Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

The Heritage Attraction at a Glance & the Story Behind the Site

The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum is a living-history museum located just east of Ottawa’s downtown, in the historic community of Cumberland. It offers visitors an immersive journey into rural life in the 1920s and 1930s, with more than twenty heritage buildings and historically accurate reproductions spread across a scenic village setting.

Visitor Centre - Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

The museum’s collection, including structures like a general store, sawmill, one-room schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, fire hall, print shop, and Watson’s Garage, showcases everyday life and trades from the early 20th century. Knowledgeable staff and costumed interpreters lead daily demonstrations and activities (seasonally), helping guests experience how people lived, worked, and interacted in a rural Eastern Ontario village between World Wars.

The Village

Cumberland’s story extends beyond settlement era recreation. The village itself was founded in the early 1800s by settlers such as Foubert and others, and the museum place-makes this history through the fabric of its buildings and interpreted spaces.

Service Station - Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

Agriculture at the Heart of the Story

Agriculture plays a central role in understanding the lives of the people represented at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum. Much of the interpretation highlights how rural families and tradespeople relied on the land, with heritage breed farm animals present in the summer and agricultural equipment and tools on display.

Gazebo

Visitors can observe how rural farms functioned during the 1920s and 1930s, an era when many families still grew their own food, tended livestock, and used traditional tools and technologies to manage field and garden work. A tractor-pulled wagon tour helps connect guests with the agricultural landscape and village layout, while gardens and open fields provide context for seasonal work.

Village Transportation - Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

This agricultural lens helps bridge historical rural life with modern understanding, illustrating how essential farming and land stewardship were to both sustenance and community economy in Eastern Ontario during the early twentieth century.

Corn Pickers

Rooted in the Local Community

The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum is part of Ottawa’s City of Ottawa Museums network and plays a key role in local cultural life. The museum’s seasonal programming includes heritage demonstrations, tractor rides, live music, special events, and community-focused activities that bring history to life for families, students, and visitors.

Print Shop - Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

In addition to its regular summer season, the site hosts events like Vintage Village of Lights during the holiday season, offering festive experiences that connect rural heritage with contemporary community celebration.

School Room - Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum helps preserve and interpret the story of rural communities in the Ottawa region, supporting education, community engagement, and heritage appreciation, making it a meaningful stop on Ontario’s agritourism heritage landscape.

Workshop

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