Grey Roots Museum Complex
by Gary McWilliams (aka Festival Nomad)
“A Moment in Time!”
Visiting the Grey Roots Museum and Moreston Heritage Village
This unique museum contains TWO amazing historical and heritage complexes, the Grey Roots Museum and Archives and the Moreston Heritage Village!
The Grey Roots Museum complex is located south of Owen Sound. As I mentioned above, it includes an informative county museum. Grey Roots Museum, and a fun-filled pioneer village, the Moreston Heritage Village.
Grey Roots Museum
Our first stop was the Grey Roots Museum. This is a beautifully designed museum that is the pride of Grey County.
The Grey Roots Museum entry hall is both impressive and awe-inspiring!
The indoor waterfall wall represents the essence of the County.
When we left the Grey Roots Museum front foyer, we entered of world of “story telling“.
Everywhere we looked, another story was being told!
Grey County stories include everything from women’s temperance to the IODE (Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire). My mother, in Toronto, was a proud member!
Other Grey Roots Museum stories include Black History in Grey County and the Meaford Tank Range Story.
The stories filled the walls and the open spaces. So much history!
Over time, the museum hosts various displays and exhibits. Below is the Oh Canada Eh! Game video we took during our visit. As you can see, kids visiting the museum REALLY enjoy themselves!
Moreston Heritage Village
From the “static” world of Grey County history at the Grey Roots Museum, we moved to “living” Ontario and Grey County heritage. We were now in the Moreston Heritage Village.
Moreston Heritage Village is a collection of heritage buildings that depict life in Grey County over the years and is part of the Grey Roots Museum complex.
Our first stop was at a log cabin built in 1853. What I like most about “living” museums is that during peak periods most have information Grey Roots, Moreston Heritage Village interpreters who dress in the period they are depicting and who bring “alive” the period through stories and information.
The great thing about this Grey Roots, Moreston Heritage Village log cabin (the above is an 1886 log cabin) is that you can visualize it as it was in the 1800’s.
As the time periods moves forward, you can see how the pioneers became more sophisticated (more modern).
The day-to-day implements that they used became more “convenient”.
One room schools were still present and the “5 mile walk in the snow” was the “norm“!
Grey Roots, Moreston Heritage Village is located in rural Grey County and the country-side that surrounds it is spectacular! You can “feel” what farm life is and was like.
The Village offers visitors a wide variety of Moreston Heritage Village heritage buildings to explore. On the village streets you will not only see 1800 log cabins, but also a 1920’s timber framed barn.
Each Moreston Heritage Village building and area has plenty of history to “learn” and fun items to “discover“!
I think my favourite was the Blue Water Garage. When I was a teenager, I worked at my brother-in-law’s Esso Station. I have fond memories pumping gas and helping customers with their cars.
I never had an opportunity to work on a car this old, but I bet that it would have been interesting!
The above Oh Canada Eh! Game video tells you more about the Moreston Heritage Village.
Our visit to the “Grey Roots Museum Complex“, both the museum and village was extremely informative and a great deal of fun.
These two Moreston Heritage Village museums are definitely a must! You have experience it in person. Grey County is a wonderful place to “Live” and “Discover“!
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It’s time to experience and enjoy the Grey Roots Museum and the Moreston Heritage Village!
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