Markham Museum (in the past known as The Markham District Historical Museum and later Markham Museum & Historic Village) is a 25-acre site, located in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is dedicated to the preservation of old buildings and artifacts from Markham’s past, especially as a rural village has become an urban centre.
The site features nearly 30 buildings: houses, barns, sheds, a train station, a schoolhouse, a general store, a church, a blacksmith, a harness shop, a sawmill, a cider mill, and many more. One of the oldest buildings is the Hoover House, built in 1824 by a Mennonite family who was originally from Pennsylvania.
The site has been open since 1971, using the former Mount Joy School (1907) as its main office and archives. The museum is located at 9350 Markham Road, on the northwest corner of 16th Avenue.
All of the historic buildings were moved to the site from other places around Markham except the Mount Joy School. The name Mount Joy has also been preserved in the name of the nearby Mount Joy GO Transit train and bus station. In 2005, Markham Museum opened the doors on its new Reception Centre (also known as the Visitor Centre) to the south of their offices.
The Centre features a new collection storage area, display space, meeting rooms and washrooms. The collection is also the focus of study the collection includes archives related to local history, over 6,000 objects in total.
The collection features a wide selection of items from the 19th century to the present day. Permanent exhibits include The Hoover House, Stouffville Road School (1915), The Blacksmith Shop & Harness Shed (1918), MacKay House (1873).
Markham Museum has two main outdoor areas for visitors to explore at their own pace. Many of the historic buildings have been moved outside for visitors to learn about rural living during different time periods in history. Some buildings are furnished inside as they would have looked between 1820 – 1950. These buildings include The Mount Joy Schoolhouse (c 1850), The Cider Mill by the grist mill (c 1840), The Hoover House (1824) and many more.
The collection features over 6,000 artifacts that tell the story of Markham’s past. Many of these items are on display in one of the museum’s four galleries or three exhibit areas. Some of the collection highlights include a collection of over 1,700 dolls, dating back to 1895; farming equipment used on local farms between 1850 – 1930; early household appliances such as a stove, sewing machine and an icebox; tools used by different tradespeople including blacksmiths, carpenters and machinists; antique furniture pieces from 1860-1930.
Markham Museum offers education programs for school groups K-12 focusing on history education. There are also student programs, special events, workshops, lectures, tours and demonstrations. The education department also coordinates and runs an annual Heritage Fair program, which gives students the opportunity to explore their own family history and share it with friends, parents and teachers
Markham Museum has been organizing education programs for over 40 years. The education staff at Markham Museum is made up of a team of dedicated individuals who are passionate about historical education and community outreach in general.
Markham Museum is a historical museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Town of Markham. It features historic artifacts, exhibits and buildings that would have been present in the 1900s-1950s, as well as education programs for schools and community groups.
