Brockville Museum

Brockville likes to call itself the City of the Thousand Islands, and the Brockville Museum is the place to learn how a Loyalist settlement on the St. Lawrence grew into one of the most handsome river towns in Ontario, on the St. Lawrence. The museum is at 5 Henry Street, close to the downtown core and a short walk from the waterfront, and it is run as a community institution with free entry by donation. Its role is straightforward: to collect, protect and explain the story of the town and the surrounding region.

That story begins with the Loyalist families who settled this stretch of the river after the American Revolution, and it passes through the town's naming for Sir Isaac Brock, the British general killed at Queenston Heights in 1812. The St. Lawrence shaped everything that followed. Timber, shipping, ferries and later railways brought wealth, and the stone houses, churches and civic buildings that line the streets today were largely built in the 19th century. The museum's exhibits use photographs, documents, tools, household goods and clothing to show how people lived and worked through these periods, and displays are changed periodically to feature different themes.

The museum has won recognition for its exhibits, and it makes a particular effort to interest children. Play-based, hands-on activities in the galleries let younger visitors try out historic tools and dress-up items, while adults can attend thematic history talks. For those who like to wander, a Step-On Guide, a self-guided walking tour that follows a recorded commentary, leads around the historic streets, and guided walking tours run on certain Saturdays during the warmer months. Groups of various sizes can arrange visits in advance, and volunteers play an important part in running the place.

Hours vary by season, so check the museum's website for the current schedule. A visit takes about an hour, and the museum makes an easy first stop before exploring the rest of the town.

Nearby, the Brockville Art Gallery, the Armoury, King Street and Mill Street give a sense of the 19th-century town centre. Blockhouse Island, a short walk to the south, has the railway tunnel that opened in 1860, said to be the oldest in Canada, and a pleasant waterfront trail along the St. Lawrence River. Families, local-history readers and anyone passing through the Thousand Islands region find the museum a useful introduction to the area.