A DAY AT THE MUSEUM
We’ll be the first to admit we love a good binge-watch on Netflix, but sometimes you just need to get away from your screen and experience things in real life. Visit one of these Bay of Quinte museums for a change of scenery, we guarantee you’ll learn something new!
GLANMORE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
257 Bridge St E, Belleville
Have you ever wanted to go back in time? That’s exactly what a visit to Glanmore feels like. The former residence was constructed in 1883, designated a National Historic Site in 1969 and opened as a museum in 1973. The Second Empire architecture of the building features a mansard roof with cast iron cresting, and inside it’s full of art, furniture, clothing and artifacts from that time period. Glanmore has undergone extensive site restoration to accurately display what the house would have looked like in the late 1800s. Keep an eye out for future Toymaker Time Machine dates for an experience that gives you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the museum where you get to recreate a toy of the past.
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QUINTE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
99 Dufferin Ave, Quinte West
The Quinte Museum of Natural History (QMNH) has a mission to inspire discovery, conservation and stewardship of our natural heritage. Visitors will be set on a lifelong course of wonder and excitement about the natural world around them. Their current 5,000-square-foot space that opened early in 2022 is only temporary, as the museum has plans to one day renovate 14,000 square feet of exhibition space. The current exhibit, Diving Deep: A Tale of Whales Through Time explores the evolutionary journey of these ocean giants. The dinosaurs from their inaugural Exploration Exhibit were so popular that they kept a couple on display, including Jane the T.rex.
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NATIONAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM OF CANADA
220 RCAF Rd, Quinte West
The National Air Force Museum of Canada has over 75,000 square feet of Canadian military aviation history. They have a wide variety of exhibits, interactive activities and displays, including the fully restored World War II Halifax Bomber (the only one of its kind in the world). The museum has 35 aircraft on display with some inside and the rest outdoors in their 16-acre air park.
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MUSEUM OF LENNOX AND ADDINGTON
The Museum of Lennox and Addington houses both an archival and museum collection, meaning they have historical records and objects of scientific, artistic or historical importance. Their extensive collection of over 12,000 artifacts provides insight into life from the late 18th century through to today. Rotating exhibits highlight local, national and global history with artifacts from the museum’s internal collection, private collectives and travelling collections from throughout the country. If you visit in July or August, take a short drive over to MacPherson House & Park for a guided tour of Allan MacPherson’s home, built circa 1826.
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PROCTOR HOUSE MUSEUM
This historic home was built by the Proctor family in 1853. The property was donated in 1970 by John W. Proctor and the remaining heirs of Proctor House to the community of Brighton has some unusual features compared with others of the time. Cattle hair plaster for one, the use of pine that has been grained to resemble oak, a circular staircase, oh, and a ghost that appears in the form of a fireball haunting the residence as payback for some financial deals gone wrong.
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COMMUNITY ARCHIVES OF BELLEVILLE AND HASTINGS COUNTY
254 Pinnacle St, Belleville
A history buff could easily get lost for a couple of hours in the Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County. The archival collections include textual records, photographs, maps, newspapers, and other materials about people and places in Belleville and Hastings County.
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