Annapolis Valley Has
A Museum For Everyone

So what is your interest? I bet you can find a museum in the Annapolis Valley about it.

There are ones covering agriculture and one on our apple industry. There is even one that shows 300 years of building techniques. Many churches, schools, houses, courthouses, railroad stations, inns and taverns here have been changed over to display and provide interesting information. In Annapolis Royal you will find one full of ghost.

The information in them covers the Acadians, the United Empire Loyalist and the New England Planters. There are military museums including one on HMCS/CFB Cornwallis, which was the third largest military training base in the British Empire.

There is a railroad station and old school houses. You can visit North America's first Tidal Power Generating Plant.

On this page I will give you a list of the many museums in each of the three counties. If you see one that interest you just click on the title and you will be taken to a page all about that museum.

The pictures I used for this page are mostly old postcards. I have a large collection of these old postcards and I thought it would be an interesting change as the museum pages all have pictures of the museums.

Whenever I could I used a postcard of the actual building or area. Sometimes I did not have a postcard of the building so I had to use ones about the theme of the museum or from the community where the museum is located. If you are interested in seeing larger copies of these postcards just click on any of them. You will find a gallery of these postcards with whatever was written on them.

Kings County Museums

Apple Capital Museum & Interpretive Centre

The Apple Capital Interpretive Centre is located at 173 Commercial St. Berwick. The Apple Capital Museum Society is dedicated to obtaining and preserving any and all information pertaining to the apple industry in the Annapolis Valley.

Blair House Museum

The Blair House is located on the Kentville Agricultural Centre grounds. It was created by the Nova Scotia Fruit Grower's Association to preserve the history of the valley apple industry and of the research preformed by the Kentville Research Center.

Blue Beach Fossil Museum

Located between Wolfville and Hantsport on the Bay of Fundy's Minas Basin Blue Beach got it's name from the 350 million year old blue shale cliffs found around it. Now the beach is a world class fossil site and the only place where you can find the bodily remains of Tetrapods from the very earliest part of the Carboniferous Period.

Canning Heritage Centre

The Canning Heritage Centre is located at 9806 Main Street, Canning. Operated by the Fieldwood Heritage Society this center is home to a library, museum, and the Wilf Carter Center. The Canning Heritage Center has many holdings of Wilf Carter along with information from the area.

Charles Macdonald Concrete House Museum

The concrete house is located at 19 Saxon Street, Centreville, on highway 359 to Halls Harbour. You will find a whole house with everything lovingly made of concrete in the original eccentricity and sense of humour of it's builder. The grounds outside boast a concrete sculpture garden full of deer, a mountain lion, giant mushrooms, fanciful figures and furniture.

Greenwood Military Aviation Museum

The Greenwood Military Aviation Museum is located on the Ward Road just before the Main Gate to CFB Greenwood. This display covers the formation of the base in 1942, and has information through the Lancaster, Neptune, Argus and Aurora eras. They also include several actual planes on the grounds outside.

Muriel's Doll Museum

Muriel's Doll Museum is located at 141 Union Street Berwick, Nova Scotia. The museum is owned and operater by Muriel Corkum and was first opened on August 5, 1992. When she opened the museum Muriel had a collection of over 3500 dolls, which she has since added to. There are dolls of every description, size and age. For more information call  902 538-8991 .

The Northville Farm Heritage Centre

The Northville Farm Heritage Centre was founded in 2000 by volunteers hoping to preserve and demonstrate early farm life in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. Not just displays but where you can actually see the work in action, people farming using the old tools and impliments. The site has been growing and growing and they are still looking for more to add.

The Old Kings Courthouse Museum

The Old Kings Courthouse is located at 37 Cornwallis Street, in the heart of downtown Kentville. This museum emphasis the history of Kings County with special focus on the Acadians and New England Planters. The Kings Historical Society and their Genealogy Center is also located in this building.

