simcoe county museum

For a small museum, this is very good. They have local items and displays which are interesting for those from the area. A few items are starting to show their age, perhaps some conservation/restoration or replacement is in order.The small church is beautiful, and I think they rent it for weddings. The staff are super-friendly and helpful. I wish the gift shop had a few more museum specific pieces, and not so many generic toys.

We have been here often, and always manage to find something new to see. Lots of local history, if you love local Canadian history stop by. If you really love history, plan on spending a while here as the more you dig the more there is to explore and learn.

Nicely displayed artifacts of the early years of Simcoe County. Helpful staff interested in the history on hand.

They keep adding and changing, lots of history! Not huge as museums go, but does have outside items as well, including old steam locomotive moved from Barrie waterfront. Stop in and take a look!

I was pleasantly surprised when I visited for the first time earlier this year. The museum boasts an impressive collection of materials from the Simcoe County area. Exhibits range from prehistoric (Mammoths, Wendat culture, War of 1812) to within the last few decades (World Wars, local stores, clothing, etc). I also found the layout of the building quite clever, it follows a chronological path and uses a recreation of Barrie’s early 20th century Main Street to link the two main corridors together. Once you’ve explored the inside there’s still lots more to see. The surrounding grounds contain a large number of historic buildings from throughout the region. I had a lot fun exploring them inside and out. I don’t think the museum is that well known, which is a shame since its a real gem. Stop in next time you’re in the area.

If you ever have the opportunity to go back in time at the Simcoe County Museum, you will understand the magic it has. They have events during the year, and one of the favourite is Savour Simcoe, a culinary delight in the picturesque village from the 1800's. The museum has pieces that take you back to your history lessons, and to see them allows you to relive your childhood. Great place for the family, and I would highly recommend a visit from people outside of Canada.

I had occasionally driven by this museum for well over 20 years, but it was only in early November, 2012, when I finally visited it for the first time.The museum consists of two areas, indoor and outdoor. The indoor area features a replica of the 19th century main street with various shops and parlours. There are plenty of period artifacts (including an old horse-drawn hearse and a unique automobile) and exhibits pertaining to the history of this area. The outdoor exhibit – which I did not even know existed – contains a lot of authentic old buildings, including a barn, smokehouse, sugar shack, school house, blacksmith shop, ice house, windmill and a real church (Christ Church Vespra, from 1872, still available for wedding rentals) – as well as a railway station, jail cell (for holding prisoners waiting to be transported by train), velocipede and rail tracks with a huge steam engine no. 1531 and a caboose.A little farther down is another outdoor (and partially indoor) exhibit, which I found absolutely unique and fascinating, showing a lot historical farm and construction equipment. I probably spent over 2 hour wandering around the grounds and I wish I had visited this museum earlier – and stayed longer. Overall, I am very impressed with this place and I would like to congratulate all the individuals on creating this enthralling and distinctive museum!