The Town of Stouffville’s Museum and Community Centre offers both temporary and permanent exhibits for you to enjoy year-round. Whether you’re interested in local architecture or our community’s history, you’re sure to find something to learn.

Enjoy our online exhibits, and visit us in person at  
14732 Woodbine Ave.
Wednesday to Saturday, from 10 AM to 4 PM
Contact us by email at wsmuseum@townofws.ca
or by phone at
905-727-8954 or 1-888-290-0337

Presented by the Legacy of Hope Foundation and the Department of Canadian Heritage, this exhibit describes the impact of the residential school system on Indigenous children and their families.

This exhibition contains difficult subject matter that may be disturbing to some.

Open at the Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum
October 12 - June 28

Wednesday – Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM
Free Admission

Explore historic architecture from our community and learn more about our town’s development and local landmarks. Learn more about the history behind each of the following buildings on-site at the Museum.

19th century barn (open from June to October)

Our 19th century barn is home to a large collection of antique farm equipment and transportation artifacts. Originally located in Wexford, it was dismantled in 1957 and moved to Lot 14, Concession 7 in Whitchurch Township to make way for urbanization. It was dismantled once again in September 1983 and moved to the museum grounds with a traditional barn-raising. The framework was constructed in one day and the work was followed by a homemade feast and dance (just like our ancestors would have done when the barn was first constructed in the 1800s).

Bogarttown Public School (1857) 

The Bogarttown Schoolhouse was built in 1857 between present-day Leslie Street and Woodbine Avenue. The school is the oldest red brick schoolhouse in Ontario outside of Toronto. In 1969, it was converted into a museum. The construction of Highway 404 caused the building to be relocated to its present site.

Brown House red brick farmhouse

The red brick Victorian Farmhouse was constructed in the 1850s by James Brown on his family’s homestead. Known as the Brown House, the home represents a typical example of rural Ontario architecture. James’ father William Brown originally settled in the Stouffville area in 1819. Descendants of the Brown family lived on the same property until the 1950s. In 1984, the building was donated to the museum by a developer who had purchased the lands. This house has been restored to represent a prosperous farmhouse of the 1880s.

Log cabin – early settler home representation

The log cabin, constructed in the mid-19th century, represents an early settler’s house. It was discovered in Ballantrae, clad in insulbrick, and was donated to the museum. It was moved to its current site in 1982 where it was restored and furnished with artifacts from the museum collection. The interior represents a pioneer home of the 1870s.

Vandorf Public School

The only building original to the museum’s site, the Vandorf Public School was erected in 1871. It features frame construction, board and batten cladding and once had two separate entrances for girls and boys. When a new school was opened in Vandorf in 1956, the old schoolhouse was repurposed as an office for the Ontario Provincial Police. In 1979, the museum moved into the building and the space is now used for exhibitions.