Region of Waterloo Museums & Archives

Call Directions Website

Region of Waterloo Museums & Archives Welcome to the Region of Waterloo Museums & Archives! One admission price includes entry to the village and museum exhibits.
(438)

Main Gallery:
Our main exhibit gallery traces the 12,000 year human history of Waterloo Region, from First Nation's peoples, to European settlement at the start of the 1800s, to the manufacturing heydays of the 1900s, to the high tech sector boom of recent years. Visitors will discover the reasons why people from around the world have immigrated to this region of Canada - whether they came for love, education, a better life, a new job or to find freedom. Doon Heritage Village:
Waterloo Region Museum is the entrance to Doon Heritage Village, a picturesque 60 acre living history village open seasonally. Doon Heritage Village shows visitors what life was like in Waterloo Region in the year 1914. The village comes to life with knowledgeable interpreters dressed in authentic 1914 clothing and features historic buildings, farm animals and fun activities the whole family will enjoy. Waterloo Region Hall of Fame:
Honouring people who make a difference! The Waterloo Region Hall of Fame is located on the second floor of the Waterloo Region Museum. The Waterloo Region Hall of Fame honours individuals and groups - now numbering more than 400 - for their significant contributions to the community. The Hall of Fame is overseen by a Board of Governors with representation from across Waterloo Region. Waterloo Region Museum and Doon Heritage Village are part of Region of Waterloo Museums that is made up of: Waterloo Region Museum/Doon Heritage Village, Schneider Haus National Historic Site, and McDougall Cottage Historic Site. All of these sites are owned and operated by the Region of Waterloo. FACEBOOK PAGE TERMS OF USE:
Welcome to our official page. Fans are welcome to post but are reminded to keep comments topical, clean, respectful and not discriminatory or profane. Your contribution to this group is welcome. Please do not post any material that is not topical, knowingly false, disrespectful, abusive, hateful, obscene, sexually oriented, threatening or invasive of someone else's privacy. Any commercial posting made by any company or business that has not received prior approval will be removed without notice. It is not possible to review all postings before they become publicly readable. The Waterloo Region Museum cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any post. A post represents the views of the author and not the view of the Waterloo Region Museum. This site will be monitored by a site moderator who reserves the right to remove any post that violates our terms of use stated above or deny access to the site by any user. Any user that has a concern or objection to a post is encouraged to contact the site moderator at [email protected] . Please contact the site moderator directly and not through the social medium itself. Thank you for your participation and ongoing support..

The long weekend is here!!!! Happy Thanksgiving weekend. If you're still contemplating your weekend plans, check out wha...
10/09/2026

The long weekend is here!!!! Happy Thanksgiving weekend. If you're still contemplating your weekend plans, check out what's happening at Region of Waterloo Museums. 👇👇

October 10, 11 & 12 - Doon Heritage Village is open all weekend long. This is the last chance to see the Village for the extended season. Visit each day to experience Day in the Life in Doon or pop by between 1 and 4 p.m. to taste Fall Harvest Vegetable Soup as part of A Taste of 1914.

Saturday, October 10 & Sunday, October 11 - 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – All Ages Oktoberfest (Schneider Haus – Kitchener)

Monday, October 12 – Thanksgiving Monday -11 to 4 p.m. – Thanksgiving Monday at McDougall Cottage (McDougall Cottage – Cambridge)

Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum, Doon Heritage Village and Schneider Haus National Historic Site are open all weekend from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. including Thanksgiving Monday. McDougall Cottage Historic Site is open Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m., and Thanksgiving Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

10/07/2026

Join Region of Waterloo Museums & Archives this October for fun-filled Thanksgiving weekend activities for all ages.

This year’s roundup is full of fall-themed games and crafts for kids, and spooky walking tours for adults. Don’t miss Doon Heritage Village’s extended season featuring hands-on Day in the Life activities and a Taste of 1914.

Explore our four experiential sites Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum, Doon Heritage Village, McDougall Cottage Historic Site and Schneider Haus National Historic Site each offering a unique mix of activities included with admission, and a few ticketed events ($).

