Macdonald Museum

Name: Macdonald Museum
Address: 21 School Street, Middleton, NS, B0S1P0, CA
Telephone: (902) 825-6116
Price range: $
Rating: 5

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Macdonald Museum

Admission is free as you journey back in time! Step into the Clock Room, our one-room schoolhouse, the turn-of-the-century general store & more.
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There’s so much to see at The Macdonald Museum—where history comes to life! The Annapolis Valley Macdonald Museum is housed in the first consolidated school in Canada, built in 1903. The Macdonald Consoildated School was funded by Sir William C. Macdonald and continued to be a school until 1979. The Annapolis Valley Macdonald Museum officially opened in July of 1982. The Museum features the Nova S

cotia Clock & Pocket Watch Exhibit, a Recreated General Store and Classroom, 1957-2019 MRHS Student Collection Interactive Exhibit, the West Nova Scotia Regiment Exhibit, Natural History Exhibit, and the Sports Hall of Fame. There are two temporary exhibit rooms which feature changing displays throughout the season. The Research Library and Archives can be found on the Museum's second floor. The Library and Archives contain a vast amount of genealogical and historical information pertaining primarily, but not limited, to Annapolis County families as well as a large assortment of historical information on local areas. The Museum will open for the 2021 season on June 1st. Summer hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30am to 4pm. Fall hours September 6th to October 15th are Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4pm. The Research Library is open by appointment only during regular Museum hours June 1st to October 15th. To book an appointment please call 902-825-6116. Collecting, Preserving and Exhibiting The History of The Annapolis Valley.

02/06/2026

✨ On Exhibit at The Macdonald Museum 🎨

Now on display on the 3rd floor, another meaningful panel from this stunning hand-painted mural series by artist Patricia Bruce invites visitors to reflect and connect.

This panel highlights landmarks representing African Nova Scotian heritage, honouring places, people, and stories that have shaped both the region and the community 🖤⭐🏛️. Rich with symbolism and history, it adds an important layer to this growing visual narrative.

🖌️ The mural continues to evolve — with further panel sections to follow. Visit The Mac and experience these powerful stories brought to life through art.

02/05/2026

Did You Know..? 🖤

During Black History Month, The Macdonald Museum proudly remembers Golburne Alexander "Gub" Sheppard, a remarkable and often overlooked Canadian veteran.

Born in 1922 in Sydney, Sheppard served as a Signaller with the West Nova Scotia Regiment before volunteering to become a member of the legendary Devil’s Brigade (First Special Service Force) in 1944 — an elite joint Canadian–American commando unit during the Second World War.

⭐ He was one of only two Black soldiers known to have served in the FSSF.
⭐ Despite their courage and skill, both men were later segregated by American forces and reassigned back to the Canadian Army — a powerful reminder of the racial barriers faced even by heroes.

Golburne Alexander Sheppard passed away in 1996 and now rests at Forest Haven Memorial Gardens in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

At The Mac, we are committed to sharing these important stories — honouring bravery, service, and resilience that history too often forgets.

🕊️ We remember. We honour. We educate.

02/04/2026

📚 What to Read Wednesdays at The Mac 🏒❄️

This week, The Macdonald Museum invites you to explore Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895–1925 by George Robert Fosty and Darril W. Fosty.

Formed in 1895 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes predates the Negro baseball leagues in the United States by 25 years—and the NHL by 22 years. This remarkable league emerged as a premier force in Canadian hockey, preserving a vibrant culture and showcasing innovations that helped shape the modern game. 🏒✨

Yet for decades, its contributions were ignored—or worse, taken—when white teams and officials appropriated Black players’ styles and ideas. This revised and expanded 20th-anniversary edition remains the only book dedicated to the league’s history, featuring newly uncovered research, historic documentation, and powerful stories from Black hockey in the 1920s through the mid-1950s. It even reveals previously undocumented efforts to create a professional Black hockey team to compete for the Stanley Cup. 🏆📖

A must-read that reclaims a vital chapter of Canadian history—available now to add to your reading list at The Mac. 💬📚

02/04/2026

Calling artists, creators and makers of all ages... the heART of the Valley Art Show & Sale is back for its 3rd year at the Mac.

The website is still in the works but for those who are eager, applications will be available in March.

Early Bird Entries need to be submitted by Friday, March 20 and all other applications are due in by Sunday, April 5.

Intake Days will be in mid April with one weekend and one week day for convenient drop-off.

