

We’re jigging through the storm! Kim and Rajan Anderson are performing tonight’s online Fourth Friday! Let us know if you’re trying out some steps with us tonight! A big thank you to our Fourth Friday sponsor Beth and Ryan Waller, Guelph Real Estate Agents.

Due to inclement weather, tonight's outdoor Fourth Friday concert has been cancelled. The show must go on! Watch the live performance online tonight at 7 p.m. via Facebook Live: facebook.com/guelphmuseums/live

Happy Friday! We're keeping an eye on the weather for tonight's SOLD OUT outdoor #FourthFriday performance by Kim & Rajan Anderson. In the event of rain, the performance will move online and will be streamed through Facebook Live. Stay tuned! : http://facebook.com/guelphmuseums/live

Why do we wear a poppy on November 11th? What inspired John McCrae to write his timeless poem? John McCrae and the First World War is one of two new online programs offered through Guelph Museums this Remembrance season for your classroom, homeschool, or community gathering. Available November 3 to 6 & November 9 to 13, visit https://guelphmuseums.ca/schools-groups/education-programs/ to learn more about our Remembrance program offerings. Image: Photograph of John McCrae sitting with Bonneau.

Hi folks! We're having some technical difficulties with the video input for tonight's military lecture through Facebook Live. Please join us on the WebEx platform for both audio and video: https://guelph.webex.com/guelph/onstage/g.php The event password is Lecture2020 Thanks for your patience!