Friday, October 9
Starting at 6:30 and 7 p.m. – "The Dark Side of Galt" Evening Walking Tours $ (McDougall Cottage – Cambridge): https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-dark-side-of-galt-evening-walking-tours-at-mcdougall-cottage-tickets-1983890912123?aff=mediarelease

Saturday, October 10
7 to 9 p.m. – Bloody Berlin Walking Tours $ (Schneider Haus – Kitchener): https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/bloody-berlin-walking-tour-tickets-1993010768860?aff=mediarelease

Saturday, October 10 & Sunday, October 11
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – All Ages Oktoberfest (Schneider Haus – Kitchener): https://calendar.regionofwaterloo.ca/museum/List?Keywords=oktoberfest&StartDate=10/01/2026&EndDate=10/31/2026&&

Monday, October 12 – Thanksgiving Monday
11a.m. to 4 p.m. – Thanksgiving Monday at McDougall Cottage (McDougall Cottage – Cambridge): https://calendar.regionofwaterloo.ca/museum/Detail/2026-10-12-1100-Thanksgiving-Monday-at-McDougall-Cottage

Our sites and hours:
Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum, Doon Heritage Village and Schneider Haus National Historic Site are open all weekend from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. including Thanksgiving Monday.

McDougall Cottage Historic Site is open Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. and Thanksgiving Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Full event information is available at regionofwaterloomuseums.ca.

Our volunteer gardeners needed a rest so they decided to try out our newest playground features. These wooden farm anima...
10/07/2026

Our volunteer gardeners needed a rest so they decided to try out our newest playground features. These wooden farm animals are set up in a few areas around the Village for our younger patrons to enjoy, but clearly they're fun for all ages.
Thank you to all of our volunteers for everything you do to keep Doon Heritage Village's gardens looking incredible. And thank you to Earthscape Play for creating these fun features, sponsored by the Friends of Waterloo Region Museums

Check out the wooden farm animals and the gardens all this weekend. This will be the last weekend for general visitation at Doon.

10/02/2026

Join Region of Waterloo Museums & Archives this month for fall and Halloween-themed spookily fun activities for all ages. This season don’t miss eerie walking tours, spooky nights, fall -themed fun, trick or treat opportunities, and tasty fall themed foods. Get the details: bit.ly/4rHmiI9

Today on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we want to take a moment to highlight the artist who contributed to ...
09/30/2026

Today on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we want to take a moment to highlight the artist who contributed to this incredible wrap in the upper half of Doon Heritage Village.
The art, created by artist Michael Cywink, an Anishinaabe from near Manitoulin, currently living in London, Ontario, can be seen in the field across from the Train Station.

In Michael's words, this piece shows "different elements of creation. There are berries, flowers, etc. We have the ones who fly, the ones who swim and the four leggeds. The turtle in the middle represents turtle island and this beautiful place we call home.

"The deer is reminder that sometimes we need to stop and smell the flowers. Life comes at use quick, don't forget to enjoy it. The way the deer grazes our in the field.

"The four people are done in the medicine wheel colours, they represent the diverse community that gets to come and enjoy the museum.

"The handprints in the sky represent current Indigenous issues, like the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women movement and the Every Child Matters movement."

We thank Michael for sharing his artistry and creativity with us. You can see more of Michael's work at .

09/30/2026

Today is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as : Every Child Matters. It is a day to reflect on and honour residential school Survivors, their families, and the children who never returned home.

For the Region, this is an opportunity to reflect on our reconciliation journey and consider how we can continue to learn, listen, and take meaningful action as an organization.

For non-Indigenous people, today is also a call to listen to and amplify Indigenous voices. There are many ways to show your support:
- Learn about Indigenous Peoples’ connections to the land
- Explore Indigenous literature and stories
- Support Indigenous artists and creators
- Have meaningful conversations with family, friends, and colleagues
- Challenge racism and discriminatory behaviour
- Commit to continued learning, personal growth, and allyship
- Participate in a local event

We encourage you to learn more by reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action at nctr.ca, and by learning about Phyllis Webstad’s story and the significance of the orange shirt at https://orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html. For additional resources, visit rapwr.ca

For anyone experiencing pain or distress related to their residential school experience, the National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 1-866-925-4419. More information is available at https://sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/158197122.

This year’s artwork was created by Kevin George (red-road-artistry-apparel.myshopify.com), an Anishinaabe and Nehiyaw artist from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. We are deeply grateful to Kevin for sharing his artistry and creativity with us, and for contributing this beautiful piece to our recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Address

10 Huron Road
Kitchener, ON
N2P2R7

Opening Hours

Thursday 12pm - 4pm
Friday 12pm - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+15197481914

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Region of Waterloo Museums & Archives posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category