Doon Heritage Village

Waterloo Region Museum and Doon Heritage Village (formerly Doon Pioneer Village from 1957 to 1985; and Doon Heritage Crossroads from 1985 to 2010)
Established 1957 and 2011
Location Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Type history and living history museum
Visitors 80,000+ per annum
Director Tom Reitz
Website official website

Doon Heritage Village is located at the Waterloo Region Museum and is open seasonally from May to December. The Waterloo Region Museum is open daily while the village is not open weekends in September, October and November. Doon Heritage Village is a picturesque 60 acre living history village that shows visitors what life was like in Waterloo Region in 1914. The Waterloo Region Museum, opened in 2010, was designed by Moriyama + Teshima Architects.

One admission price includes entry to the museum exhibit galleries and village. Waterloo Region Museum and Doon Heritage Village are owned and operated by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.

Doon Heritage Village is a living history museum located in the former Doon village, now part of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada which recreates life in rural Waterloo County during the year 1914. It has more than 22 buildings on more than 24 hectares (60 acres), next to Homer Watson Park. The museum is owned and operated by the Region of Waterloo.

Construction began in late 2008 on the new Waterloo Region Museum. The museum is located at the entrance to Doon Heritage Village and the building opened on May 1, 2010. The museum and exhibits were officially opened in November 2011.

Programs

Waterloo Region Museum is a campus of historical attractions and preservation facilities, including the Waterloo Region Museum, Doon Heritage Village, the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame, and the Waterloo Region Curatorial Centre. The campus of facilities has created the largest community museum in Ontario.

The Waterloo Region Museum is a 47,000 square foot museum, designed by Moriyama + Teshima Architects, Toronto. It is the first LEED certified (Silver) museum in Canada. The museum includes two exhibit galleries. The long term exhibit, What Makes Us Who We Are?, explores 12,000 years of the history and development of Waterloo Region, from First Peoples through the high tech sector of the early 21st century. A short term exhibit gallery is used for exhibits mounted by the museum from its own collection, and traveling exhibits from other museums on a variety of topics. The museum includes public amenities such as a gift shop, the 114 seat Christie Theatre, classrooms, outdoor patio/picnic space, and Hazels - a snack bar/cafe. The museum is open year round.

Doon Heritage Village is set in 1914, in World War I. Living history programs bring to life the first 14 years of the 1900s. Hands-on activities take place throughout the year including vintage games, making ice cream and historic crafts led by costumed teacher/interpreters. Seasonal special events and programs are held throughout the village's eight-month season from May through December.

The Waterloo Region Hall of Fame is located on the second floor exhibit gallery of What Makes Us Who We Are? in the Waterloo Region Museum. The Hall of Fame annually recognizes individuals and groups that have brought recognition of themselves and the community. More than 450 individuals, groups and sports teams have been inducted into the Hall since it opened in 1972.

The Waterloo Region Curatorial Centre is a 35,500 square foot preservation facility that supports the work of the Waterloo Region Museum and Doon Heritage Village. Facilities include artifact storage, two conservation labs, an exhibit design studio, exhibit fabrication workshop, library and archives.

History

1950–1959

1960–1969

1970–1979

1980–1989

1990–1999

2000–today

Structures and exhibits

Doon Heritage Village comprises more than 22 structures, including restored buildings donated and relocated from across Waterloo Region and south-central Ontario, and some structures are reconstructions based on original buildings.

The living history village

Buildings in the living history village include: Petersburg Grand Trunk Railway Station, Peter Martin House, Wagon Drive Shed and Barns, Detweiler Weavery, Dry Goods and Grocery Store, Harness Shop, Tailor Shop, Post Office, Sawmill, Blacksmith Shop, Meat Market, Repair Shop, Peter McArthur House, Seibert House, Sararas House, Bricker Barn, Freeport United Brethren in Christ Church, and Fire Hall.

Collections

The Waterloo Region Museum collection supports the 1914 living history village but also includes the Region of Waterloo’s local history collection, spanning from prehistory to the present day. The core collection numbers more than 50,000 artifacts and archival pieces; archaeological collections from across Waterloo Region number many 100s of thousands of artifacts. Research collections are stored in the Region of Waterloo Curatorial Centre, located on the museum's property.

Citations

Tivy, Mary. The Local History Museum In Ontario: An Intellectual History, 1851-1985. PhD Thesis, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, 2006.

Region of Waterloo. History's Home for 40 Years - Doon Heritage Crossroads, 1957-1997. Region of Waterloo, Kitchener, Ontario, 1997.

Region of Waterloo. Doon Heritage Crossroads Visitor Guide. Region of Waterloo, Kitchener, Ontario, 1993 (revised 2005).

Affiliations

The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada, OMA Ontario Museum Association, ALHFAM Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums, AAM American Alliance of Museums and many other professional associations.

See also

References

    See also Region of Waterloo History Museum on Facebook, Twitter, flickr and other social media.

    Coordinates: 43°24′07″N 80°26′17″W / 43.402°N 80.438°W / 43.402; -80.438

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