Museums

Hours and location

Building address: 19 Talbot St. W., Cayuga, ON

Mailing address: 53 Thorburn St. S., Cayuga, ON, N0A 1E0

Contact:

• By phone: 905-318-5932, ext. 6613
• By email: museums@haldimandcounty.on.ca

Our regular hours of operation are:

• Tuesday to Thursday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Monday and statutory holidays: Closed

About the Heritage Centre

The Heritage Centre offers a rich and diverse array of exhibits, special events, and programming for all ages, year-round. Sharing a building with the Cayuga Library, the Heritage Centre is also home to numerous archival records.  

The archives are a valuable resource for researchers and hobbyists, with an extensive collection that includes:

• Family and local histories
• Newspapers
• Church records
• Cemetery transcripts
•  Census records
• Birth, marriage and death records

Microfiche/microfilm readers and internet access are available to visitors to help with their searches.

Museum staff can also be booked to research on your behalf. Contact the museum for more information.

Hours and location

Building address: 80 Caithness St. E., Caledonia

Mailing address: 53 Thorburn St. S., Cayuga, ON, N0A 1E0

Contact:

• By phone: 905-765-3134
• By email: museums@haldimandcounty.on.ca

Our regular hours of operation are:

• Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Victoria Day to Labour Day)
• Sunday and statutory holidays: Closed

Admission is free, however archive visits are subject to an archival research fee of $11.25 per visit.

About Edinburgh Square Heritage and Cultural Centre

The Edinburgh Square Heritage and Cultural Centre represents a cornerstone of history in Haldimand County and is an active reference archive and educational centre to this day. Built in 1857 by noted architect John Turner, the building was the former home of Caledonia Town Hall and Lock-up.

The museum presents the history of Caledonia though education and outreach activities, and a number of exhibits including a permanent display highlighting the gypsum mining industry along the Grand River.

The Gillespie Clark Reference Library is available for those looking to research local history or genealogy. The library contains books, files, and documents relating to Caledonia’s history and includes an archive of surviving editions of the Grand River Sachem from 1856 to present day.    

Hours and location

Building address: 3513 Rainham Rd., Selkirk

Mailing address: 53 Thorburn St. S., Cayuga, ON, N0A 1E0

Contact:

• By phone: 905-776-3319
• By email: museums@haldimandcounty.on.ca

The museum is open seasonally from mid-March to mid-December:

• Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Victoria Day to Labour Day)
• Sunday and statutory holidays: Closed

Admission is free, however archive visits are subject to an archival research fee of $11.25 per visit.

About Wilson MacDonald Memorial School Museum

The Wilson MacDonald Memorial School Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of rural education, the heritage of the surrounding community, and the memory of poet Wilson Pugsley MacDonald.

Built in 1872, this one-room school was in operation until 1966. In 1967, the building re-opened as Wilson Pugsley MacDonald Memorial School to honour the local poet who was born in nearby Cheapside in 1880.

Visitors to the museum are transported back to a 1925 classroom when the Union Jack waved over the schoolhouse, classes started with “God Save the King,” and penmanship was practiced using straight pens and black ink.