Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

Step back in time to the 1920s and 1930s while exploring an historic village just a 30-minute drive outside Ottawa's downtown core. See dozens of heritage buildings and true-to-era reproductions. Find a quiet escape or join us for a special event. The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum offers unique opportunities to create unforgettable moments for visitors of all ages. 

2940 Old Montreal Road 
Cumberland, ON K4C 1G3 

Tel.: 613-580-2988 
Email: museecumberlandmuseum@ottawa.ca

Please note that due to limited staff resources, there may be a delay in responses to email and voicemail messages while we process admissions for the Vintage Village of Lights. We will return any messages as promptly as possible and thank you for your understanding.

A Frequently Asked Questions for the Vintage Village of Lights is available under “Programs and Special Events”.

Facebook: @CumberlandMuseum
Instagram: @CumberlandMuseum
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Hours of operation:

Please note that museum is currently closed for the season. 

Regular Admission:

Adult - $8.50
Seniors/Youth/Students - $6.00
Child (5 and under) – Free
Family (2 adults and accompanying children under 18) - $21.50

*Special pricing may apply for programs and events.

**Please note that the Ottawa Museum Network (OMN) has suspended their library pass program with Ottawa Public Libraries for 2022. For more information regarding the OMN, visit: OttawaMuseumNetwork.ca.

Hop Into Spring

Saturday, April 8 from 10 am to 4 pm.
Cost: $25 per group (six people max per group; see “how to register” below).
Family-friendly (best suited for families with kids ages 10 and under).
Advance registration is strongly encouraged. Walk-ins will only be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis, if capacity allows.  

Spring has arrived, the Easter Bunny has been spotted at the museum, and we’re hosting a day of fun, family activities inspired by the season! Say hi to our furry and feathered visitors from the Heritage Livestock Club of Eastern Ontario. See how wool is transformed into thread with the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild. Help us craft some beautiful flower decorations to prepare the village for Easter, plant your own Morning Glory seeds, spot Farmer Peep’s lost lambs in a scavenger hunt, and more!

How to register:

Register online at Register.Ottawa.ca by searching “Hop Into Spring” or by using the location search to filter for events at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum. Choose your preferred entry time. 

Only one registration ($25) is required per group. Each group may include up to 6 participants; at least one adult per group must be present to accompany children. Registration should be completed by an adult (18+) who will be present on the day of the program. Children 5 years of age and under will not be counted toward the group maximum of 6 participants.

Registration is non-transferable and non-refundable. Please bring proof of registration (printed or saved to your mobile device) with you on the day of the program to facilitate the check-in process. In the event of extreme weather conditions or other circumstances which may disrupt or prevent the program from running as scheduled, all registered participants will be contacted by museum staff with more information regarding their options.

Notes:

• All reasonable attempts will be made to ensure any chocolate distributed as part of this program is nut free, however, we cannot guarantee a 100% nut free environment.
• This program will run rain or shine and will take place primarily outdoors on the museum grounds. Please check the forecast and dress for weather conditions, including proper footwear for wet grass, snow, or muddy grounds.
• The museum grounds include gravel pathways, grass, and uneven terrain. If you have event participation questions due to disability or have concerns regarding the accessibility of the event, please contact the museum by phone at 613-580-2988 or by email at museecumberlandmuseum@ottawa.ca. Additional information about accessibility can be found on the museum web page.
• Please note that access to some buildings or exhibitions may be limited as we prepare the museum for our season opening in May and to reduce the impact of water, salt, and mud on these heritage spaces. Thank you for your understanding.

Artefact collections

Representing a fascinating period in our history - the 1920s and 1930s - the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum's collection represents the social, cultural, technological, and economic changes of the era between the First and Second World Wars. Textiles, mass communication devices, agricultural equipment, recreational items, and furnishings are just a few examples of the more than 19,000 objects in our care in this collection, with many of them on site as part of the museum's immersive exhibition experience.

Exhibits

Virtual Exhibition - Cabinet of Curiosities

Cabinets of curiosities displayed the strange and the scientific, the weird and the wonderful. Our team has gone through our collections and picked out the artefacts that appeal most to them to create our very own cabinet of curiosities. You can enjoy this exhibition from the comfort of your own home while learning the history of each artefact and why it stood out to our staff. Enter Cabinet of Curiosities here!

Permanent exhibition

Nestled next to fields of hay, corn, and barley, the entire museum is an immersive exhibition that tells the story of rural life as new technologies, transportation, and cultural trends were emerging. As you stroll through the village and explore its many buildings and spaces, you and your family will learn the stories of a fascinating part of history and see thousands of historic objects, machinery, and equipment that may seem in some ways so different from today, and in other ways very much the same.

Dairy in the Interwar Period (Taylor Barn)

This interactive exhibition examines how dairy farming made significant gains and continued to emerge as a major industry in eastern Ontario.  The shift in farming techniques, the movement towards creating products like cheese and butter allowing for year round income, and advancements in technology and legislation, allowed farmers to produce products for Ottawa and the surrounding areas. 

Train Station

The Vars Train Station, complete with a station master’s office, a passenger waiting room, and freight room, tells the story of rail and telegraph service just before the automobile and telephone became the dominant means of transportation and communication for rural residents.

