Muskoka Heritage Place

Muskoka Heritage Place Muskoka Museum, Muskoka Pioneer Village and the Portage Flyer Train.

In 1958 the Huntsville Rotary Club was aware of the growing number of family artifacts that were showing up at community events. So they set up a temporary small pioneer museum and began to collect and sort these artifacts in an empty school building on Caroline St. Not long after, two members of the local Rotary came up with the idea of a pioneer village and other Rotarians agreed. They found a s

ite just off Brunel Road 33 acres very close to Huntsville's downtown and equipped with its very own beaver pond which was, and is, a pristine slice of natural Muskoka.

It takes a village! As Museum Month comes to a close, we want to thank our small but mighty team of staff and volunteers...
05/30/2026

It takes a village! As Museum Month comes to a close, we want to thank our small but mighty team of staff and volunteers that make our site come to life!

4 in 5 Canadians agree that local museums are a place to learn about the history of a community. Join us in celebrating May is Museum Month and share how museums have shaped your understanding of local history recently below!
Ontario Museum Association

⏳ Travel back in time next Friday at Time Travellers Camp!Experience life in the 1880s at the Muskoka Museum, Pioneer Vi...
05/29/2026

⏳ Travel back in time next Friday at Time Travellers Camp!
Experience life in the 1880s at the Muskoka Museum, Pioneer Village, and Portage Flyer Train. Campers will enjoy STEM activities, crafts, heritage skills, and so much more!

Register today: https://ow.ly/RbE950Z5IMM

Factbook Friday: MHP display at Huntsville Public Library - displayed, April-May 2024Women's Institutes (part 4 of 4)The...
05/29/2026

Factbook Friday: MHP display at Huntsville Public Library - displayed, April-May 2024
Women's Institutes (part 4 of 4)
The Local Women's Institutes really helped out in the community. They’ve helped out with funding local community buildings and organized fundraisers and events to support local families and causes. Back in WW1, they even knitted and sent parcels to the soldiers in the 122nd battalion! Kudos to them for all their hard work!

Throwback Thursday: Stories from the storeroom at Muskoka Heritage Place LottoLotto, a precursor to Bingo, is a family f...
05/28/2026

Throwback Thursday: Stories from the storeroom at Muskoka Heritage Place
Lotto
Lotto, a precursor to Bingo, is a family friendly game where each player has a card with numbers and letters, and a leader will retrieve and call out letters and digits in hopes that one player can make a full row. This particular edition, manufactured by the McLoughlin Bros. company, was popular from its creation in the 1880's until the company was bought out in 1920 and ceased production. Let's hope that the Fisher family of Huntsville had fun with this one!

🛠️ Introducing our 2026 Heritage Workshop Series! Hands-on experiences led by skilled artisans, exploring traditional tr...
05/27/2026

🛠️ Introducing our 2026 Heritage Workshop Series! Hands-on experiences led by skilled artisans, exploring traditional trades and historic techniques.

From cyanotype photography (July 21) and printmaking (Aug. 20) — explore the lineup now:: https://ow.ly/Jeme50YRfaR

MHP Mystery MondayCan you help us out? MHP has many photos with no information. We are hoping someone can identify this ...
05/25/2026

MHP Mystery Monday
Can you help us out? MHP has many photos with no information. We are hoping someone can identify this photo.
Where and when this photo was taken:
Who / What it shows:
Who likely took the photo:
Thank You!

Sponsorship SundayDid you know you can sponsor artifacts cared for by Muskoka Heritage Place? Each week, we feature an a...
05/24/2026

Sponsorship Sunday
Did you know you can sponsor artifacts cared for by Muskoka Heritage Place? Each week, we feature an artifact from our Adopt an Artifact program https://ow.ly/8y7F50YzfH7. If you are interested in supporting an item not currently listed, please let us know—we are happy to add it.
School Hand Bell, 1891
Used by J.N. Shearer at Huntsville Public School 1891-1897

Factbook Friday: MHP display at Huntsville Public Library - displayed April-May 2024Women's Institutes (part 3 of 4)Some...
05/22/2026

Factbook Friday: MHP display at Huntsville Public Library - displayed April-May 2024
Women's Institutes (part 3 of 4)
Some other Women’s Institutes include the Yearley Institute, the Ilfracombe Institute, and the Silverdale Institute. Some lasted only 4 years before disbandment, while others lasted over 30 years.

Throwback Thursday: Stories from the storeroom at Muskoka Heritage Place Half Doll Clothes BrushBefore the invention of ...
05/21/2026

Throwback Thursday: Stories from the storeroom at Muskoka Heritage Place
Half Doll Clothes Brush
Before the invention of the lint roller, many people used clothes brushes like this one to clean lint and fluff off of their nice clothes. This artifact is particularly neat, as the handle is a delightfully fancy half doll. Half dolls such as this one were popular from the 1900's-1930's, were styled all sorts of ways, and could be used as decorative toppers for kettles, whisk brooms, clothes brushes, pincushions, and more!

MHP Mystery MondayCan you help us out? MHP has many photos with little information. We are hoping someone can identify t...
05/18/2026

MHP Mystery Monday
Can you help us out? MHP has many photos with little information. We are hoping someone can identify this photo.
Where and when this photo was taken:
Who / What it shows: Student Teacher football game
Who likely took the photo: Ken Cline
Thank You!

Sponsorship SundayDid you know you can sponsor artifacts cared for by Muskoka Heritage Place? Each week, we feature an a...
05/17/2026

Sponsorship Sunday
Did you know you can sponsor artifacts cared for by Muskoka Heritage Place? Each week, we feature an artifact from our Adopt an Artifact program https://ow.ly/8y7F50YzfH7. If you are interested in supporting an item not currently listed, please let us know—we are happy to add it.
Gunter Chain, 1850s
Before Muskoka was opened for settlement, townships were surveyed into 100‑acre lots and concessions. Gunter chains, such as this example, were used by the Crown Lands Department of the Province of Canada (now the Ministry of Natural Resources) to complete these surveys.
This iron chain consists of 100 links, with a brass marker every tenth link. One chain measures 66 feet; 80 chains equal one mile, and 100 chains form a concession.

Address

88 Brunel Road
Huntsville, ON
P1H1R1

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Muskoka Heritage Place posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share