On a hunt for some history?

Good news — the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum's research room is open again every Tuesday by appointment.

As of April 12, “all sleuths, detectives, genealogists and the general curious public are once again invited back to explore the secrets of boxes, drawers, and files of historical archives,” said Barbara Worthy, the museum's head of visitor and member services.

Anyone doing digging should start at the museum’s collection database site at www.notlmuseum.ca and, after an initial exploration, researchers can book an appointment with the museum to dig deeper, she said.

Once requests are received, a detailed inventory of relevant information on a particular subject is drawn up by museum staff. Researchers are then able to determine exactly what archival material they would like to physically examine.

“The museum is home to more than 50,000 items, out of which approximately 41,000 fall into the photographic, paper and print categories,” Worthy said.

“And as this museum houses one of the oldest and most significant collections of life in Upper Canada for the past 10,000 years, the job of clue-hunting is not for the faint of heart,” she added.

“Diaries, war claims, oral histories, military and court records, properties, families, names and early settlement records, all make up the extensive collection, and make researching even the most obscure article a fascinating adventure.”

All researchers are asked to phone ahead to make a Tuesday appointment and to indicate initial areas of interest. Research fees are $15 per visit for non-members and free to members. 

Interested sleuths can check out the NOTL Museum website at www.notlmuseum.ca/research, or send an email to contact@nhsm.ca.