Markham Museum

The past and present converge at Markham Museum. Situated on 10 hectares, this open-air museum has something for everyone to enjoy. Take a walk through the past in one of the museum’s many historic buildings, try your hand at engineering with the KEVA Planks exhibit, or learn more about Markham history in their permanent gallery.    

To learn more about Markham Museum, including their latest exhibitions and events, head to their website.  

A group of children jump and play at an interactive museum exhibit

Photo credit: Ivy Pan

More about Markham Museum

The Markham Museum aims to preserve and celebrate the buildings and artifacts of the area’s past as Markham Village has grown into a thriving urban centre.  

Markham Museum holds the special distinction of being one of Canada’s first LEED gold standard museum spaces, meaning that it was designed and built with energy efficiency in mind.  

There are special exhibitions that rotate on a seasonal schedule along with a permanent gallery called What Is Markham? This exhibition explores the changes that have occurred in the Markham community over the past 100 years, with special attention to the environment, professional development, education, and culture. It features aerial photography, a virtual tour of Markham Village as it would have been in 1910, and a place for visitors to record their memories of the Markham Fair.  

Another of Markham Museum’s permanent exhibit is even more interactive in nature. KEVA Planks aims to reveal the inner architect, designer, and engineer in all of us.Featuring 15,000 construction block planks, adults and children alike will have fun testing out their skills and imagination to defy gravity and create incredible structures.  

But it is the sprawling grounds of Markham Museum that are a physical testament to the community’s past, featuring historical buildings that have been preserved for visitors to see. 

Nearly 30 buildings can be found in the Markham Museum collection, including several houses, barns, and sheds, along with a train station, general store, harness shop, schoolhouse, church, blacksmith, sawmill, and cider mill. Each building was moved to the museum site from around the greater Markham area, but were kept intact and have been restored and preserved to show an authentic representation of what life was like in the 1800s. 

Hoover House is the oldest building at the Museum. The frame dwelling was influenced by the Pennsylvania German architecture common to the state Christian Hoover hailed from. Hoover, a Mennonite, built the house in 1824 for his wife and young family. 

Markham Museum also features a traditional log house from 1850, a regency style cottage from 1832, and the rectangular frame Locust Hill Train Station. The Ninth Line Baptist Church — built in the Gothic Revival style — can get especially crowded during the summer months, when it is still used frequently for weddings and other events.  

Guided tours for families and small groups are offered daily, with customized tours available for all visitors except on special event days.  

Visitors during the winter months can take the opportunity to go snowshoeing, while those who choose to come in the summer have the option to try their hand at Geocaching. Each activity is available at no extra cost.  

Several events are held every year at Markham Museum, including Scaryfest and Applefest (which has been an annual tradition since 1983). Both events feature special programming throughout the exhibits.  

Markham Museum also hosts a lineup of camps and programs for all ages, including a variety of pottery classes in the museum’s beautiful studio and other offerings for Girl Scout troupes and elementary classes. 

Though food is prohibited inside the buildings at Markham Museum, visitors are welcome to bring their own picnic meals and eat at one of the many outdoor picnic tables.

Last updated: August 18, 2023

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