The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum opened its doors for free Friday to celebrate its 130th anniversary — to the day.
The museum traces its roots to Dec. 12, 1895, when Janet Carnochan founded the Niagara Historical Society.
The first item in Carnochan’s collection is believed to be a Queen Victoria medal given to her in London and later found buried at Fort Mississauga.
Outgoing chief executive officer and curator Sarah Kaufman said the anniversary offered a chance to showcase the museum.
“We just kind of wanted to make the museum open to anyone who wanted to visit,” Kaufman said.
To mark the occasion, the museum offered behind-the-scenes tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Lake Report attended the morning tour.
Kaufman led visitors through archival rooms normally closed to the public. The spaces contain items ranging from cartons of paper records to a 1949 photograph of the Pillar and Post staff, a pig’s head costume from one of the first Shaw Festival productions and an original War of 1812 British redcoat.
“Because that area’s not often seen by the community,” she said. “If they want to come in and check it out … I’m happy to show off the behind-the-scenes. A lot of people are curious of what’s behind the scenes at a museum.”
Kaufman said many of the museum’s oldest artifacts date to the 1790s. The collection also includes Indigenous arrowheads and Roman Empire-era coins, items she said would have been especially intriguing to early visitors who could not travel to places such as Great Britain.
The museum has held anniversary events throughout the year, including a lecture series. Kaufman cited a talk by local historian Ron Dale, who displayed museum artifacts during his presentation.
Kaufman said the museum welcomes about 14,000 visitors annually and has 850 members. She credited community support for the museum’s longevity.
“I think it’s quite inspiring for a little museum like this to have 130 years under its belt,” she said. “It’s really because of the community around that has helped it to survive this long.”
Friday’s celebration also included children’s crafts, free apple cider and cookies, and a 10 per cent discount in the gift shop. The museum extended its hours to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., instead of its usual 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Niagara region residents will also receive free admission in February.
The museum was originally housed in the old Courthouse before moving to Memorial Hall, built in 1906.
