Discover Shelburne County Museums

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Stop in and explore our many museums in Shelburne County.
Each of our museums have a different story to tell, and visitors of all ages can enjoy the exhibits, programs and activities held throughout the summer months.

LITTLE SCHOOL HOUSE MUSEUM Lockeport, Nova Scotia This little house was used as a school from 1845 to about 1880 and now houses various displays pertaining to the Town of Lockeport and it's residents. Open July to August
THE DORY SHOP MUSEUM Shelburne, Nova Scotia Open June 1 - September 30 9:30 - 5:30 daily Visit the Historic Dory Shop Museum and learn how the dory was built from start to finish. Learn of the importance of the dory to local, Atlantic Canadian and American fishermen.
MUIR-COX SHIPYARD MUSEUM Shelburne, Nova Scotia Open June 1 - September 30 9:30 - 5:30 daily The Muir-Cox Shipyard is one of the oldest shipyards in Nova Scotia. Here you will find an Interpretive centre oulining the rich shipbuilding heritage known to Shelburne.
ROSS-THOMSON HOUSE & STORE MUSEUM Shelburne, Nova Scotia Open June 1 - September 30 9:30 - 5:30 daily The Ross-Thomson House is the only original store in Shelburne, NS. It was built in the 1820's and from it, cod, pine boards, pickled herring were traded for other goods and then sold to local townfolk.
SHELBURNE COUNTY MUSEUM Shelburne, Nova Scotia Summer Hours: Open June 1 - October 15 9:30 - 5:30 daily Winter Hours: October 16 - May 3 Monday - Friday 9:30 - 12:00PM & 1:30 - 4:30PM Winter Hours may vary Features one of the oldest fire pumpers in North America. The Shelburne County Museum also hosts exhibits featuring shipbuilding and the Loyalists.
BLACK LOYALIST HERITAGE SOCIETY Birchtown, Nova Scotia Museum Open June 2 - September 1 Office, Gift Shop and Grounds open year round The Black Loyalist Heritage Society honors the Black Loyalists and Ancestry. On site you will explore the Black Burial Grounds, St. Paul's Anglican Church, a Heritage Walking Trall and the Heritage Museum and Gift Shop. If you have descendants who escaped slavery in the 1780s and made their way to Nova Scotia, this is one place to do your genealogical digging.
SHELBURNE COUNTY GENEALOGY SOCIETY Shelburne, Nova Scotia The Shelburne County Archives and Genealogical Society is a resource for tracing your family history or the history of Shelburne County families. It is also host to a wealth of information on our many heritage buildings located throughout the County.
FORT SAINT LOUIS MONUMENT & PICNIC PARK Port La Tour, Nova Scotia In the 1630's this was the site of the strongest Military establishment anywhere in what is now the Maritime Provinces. In 1630-31, Fort Saint Louis was the strongest French military establishment anywhere in what is now Canada.
OLD WOOLEN MILL MUSEUM Barrington, Nova Scotia Open June 1 - September 30 9:30 - 5:30 Monday to Saturday 1:00 - 5:30 on Sundays Established in 1882 the Old Woolen Mill is a turbine driven mill, creating an industry which saved Nova Scotian women endless hours of washing, spinning and weaving their wool at home.
THE OLD MEETING HOUSE MUSEUM Barrington, Nova Scotia Open June 1 - September 30 9:30 - 5:30 Monday to Saturday 1:00 - 5:30 on Sundays Built in 1765 by Congregational fisherman and farmers from Cape Cod, called Planters. This building is among the oldest in North America.
WESTERN COUNTIES MILITARY MUSEUM Barrington, Nova Scotia Open June 1 - September 30 9:30 - 5:30 Monday to Saturday 1:00 - 5:30 on Sundays Located in the courtroom of the Old Court House, in Barrington, this museum is home to military artifacts from the first and second World Wars as well as the Korean Conflict. The museum also displays cannon balls dating to the 1630's from Fort St. Louis at Port LaTour.
SEAL ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM Barrington, Nova Scotia Open June 1 - September 30 9:30 - 5:30 Monday to Saturday 1:00 - 5:30 on Sundays This museum is a reconstruction of the original Seal Island Lighthouse. It features the original lighthouse lens. Here you can climb the five stories to the top and touch the light!
CAPE SABLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Barrington, Nova Scotia Open June 1 - September 30 9:30 - 5:30 Monday - Saturday 1:00 - 5:30 Sundays Winter Hours Wednesdays 9:30 - 4:00 Call to ensure someone is in the office Founded in 1932 by a group of citizens who were interested in preserving the archives and genealogy for Cape Sable Island and surrounding areas, including all settlements within the Municipality of Barrington and Shelburne County. The Cape Sable Historical Society is custodian to the Western Counties Military Museum, The Barrington Woolen Mill Museum , The Old Meeting House and Seal Island Light Museum. The Genealogy Department offers research facilities and staff to assist you in your search for your ancestral roots. Research can be commissioned, or you may wish to research on your own.
ARCHELAUS SMITH MUSEUM Centreville, Cape Sable Island, NS Open June - mid September 9:30 - 5:30 Monday - Saturday 1:30 - 5:30 Sundays Almost everyone on Cape Sable Island can trace their ansestry back to Archelaus Smith and his wife, Elizabeth. The Archelaus Smith museum is home to many items connected with the fishing industry, as well as artifacts from almost every aspect of life on the island.
SEASIDE HERITAGE CENTRE Clark's Harbour, Cape Sable Island, NS Open June 1 - September 30 Built in 1895, this majestic heritage building is now an interpretive centre focusing on the lifestyle, history and culture of Cape Sable Island. There are many unique displays showcasing lighthouses, the famous "Cape Islander" fishing boat and shipwrecks of the area.
CHAPEL HILL MUSEUM & SEA TOWER Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia Open Daily from June 15 - September 15 10AM - 5PM This former United Baptist Church was built in Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia in 1856 and is situated on a site known as Chapel Hill. It was once the location of a 17th century French trading post known as Le Vieux Logis. The museum has many displays and artifacts depicting a way of life which is now gone. Read the newspaper articles and look at the display featuring two local men, one a cook and another a sea captain who sailed with their employer, the late President Roosevelt, into Shag Harbour... twice! Learn about Evelyn Richardson, author of We Keep A Light and her stories about life as a lighthouse keeper and what it was like growing up on Bon Portage Island. Finish your tour with a climb up the old bell tower steps to the Sea Tower and gaze out the windows at the breath taking panoramic view of Shag Harbour. There are three lighthouses visible from the tower; Bon Portage, West Head and Cape Light.
SHAG HARBOUR UFO SITE & MUSEUM Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia A new museum site will be open to visitors this year in Shag Harbour. The museum will host a variety of displays pertaining to the UFO siting of 1967.
THE SAMUEL WOOD MUSEUM Wood's Harbour, Nova Scotia This museum offers a look at the history of the Wood's Harbour area. It features antique glassware, china and crockery, as well as artifacts from the fishing industry. The museum offers many different resources including a satellite branch of the Western Counties Regional Library, a gift shop and free internet access.	Photo of Samuel Wood Museum courtesy of Della Nickerson

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