Prescott House Museum

The Prescott House Musuem is located at Starr's Point, Kings County, Nova Scotia. Charles Ramage Prescott was in the valley apple industry from 1811 to 1859. He introduced several varieties of apples to Nova Scotia. This Georgian architecture house was renovated by his great-granddaughter who filled it with antiques, a collection of oriental rugs, and a selection of early needlework samplers. She also had the grounds landscaped with beautiful gardens.

The Randall House Museum

The Randall House is located at 259 Main Street, Wolfville, Nova Scotia next to Willow Park. Inside this cira 1810 Neo-Classical farmhouse you will learn about early building construction and a lot about the life of some of Wolfvilles citizens.

Valley Medical Heritage Museum

This museum is located on the third level of the Annapolis Valley Regional Hospital, 150 Exhibition Street in Kentville. The display is a memorial to 125 years of medical care and services in the valley including the history of the Sanatorium, Miller and the Blanchard Fraser Memorial Hospitals. They also cover the ongoing achievements at the Valley Regional Hospital and history of all the health care institutes and their supporting organizations throughout the valley.

Annapolis County Museums

Annapolis Valley MacDonald Schoolhouse

The Annapolis Valley MacDonald School House is located at 21 School Street, Middleton, Nova Scotia. The exhibits displayed here in the building are of the first consolidated school in Canada and history of the village. They also have the Clock Collection from the Nova Scotia Museum exhibited here.

Bear River First Nation Heritage and Cultural Center

The Bear River First Nation Heritage and Cultural Center located on the Bear River First Nations Reserve and interprets the heritage and culture of the Mi'kmaq of Bear River. Here visitors may learn about these spiritual people and learn about the rich Mi'kmaq heritage through colourful exhibits, songs, plays and stories.

Bear River Heritage Museum

The Bear River Heritage Museum is located on River road in town next to the Post Office. It is operated by the Bear River Historical Society which is the oldest established officially registered society for the preservation of Bear River's heritage. They features many displays showing the history of this little village and the surrounding area.

Belle's Treasures Museum

This is a private museum located on Riverside Drive in Middleton. It includes 40 years of collecting antiques and family heirlooms which Belle can tell you an interesting story about each item. Through her items and stories you will get a look at life in the past.

Candle In the Window Vintage Museum & Crafters Treasures

The Candle In the Window Vintage Museum & Crafters Treasures is located at 12386 Shore Rd. East, Port George, 10 km north of Middleton. If you are interested in any of the history of this once busy port or its people than a visit to this museum is a stop for you. Sharon, the owner has a great display and she is very informative.

HMCS / CFB Cornwallis Military Museum

HMCS Cornwallis was built during World War II to train the number of seamen needed for the on-going Battle of the Atlantic and it became the largest navel-training base in the British Commonwealth. You can view the full history of this base, the tri-forces and the Merchant Navy through artifacts, documents and tons of pictures.

James House Museum

The James House is located at 12 Queen Street, Bridgetown. Inside there are many items of interest from the town including many pictures. There is also a military room sponsored by the Royal Canadian Legion and a tearoom. The society holds several events here during the year including a Victorian Christmas.

Memory Lane Railway Museum

The Memory Lane Railway Museum is located at 61 School St., Middleton and is open year round. Inside you can view hundreds of unique railroad artefacts, including model railways, railroad implements, antique station paraphernalia plus many more interesting items.

Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum

The Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum is located at 2130 Mount Hanley Road at the intersection of Brown Road. Inside is original schoolbooks, desk and other items from the school and community. There is also a special display on Joshua Slocum, who attended school here and who was the first to sail around the world alone.

North Hills Museum

The North Hills Museum is located at 5065 on the Granville Road in Granville Ferry. Showcased in the house is 1714 – 1830 porcelain, 1700’s glassware, 1700’s and 1800’s paintings and prints, plus elegantly crafted oak, walnut and mahogany furniture.

