Simcoe County Museum

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

The Simcoe County Museum preserves and presents the rich cultural, social, and natural history of Simcoe County through engaging exhibits, heritage buildings, and immersive programming. Founded in 1926 by members of the Women’s Institute to preserve local history, the museum moved to its current 327-acre forested parkland site along Highway 26 in Minesing in 1962, where it continues to grow its collections and offerings.

Welcome to the Museum - Simcoe County Museum

The museum’s indoor galleries feature artifacts and stories about the region, from prehistoric life and early Indigenous cultures to settlement and industrial development, offering visitors a timeline of how people have lived, worked, and adapted in the area. Surrounding the main building are 16 outdoor heritage buildings, including a log cabin, early settler church, historic schoolhouse, train station, and agricultural-related outbuildings, providing a glimpse of daily life in past eras.

Entrance

Interpretive signage, interactive displays, and special events help bring these histories to life for visitors of all ages, creating a lively, hands-on way to explore Simcoe County’s cultural heritage within both indoor and open-air settings.

Church - Simcoe County Museum

Agriculture at the Heart of the Story

Agriculture and rural life are woven throughout the Simcoe County story, and this is reflected in many of the museum’s exhibits and outdoor heritage buildings. The museum’s heritage grounds display farm machinery, tools, and related equipment that demonstrate how early settlers worked the land and developed agricultural practices that supported family life and local economies.

School Room

The outdoor buildings and display barns give visitors a sense of how farmland, crops, livestock, and agricultural trades formed the backbone of regional communities over time. By situating these artifacts and structures within their historical context, the museum highlights both the labour and ingenuity involved in agricultural life and how farming influenced settlement patterns, local industries, and community connections in Simcoe County.

Inside Gerneral Store

Through special events, rotating exhibits, and demonstrations, the Simcoe County Museum also invites guests to explore the evolution of food, farming tools, and rural living practices, connecting past agricultural traditions with today’s appreciation for local heritage.

Storage Shed

Rooted in the Local Community

Nestled amid forested parkland just northwest of Barrie, the Simcoe County Museum is a cultural hub for the region. It hosts a variety of community events, educational programs, and interactive experiences throughout the year that engage families, schools, and visitors with local history.

Smoke House

In addition to exhibits and heritage buildings, the museum’s calendar may include seasonal experiences such as outdoor interpretation programs, camps for children, workshops, and living history demonstrations. These activities support community engagement with local culture and help foster ongoing connection with the region’s roots.

Sugar Shack - Simcoe County Museum

Preserving and presenting Simcoe County’s stories, from Indigenous history and early settlement to agricultural development and industrial heritage, the Simcoe County Museum remains a vital destination for understanding how land, people, and community evolved in this part of Ontario.

House

Press Button for Simcoe County Website