The exhibit runs from May 1-July 18 offering one extra week to enjoy the show and two extra weeks to get in to vote for your favourite artists!

The theme is Water is Life. There is a post all about the theme pinned to the top of the heART show page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1296710101450949

Please share with your favourite painter, photographer, sculptor, fibre artist, woodworker, etc. Most creative mediums will be accepted although size restrictions are still being determined.

Last year we had 60 artists contributing 80 art works! We can't wait to see more of the incredible talent this beautiful valley has to offer!

02/03/2026

✨ On Exhibit at The Macdonald Museum 🎨

Now on view on the 3rd floor, this powerful hand-painted mural by artist Patricia Bruce continues with another meaningful panel in this evolving series.

This panel section highlights symbols representing African Nova Scotian heritage, thoughtfully woven into the artwork to honour history, resilience, and community 🖤🌍🕊️. Each symbol carries a story, adding depth and significance to the mural as a whole.

🖌️ This series is still growing — with further panel sections to follow. Visit The Mac and experience these stories firsthand.

02/02/2026

🌟 The African Nova Scotian Flag 🌟
A symbol of pride, resilience, and history that flies straight from the heart.

On February 15, 2021, the African Nova Scotian flag was officially raised for the very first time outside the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia — a deeply meaningful moment of recognition, remembrance, and celebration for African Nova Scotian communities across the province and beyond. 🇨🇦✨

🎨 Designed by Nova Scotian artist Wendie Wilson, the flag is rich with powerful symbolism:
❤️ Red – blood and sacrifice
💛 Gold – cultural richness and strength
💚 Green – fertility, growth, and the land
🖤 Black – the people
🌊 The wave – the ocean and ancestors’ journeys
💞 Sankofa-inspired heart – learning from the past to empower the future
⭕ An incomplete circle – hope, healing, and progress still unfolding

This flag is more than fabric — it’s a living story, a visual heartbeat of heritage, resilience, and community strength. At The Macdonald Museum, we honour and celebrate the stories that shape who we are and where we’re going. 🖤💛💚❤️

02/01/2026

🖤✨ February is Black History Month ✨🖤

Each February, people across Canada come together to honour, celebrate, and learn about the legacy and contributions of Black people who have helped shape our communities and our country.

The 2026 theme for Black History Month is:
🌟 “30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations — From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.” 🌟

This powerful theme marks three decades of Black History Month in Canada, celebrating the enduring impact of Black Canadians across time. It honours the nation builders — those who fought for civil rights, advanced social justice, and shaped Canada’s cultural, political, and social landscapes — while also uplifting tomorrow’s visionaries, the emerging leaders, innovators, and changemakers redefining excellence today and into the future.

By highlighting Black Brilliance Across Generations, the theme emphasizes continuity, resilience, and progress. It invites reflection on historical achievements while inspiring future possibilities, reminding us that Black history is not only about the past — it is actively shaping Canada’s future. ✊🏾✨

At The Macdonald Museum, we are proud to support conversations that foster intergenerational dialogue, strengthen community pride, and advance equity and inclusion. This milestone year is a time to honour legacy, celebrate present contributions, and empower the next generation.

We invite everyone to take this month — and every month — to learn more about Black Canadian communities and the vital role they continue to play in shaping Canada. 🖤❤️💛💚

01/31/2026

☕🍫 National Hot Chocolate Day! 🍫☕

Today, The Macdonald Museum is celebrating a delicious milestone in Canadian history with this wonderful historic advertisement for Motts Cocoa 🇨🇦✨

Did you know the first chocolate factory in Canada was established in 1844 right here in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia? 🍫🏭

Founded by John Prescott Mott, the factory—known as Hazelhurst—was located in Dartmouth Cove and became a major industrial force of its time. After learning the chocolate trade in Massachusetts and benefiting from a Nova Scotia legislative bounty in the 1830s, Mott’s business flourished.

Motts Cocoa produced everything from rich cocoa and popular 10¢ candy bars to spices and soaps, earning its place as one of Canada’s leading manufacturers before later being overshadowed by competitors like Moirs.

📸 Factory image courtesy of the Dartmouth Heritage Museum.

So as you enjoy a cozy cup of hot chocolate today, take a moment to savour this sweet piece of local history! 🤎☕
— The Mac

🍫☕

01/30/2026

🏛️ On Exhibit at The Macdonald Museum 🎨

Now on display on the 3rd floor, the third panel in this beautiful hand-painted mural series by artist Patricia Bruce!