O’Dell House Museum

The O’Dell Inn & Tavern is located at 136 Lower St. George Street, Annapolis Royal. The main floor of the O'Dell Inn is displayed as a Victorian inn and tavern. The AHS Genealogy Center and Archives is also located on this floor. Upstairs are several rooms of interpretive displays, which document the sea faring, and shipbuilding past of Annapolis Royal.

Old St. Edwards Loyalist Church Museum

This Loyalist Anglican Church is located up on the hill on the Old Post Road in Clementsport, NS. It was built in 1795 and was consecrated by Bishop Charles Inglis on September 17, 1797. This church was closed in 1894 and has become one of the earliest museums in Nova Scotia.

Riverview Ethnographic Museum

The Riverview Ethnographic Museum is located at 18 Chute Road, Bear River. The building contains six rooms full of authentic clothing, textiles, artifacts, books and pictures from over ninety countries. There is also a private collection of antiques from Bear River, Canada and the USA collected over forty years. They also have a costume rental shop here. Admission adult $2.00; children $ .50. Closed Mondays, Open Tuesday - Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Sundays and Holidays.

Sinclair Inn Museum

This building is located at 230 St. George Street in Annapolis Royal and is a National Historic Site. Featured in the building is over 300 years of construction styles and techniques, from the clay walls of the original Acadian inhabitants to wood paneling of the 1950’s.

Tidal Power Plant & Down Under Tours

The Annapolis Tidal Power Project, first in North America, is located on the causeway crossing the Annapolis River in Annapolis Royal. This power plant generates up to 30 million kilowatt-hours per year. Also located in this building is the Annapolis Visitor Information Center. The visitor Information Centre staff conducts unique “Down Under” tours of the tidal power Plant during weekdays when possible.

Tupperville Schoolhouse Museum

The Tupperville One Room School House is located on Hwy 201 between Bridgetown and Annapolis Royal. The schoolhouse is over 100 years old, used from 1869 to 1970, covering grades 1 – 11. In here you will find several interesting items like a century old desk, old books, and a school bell. There are also many pictures of the area and interesting old furniture. Homemade ice cream is served daily and they hold an annual tea.

Digby County Museums

Admiral Digby Museum

Located in the town of Digby the Admiral Digby Museum houses a vast array of exhibits and research information of Digby and Digby County. It covers information about the Mic Mac and the Loyalist along with the fishing and ship building in the area. Also in the building is an extensive genealogy research center.

Islands Museum

Located on Route 217 in Tiverton, Digby Neck Islands the Islands Museum is operated by the Islands Historical Society. They feature: Salt Fish and Shipwrecks; Ferries and Schooners; Hymn Sings and Sandying; High Tide Havoc and Islands Genealogy all in thier museum. they also have local history books for sale. The are open daily from June until October and have free admission.

The Maude Lewis House Replica (closed)

Maude Lewis lived with her husband Everett in a small, brightly painted little house in Marshalltown, Digby County, NS. They were very poor and Maude started selling her folk art paintings in the local area. After they gained national recognition from magazines articles and TV shows her paintings became very vauable. Even though the original house is in the Art Gallery of NS; there is a monument at the original home and a replica of the house in Seabrook, Digby County.

Old Temperance Hall Museum

The Old Temperance Hall is only a short distance from the Harbourview Inn opposite the post office in Smith's Cove, NS. Learn all about the little Nova Scotia village with over two centuries of history. The displays cover the Mic Mac, household exhibits of the 19th & 20th centuries and religious elements. They also have genealogy information for family research. The Smith’s Cove Historical Society sponsors the museum.

There is a list of the museums in the Annapolis Valley. I have tried to cover all of them, but every once in awhile I find one I did not know about or a new one just opening up. I will try to keep this list up-to-date but I could use your help. If you either find a museum I do not have listed, or own one please let me know about it. You may use my contact form to send me as much information as you can and then I will explore it out for myself and add it to this list.