Balmoral Grist Mill

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Balmoral Grist Mill Discover this three-storey mill tucked away in a wooded gorge on Matheson’s Brook. The Grist Mill was built ca. 1874 and the Steam Mill ca. 1894.

See grains being ground, sifted and turned into flour just as they have been since Alexander McKay opened this mill in 1874. A tale of two mills

The Balmoral Grist Mill and Sutherland Steam Mill are a pair of stunning museums owned by the Province of Nova Scotia. They are two members of a family of 26 provincially owned museums that serve to interpret our province’s rich past. The Grist Mill and the Steam Mill are located only a few kilometres apart in terms of distance, and only a few decades apart in time, but each tells a crucial part of Nova Scotia’s industrial history. The Grist Mill harkens back to a time when water power was the main source of industrial power. The Steam Mill is a part of the story of the Industrial Revolution when factories and mills were able to untether from waterways and utilize boilers and steam engines to power their operations. Both operated commercially into the 1950s. The province acquired the Grist Mill in 1966 and the Steam Mill in 1975.

The mill is now closed for the season and the staff want to thank everyone for making the 2026 season a success. See you...
10/03/2026

The mill is now closed for the season and the staff want to thank everyone for making the 2026 season a success. See you in June.

We've saved the best for the last.Without any of these guys we couldn't have producd any product.
10/03/2026

We've saved the best for the last.Without any of these guys we couldn't have producd any product.

About two weeks ago, we had some visitors that drove in style from Ontario.The Austin Healey Club of Southern Ontario
10/01/2026

About two weeks ago, we had some visitors that drove in style from Ontario.
The Austin Healey Club of Southern Ontario

More photos from Saturday. We had rock painting for the kids and Debbie Plesid brought her award winning quilt in to dis...
09/30/2026

More photos from Saturday. We had rock painting for the kids and Debbie Plesid brought her award winning quilt in to display.

The weather stayed dry for yesterday’s event. It was enjoyed by all that attended.
09/27/2026

The weather stayed dry for yesterday’s event. It was enjoyed by all that attended.

If you would like to see the stones turning, our miller is going to be grinding wheat at 1:00. Last time this season as ...
09/26/2026

If you would like to see the stones turning, our miller is going to be grinding wheat at 1:00. Last time this season as we close next Saturday for the season.

Join us tomorrow for…….
09/25/2026

Join us tomorrow for…….

A cool morning, likely a lot of wood fires being started to take the chill off. The mill’s wooden chimney would be in us...
09/23/2026

A cool morning, likely a lot of wood fires being started to take the chill off.
The mill’s wooden chimney would be in use when the fire drying the oats was lit.

A touch of fall is in the air. Great time to visit the mill and check the changing leaves.
09/16/2026

A touch of fall is in the air.
Great time to visit the mill and check the changing leaves.

09/11/2026

Yesterday, the miller took apart the granite stones. One of the things that needed to be done was checking whether the bed stone was level. To do this you use a quill placed on the shaft and turn it. You’ll either hear a metal scraping or silence.

Address

660 Matheson Brook Road
Tatamagouche, NS
B0K1V0

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

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