North Hills Museum

04/20/2026

Hello friends and followers! 👋

We are very pleased to announce that North Hills Museum will be open for the 2026 summer season as a community museum operated by the Annapolis Heritage Society. Moving forward, please be sure to follow Annapolis Heritage Society: Making Connections for all updates related to North Hills. We will continue to share posts about the museum's history, collections, and upcoming events over there.

Thank you! ❤️

An update on North Hills Museum:

Over the past several weeks, the Annapolis Heritage Society Board of Directors and staff have been in contact with the Nova Scotia Museum to discuss next steps for North Hills Museum. As part of these discussions, we have been given the opportunity to continue operating North Hills as a community museum funded through the Community Museum Assistant Program (CMAP). We have decided to accept this offer for the 2026 season!

While we are absolutely thrilled that North Hills will be able to open this summer, transitioning to a CMAP-funded model does not necessarily represent a sustainable long-term solution. As the provincial government pursues complete community ownership of North Hills over the next several years, we will continue to assess our options and develop a realistic path forward, one step at a time. 

Our society is still facing a significant reduction in our operational funding due to provincial budget cuts, as we head into our busiest season with limited financial and human resources. Nevertheless, we remain committed to engaging and supporting our community to the very best of our ability. Our dedicated team is working diligently to secure the future of our organization so that our purpose of preserving and promoting our wonderful community’s history may be carried on for many years to come. 

We would like to once again extend our sincere thanks to those of you who have shown us support and encouragement through kind comments, donations, volunteered time, and advocacy efforts. We know that you care just as deeply about preserving our heritage as we do. 

For now, we are focused on the busy and eventful summer season ahead! After a very long off-season, we are looking forward to opening our doors and welcoming you back to the O’Dell House, Sinclair Inn, and North Hills Museums very soon. More information about open hours and special events will be shared in the coming days. 

We hope to see you all at our museums this summer! ☀️🌷

- Annapolis Heritage Society Board of Directors & Museum Director

02/26/2026

Earlier this week, the Provincial Budget 2026-27 was formally announced, revealing devastating cuts within the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage. It was at this time that the Annapolis Heritage Society learned of the decision to permanently close 12 museum sites across Nova Scotia, including our own North Hills Museum, a treasured heritage site with deep roots in our community.

Since 1764, North Hills has stood overlooking the Annapolis Basin, an enduring testament to those who not only shaped the home itself but also shaped the history of our region. The home was saved from dilapidation in the early 1960s by Robert Pallen Patterson, an antique collector and staunch supporter of local built heritage. At Mr. Patterson’s bequest, North Hills became a member of the Nova Scotia Museum family in 1974. Since then, AHS has worked in partnership with the Nova Scotia Museum to preserve and promote the property and its extensive collection. We have taken immense pride and care in the interpretation of the stories connected with North Hills, from architecture and antiques to domestic and rural life. In recent years, dedicated staff and volunteers have worked hard to bring the museum to life through new seasonal events, renewed interpretive programming, and creative outreach initiatives. We are incredibly disappointed that this progress will be lost.

North Hills Museum being a provincial site represented a valuable investment in our rural community. The operating funding for North Hills allowed us to support the local economy through seasonal employment, maintenance contracts, and sourcing supplies locally. North Hills Museum is also a beloved space for members of our community to gather, share stories, and learn together. North Hills, like all museums, is not just a building. It is an important piece of our past and an active player in our present community. Its closure not only erases history, it destroys any potential for future growth.

In addition to the closure of North Hills Museum, there has also been a 20% decrease in operating grants for the O’Dell House and Sinclair Inn Museums. These drastic cuts have created an unexpected and unprecedented challenge for our organization as we continue to uphold our purpose of preserving local heritage by making it accessible in ways that will inspire curiosity about the people, places, and events that shape us.

At this time, we do not yet know the full impact these cuts will have on our operations, but we know that community support is needed now more than ever. We wish to express our sincere thanks to those who have been advocating for heritage across the province and within our own community and to those who have reached out directly to offer support. If you have not done so already, we encourage you to contact your representatives to express your concern about the devastating and widespread impacts of these budget cuts.

- AHS Board of Directors & Museum Director

02/24/2026

BEFORE & AFTER 🏠🔨✨️

In 1964, the North Hills property was in desperate need of care and attention after falling into disrepair. Along came Mr. Patterson, a retired Toronto banker looking for a heritage home to restore near Annapolis Royal.

Looking past the broken windows and falling shingles, he saw an opportunity to create his dreams home, and that's exactly what he did! Mr. Patterson's renovations brought the home back to life and highlighted its beautiful heritage features, both inside and out.

📸 Comparing this exterior view of North Hills from 1964 and 2025, we can see quite the transformation! The second floor dormer windows, two-car garage, and kitchen addition were all added by Mr. Patterson.

02/16/2026

Today is Nova Scotia Heritage Day. ✨️💙🏛

Heritage Day offers an opportunity to reflect on our shared history and celebrate the stories that define our province. The honouree for 2026 is Joseph Willie Comeau.

Joseph Willie Comeau (1876–1966) devoted his life to public service and to strengthening Acadian life in Nova Scotia. Raised in Digby County and educated at Collège Sainte-Anne, he worked across education, business, and politics, guided by a deep commitment to community, culture, and service.

Over nearly five decades in the Nova Scotia Legislature and the Senate of Canada, he consistently used his voice to support Acadian language, education, and cultural expression.

02/14/2026

Some heartfelt sentiments for the museum-lover in your life this Valentine's Day! 💌✨️🏛

02/12/2026

Have you ever noticed this hidden 🤎 at North Hills?

02/10/2026

Winter Sunshine! ☀️❄️✨️

02/06/2026

BEFORE & AFTER 🏠🔨

The first photo of the North Hills dining room was taken in 1964 when Mr. Patterson began his restoration of the home. The first thing you'll notice is that the original wood had been painted white or covered with wallpaper. Mr. Patterson had everything painstakingly restored to its original condition, including the wooden ceiling beams, fireplace mantle, and built-in cupboard.

As it turns out, this beautiful built-in became the perfect display cupboard for Mr. Patterson's antique china collection. 🫖❤️

02/05/2026

A sunny seat by the window. ☀️🪟

02/01/2026

February is African Heritage Month.

We proudly recognize this month as a time to highlight and celebrate the achievements and resilience of African Nova Scotians, who have shaped the province’s history for more than 400 years. 

This year’s theme in Nova Scotia is Strength in Unity: Moving Forward with Purpose, Prosperity, Power, and Progress. This theme references the strength that comes from collective effort, the clarity that shared purpose provides, and the commitment needed to build lasting prosperity and progress. 🤝❤️