Watson’s Garage 

Housing vintage vehicles, mechanic’s tools and commercial automotive supplies, Watson’s garage symbolizes the move towards advanced technology and a more mobile society during the interwar period. This single-storey building was originally built as a bicycle shop in 1925 and then converted to an Imperial Gas Station.

A.E. McKeen General Store

An essential service in a rural community, the general store tells the tale of how people shopped and the variety of goods available for purchase as the consumer culture wave began sweeping its way across Canada. On display you’ll find dry goods such as fabrics, notions, and gardening tools, as well as consumables like tinned goods, packaged tea, and candies available to rural communities in the 1920s and 30s.

Blacksmith Shop

Our resident blacksmith tells the story of the transition from handmade goods to mass production and the ever adapting craftsmen in the face of technological advance. See the blacksmith forging wrought iron and steel into items of all kinds. You’ll see bellows used to fan the coals of the fire and then the hammering of the red-hot iron on the anvil before the metal is cooled with water.

Sawmill and Shingle Mill                                      

Equipped with a diesel-powered engine, the fully operational sawmill is an example of local manufacturing industries unable to compete with factories of mass production.

Pump Factory

Housing equipment once used to make wooden water pumps for local farms, the pump factory is a unique example of rural ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit.

Dupuis House

This tiny house, built circa 1820, stands in stark contrast to other buildings as a testament to how far rural communities had modernized by the end of the 1930’s. It is furnished as the modest shop of a seamstress at a time when manufactured, ready-to-wear clothes began overtaking the clothing industry. The oldest building on site, it’s associated with one of the area’s first settlers – François Dupuis.

Duford House

The Duford House symbolizes a home typical of rural farming families with limited means with a garage and vegetable garden. The home is modestly furnished throughout with evidence of the many children who once lived there. The log-frame construction is hidden with wood siding. The house evolved over time to accommodate a family of 14 at one point. Jean Baptiste Duford built this 1 ½ storey home in 1925; the smaller home incurred cheaper taxes than a full 2-storey structure.

School House

Unlike their city counterparts, rural children were taught in one-room school houses equipped with wood stoves and oil lamps during the interwar era.

Print Shop

Exhibiting various styles of printing presses, the print shop shows a profession under pressure as mass communication through print and radio distributed from urban centres found its way to rural communities during the 1920s and 1930s.

Foubert House

With its modern electric appliances, telephone and automobile garage, Foubert house (built circa 1915) represents a rural home on the brink of the modern age. The electric ice box and the stove contrast with the wood burning stove and the pressed tin ceilings.

Knox Church

A focal point of every village and town, rural churches held communities together through worship, charity and fellowship. They were the center of life’s celebrations, personal contemplation and remembrance.  Built in 1904 in the Gothic Revival tradition, the Church features decorative cornices, arched windows with stained glass, hand-painted stencilling, decorative wooden wainscoting, and an ornate coffered ceiling.

Fire Hall

Home to the village of Cumberland’s first fire truck (1938), the fire hall displays equipment and memorabilia relating to the evolution of fire fighting technology that made huge strides during the 1920’s and 1930’s.

Gardens

Heritage herbs and vegetables are grown on site.  In rural communities families still grew their own food in gardens beside their homes, preserving the produce for the remainder of the year despite the convenience of the emerging grocery stores and outdoor markets in the city.

The City of Ottawa Museums are committed to offering residents meaningful and rewarding volunteer experiences.

Heritage volunteers play an invaluable role in preserving our unique heritage and in providing museum visitors of all ages with opportunities to appreciate our shared story.

Thank you to all our volunteer team members for their continued support.

The museums are not currently accepting new volunteers. If you have any questions about the volunteer program or would like to be notified when volunteering resumes, please contact MuseeCumberlandMuseum@ottawa.ca.

A vintage rural setting with dozens of historic and true-to-era buildings, acres of greenspace, and gardens provide a nostalgic and picturesque backdrop for your special events.

For more information, please contact our Customer Service Booking Clerk. Call 613-580-2988 or email museecumberlandmuseum@ottawa.ca.

Work with us to shape your experience. Contact the museum before your visit to discuss your needs. Information about the accessibility of the facility, or our programs and services, is available upon request.

The accessibility features of this facility are detailed below. While the City of Ottawa is constantly working to improve access, please note that not all parts of every facility are necessarily 'accessible for all' as facilities were built to meet accessibility standards of their time.

Parking

• 4 designated parking spaces
• Accessible path of travel from the parking lot to entrance
• 22 metres from parking space to the door

Entrance/Exit

• Ramp
• Direct access to the main floor and admissions.

Interior

• Ramps in 16 of 20 buildings
• Automatic door access to Train Station and Canteen
• Wheelchair available to patrons

Reception desks

• Accessible counters
• Floor area for manoeuvring a wheelchair

Signage

• Directional signs
• High contrast signage
• Large lettering

Floor Surfaces

• Slip resistant surfaces
• Low pile carpet, Wooden floor boards and G-floor covering

Washrooms

• Accessible washroom (Canteen)
• Automatic door opener
• Lowered sink counters
• Large stalls to allow transfers

Stairs

• Good colour contrast (Train Station)
• Continuous hand rails (Train Station & Duford House)

Museums/Galleries/Archives

• 14 exhibitions spaces are accessible

Learn more about special needs and accessible services.