Wellington County Museum & Archives
Wellington County Museum & Archives
4.5
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
About
The Wellington County Museum and Archives is housed in the earliest surviving example of a Poor House (later called the House of Industry) in Canada which was built in 1877. Now a National Historic Site, the Museum houses 2 floors of exhibits which tell the stories of Wellington County's people, places and events. The Archives is a state of the art, award winning facility to research local, national and international records.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
56 reviews
Excellent
35
Very good
18
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
0
kitcouple
Kitchener44 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
I took three of my grandchildren to the museum this past Saturday afternoon for the Dinosaur exhibit. They all loved it and they really enjoyed the rest of the museum as well. When it was time to go home, they did not want to leave!
Written 4 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rnr636
Elora, Canada1,091 contributions
Apr 2013 • Friends
The history of this building is fascinating. It is the oldest remaining House of Industry in Canada which means it harbored the deserving poor and destitute souls of Wellington County until 1947. There are plaques through out the museum telling the stories of these poor unfortunates who lived and sometimes died here.
There are lots of events and programs held here and of course exhibits to see. The grounds are gorgeous as is the architecture of the building. You can have your wedding here or your business seminar. You can use the archives or have a picnic lunch. They hold dog agility shows, car shows, halloween events, Christmas and March break activities...you name it. And most things are either by donation or free. Check their website for more info...you won't be disappointed.
http://www.wellington.ca/en/museum.asp
There are lots of events and programs held here and of course exhibits to see. The grounds are gorgeous as is the architecture of the building. You can have your wedding here or your business seminar. You can use the archives or have a picnic lunch. They hold dog agility shows, car shows, halloween events, Christmas and March break activities...you name it. And most things are either by donation or free. Check their website for more info...you won't be disappointed.
http://www.wellington.ca/en/museum.asp
Written 30 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind words and excellent review. We appreciate you taking the time to review our property and look forward to seeing you at the Museum and Archives soon.
Written 15 October 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
savoy555
Jackson, OH273 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
A very nice local museum. The photography exhibit was excellent and the history of the building lent incite into the past. Entrance was by donation. Stop if you have time.
Written 6 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jess Hesheli
7 contributions
Nov 2017 • Couples
The museum building was first built as a refuge house for the local community. It's symbolic of the hardships that were faced by the early settlers in the Wellington county region, deeply meaningful and the museum gave a very vivid representation of that.
William Ronald art exhibition was very intriguing, especially his interpretations of Canadian Prime Ministers in his Prime Ministers series.
It's clearly evident the amount of thought and devotion that went into this not-so-big local museum. Thank you for the experience.
William Ronald art exhibition was very intriguing, especially his interpretations of Canadian Prime Ministers in his Prime Ministers series.
It's clearly evident the amount of thought and devotion that went into this not-so-big local museum. Thank you for the experience.
Written 17 November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BirdBrain2011
Cambridge, Canada53 contributions
Sept 2017 • Family
We visited, unsure of what to expect. There were many excellent surprises here, from the beautifully groomed gardens, to activity programs, excellent historical displays, and a juried art exhibition. Entry fee is by donation, so this is affordable to all. The history of the building is fascinating.
Written 4 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear BirdBrain2011;
Thank you so much for your excellent review of The Wellington County Museum and Archives. We are so pleased you decided to stop and visit. Our staff works very hard to keep the grounds look pristine, the programs and activities relevant and the exhibits both interesting and engaging. We look forward to welcoming you back in the near future!
Best Regards,
Kym Drinkwater
Kym Drinkwater
Office Clerk
519-846-0916 x5221
kymd@wellington.ca
Written 13 September 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Grammalee519
12 contributions
Apr 2017
Great place to see the past. The staff have done an excellent job displaying everything. A great way to spend a day in the country
Written 28 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Grammalee519;
Thank you very much for your review of our facility. We appreciate your kind words. Our staff has worked very hard to create engaging and important displays for visitors to enjoy. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Museum and Archives in the near future.
Best Regards,
Kym Drinkwater
Kym Drinkwater
Office Clerk
519-846-0916 x5221
kymd@wellington.ca
Written 10 May 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BKM861
Kitchener, Canada67 contributions
Oct 2013 • Friends
When you visit this place, it really shows you just how large the holes in our social safety net used to be. This used to be the county poorhouse. It can be overwhelming at times to think of how easily you could've ended up in a place like this, not even 100 years ago. There are other exhibits there that change regularly, but the most powerful part of the experience is the poorhouse. It's not only fine for kids to visit this place, but it gives them something valuable to think about, as opposed to another theme park visit. Museum is free by donation, & it is worth the drive! Pop down the road a short piece for lunch in Elora or Fergus while you are in the area.
Written 28 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your excellent review of the Museum. We appreciate your thoughts and are so pleased you found the story of the Poor House so impactful. We look forward to seeing you at the Museum and Archives for another visit soon.
Written 15 October 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fred D
Guelph, Canada205 contributions
Sept 2019
I have spent many hours using their excellent archives and library. Staff are always very helpful and friendly. The museum presents numerous special programmes during the year.
Written 28 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
D K
Guelph, Ontario, Canada32 contributions
Oct 2018 • Friends
This exhibit Honours the art and friendship of Wesley Harris and his mentor Arthur Brecken. It is truly a memorable, even spiritual celebration of space and form. Incredible. Not a surprise from this museum and archives which is so well-curated and which hosts such interesting exhibits. We were delighted that Wesley Harris was on site to add to the colour of the work; what a charming, talented and inspirational man. All of the positive reviews for this location have it right. It is a Provincial and National treasure, not to be missed. BTW admission is by donation and every contribution keeps the narrative alive.
Written 25 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
faylynk
Elora, Canada12 contributions
Jul 2017 • Solo
This museum was originally the local poor house and it is this history that makes the Wellington County Museum so interesting. Well worth a visit. Cost is by donation too.
Written 6 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you! The team at the Wellington County Museum and Archives take pride in our role as a cultural hub, providing exhibits, programming, support and services for the residents of Wellington County, and visitors. We appreciate your feedback and hope you will visit us again!
Written 8 September 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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