dufferin county museum

The trip back in time - sadly factually within my memories (scary really) for visits to "The Farm". Well presented and ever changing exhibits. Happy I actually took the time to stop after many years of rushing by to be "on time" - suggest you leave early to pop in.

Having recently decided to see what other folks had to say about an area I often travel through I was surprised to find only two reviews. I haven't stopped by in about a year so I went to the website to be certain the museum was still worth a visit and it certainly is. I like the small cases with their carefully curated selection of items on a particular theme. It is not necessary to have a lot of bells and whistles to make a museum interesting. Children at the very least will enjoy climbing the stairs to the Silo Gallery.

My wife and I took our two kids (ten and eight) here last week. Everyone had a fair time. The museum is very small, and its collection is quite limited. The old tuck, the cottage, and the art in the silo were the highlights for us. Note that none of the exhibits in the museum are interactive. Be sure to visit the archives room in the basement; a few neat things there. There is also an impressive glass collection from the area on the second floor if you like that kind of stuff. The guides are all very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. You will need up to two hours to see everything. But it is definitely not a world-class museum. At best, it is just good way to see some old stuff collected from around the area. Go if you are in the area, but it is not worth a day trip.

Initially I was struck by how beautifully the large barn-like structure of the museum blends in with it's surroundings. It is situated on high ground on the corner of Highway 89 and Airport road overlooking the rolling farm land of the escarpment region. With it's green siding and red roof and silo it looks just like a giant barn, blending in and at the same time playing with your sense of perspective. Inside it is a large, open and airy, space which includes three full sized historic structures -a log cabin, an Orange Lodge meeting hall, and a railway flagging station. The current exhibit "finding beauty in the beast", on until Dec 22, 2012 is stunning, and fills the entire museum with literally thousands of representations of animals. It's a great show for the kids, if you've got them, and well worth the approx. 1 1/2 hour trip up from Toronto. Airport road is an excellent way to come. One of the great roads of Ontario especially when the leaves are in colour. There is a second floor mezzanine which has a large collection of cornflower glass on display which is beautifully presented in cases if you are into that sort of thing. Go up the silo to the top, (elevator available) where along with the stunning panoramic view, there are changing exhibitions. There is also a well stocked and interesting gift shop.Outside the main building it is worth the time to walk around the beautifully landscape grounds, and look into the historic frame church and outbuildings which are included on the property. There are some flowers but what's interesting is that they have created what initially appears to be veggie gardens with pole beans, corn etc, but which on closer inspection are more highly considered spaces with sculptural elements interacting with plants, paths, benches etc. Very well done, and you feel that lift you experience in a well designed zen garden, if you know what I mean.They have an excellent website which is worth checking out beforehand. We like visiting museums and I would say this is one of the most impressive regional museums I have seen. There are several good restaurants in this area which you of course can find on trip advisor,