This panel turns the focus inward, celebrating historic landmarks within the Town of Middleton itself — familiar sights brought to life through art, memory, and local pride 🖌️🏘️🚂.

✨ This mural series continues to grow, with more panels still to come. Stop by The Mac and see the entire story on display!

01/28/2026

📚 What to Read Wednesdays at The Macdonald Museum 📚

This week’s featured read:

The Genealogy of Captain Samuel Kathrens of the 29th Regiment of Foot of the British Army, and His Wife Mary (Haynes) Kathrens of New England Planter Family Origin, 1736–1997

✍️ By Ruth Alicia Long (124 pages)

Dive into a meticulously researched family history that traces the lives of Captain Samuel Kathrens of the 29th Regiment of Foot and his wife Mary (Haynes) Kathrens, whose roots lie within New England Planter families. Spanning more than 260 years (1736–1997), this book offers a fascinating look at military service, migration, and generations of family legacy.

📖 Grab a copy and settle in for a meaningful read that blends military history with genealogy—perfect for history lovers and family researchers alike. Available for exploration at The Mac!

✨ Happy reading from The Macdonald Museum ✨
(Photo of soldier of the 29th Regiment of Foot)

📚🇬🇧📖

01/27/2026

🔥 This Day in Local History 🔥
📅 January 27, 1896

A dramatic chapter in Wolfville’s past unfolded on this day when a fire badly damaged the Royal Hotel. Though the blaze caused serious destruction, the story didn’t end there—this landmark rose again, rebuilt and “furnished with all the modern conveniences” of the era, including electric lights, bells, and hot & cold baths. ✨

By 1927, it became the Evangeline Inn, welcoming guests for just $4 a night or $25 a week. In the 1940s, Acadia University leased the building as a men’s residence for veterans returning from the war. 🎓🇨🇦

Change continued through the decades—by 1960 the inn was torn down and replaced by an Irving service station, which itself later gave way to the town-clock park we know today. 🕰️🌳

History is layered, and every place has a story. We’re proud to share these moments from the past at The Macdonald Museum—where Wolfville’s history lives on. ❤️

📸

01/26/2026

❄️ January 26, 2026 — Snow Day at The Mac! ❄️

Who can beat the breathtaking beauty of Mother Nature? 🌨️✨ The Macdonald Museum looks absolutely magical wrapped in a blanket of fresh snow. Moments like these remind us just how special our historic home is, in every season.

📸 This stunning winter scene was beautifully captured by Beth Hughes — thank you for sharing this peaceful snapshot of The Mac in all its snowy glory!

❄️🤍

Address

21 School Street
Middleton, NS
B0S1P0

Telephone

(902) 825-6116

Website

http://macdonaldmuseum.ca/

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Our Story

The Macdonald Museum is housed in the first Consolidated School in Canada, built in 1903 and funded by Sir William C. Macdonald. The Museum officially opened in July of 1982 and offers Free Admission to all visitors, with donations gratefully accepted. Exhibits include the largest Clock and Pocket Watch exhibit in Nova Scotia, the West Nova Scotia Regiment Gallery, which showcases the history of the Regiment’s soldiers in peace and war, the 1950’s Rusty Nail student artifact exhibit with over 600 items, 1910-1930’s Recreated Classroom, 1930’s Recreated General Store, Natural History Exhibit, and the Middleton Sports Wall of Fame. The gift shop has a large selection of local and Valley historical publications. The Museum grounds are home to the Macdonald Museum Market, held each Thursday from 4-7pm June-October and featuring local homemade, homegrown or homebaked items. With over 50 vendors, this market is a must to visit!

Currently the Museum is hosting a temporary exhibit titled ‘New Perspectives’ which showcases senior student art from Middleton Regional High School and Bridgetown Regional Community School.

The Research Library and Archives that can be found on the Museum's second floor contain a vast amount of genealogical and historical information pertaining primarily, but not limited, to Annapolis County families as well as a large assortment of historical information on local areas. The Museum is open for the Summer Season, May 21-Sept 1, 9am-5pm seven days a week. Off season hours are Monday-Friday, 9:30am-4pm. The Research Library is open in the Summer Season from 1pm-4pm Monday-Friday and off season Tuesdays & Thursdays 1pm-4pm. ‘Collecting, Preserving and Exhibiting The History of The Annapolis Valley’

Macdonald Museum

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