Generally, visits to the museums are self guided; however, arrangements can be made for guided group visits. Contact the Coordinator of Public Programs at (519) 836-1221 ext. 223 or the Program Assistant at (519) 836-1221 ext. 226 for details. You can also send an email to: ken.irvine@guelph.ca

Facilitating your research is part of the mission of Guelph Museums, however good research takes time, and staff can best serve your interests if you set up an appointment. Research appointments can be booked daily from 1-5 p.m. Researchers without a pre-set appointment cannot generally be accommodated.

Research fees apply. The basic research fee is the same as admission fees (adults $4.00, seniors, children and students $3.00). There are also fees for photocopies, photo reproduction, scanning of images and mailing costs. Complete details are available in our "Research at Guelph Museums" brochure.

To make a research appointment, contact the Assistant Curator at (519) 836-1221 ext. 225 or the Curator at (519) 836-1221 ext. 224.

John McCrae's medals, generously donated by Mr. Arthur Lee and family of Toronto, Ontario, ended up costing $506,000 (after fees and taxes) at auction in the fall of 1997. The medals are proudly on permanent display for public viewing at McCrae House.

There are over 30,000 objects in the Civic Museum's collection and over 1,000 in the McCrae House collection. Staff select from the collection when they organize exhibitions that are up for a limited period of time. If something was left on continuous display, for example a hat or dress, it would soon deteriorate.

Both lines can be considered correct. When John McCrae first penned the poem in the spring of 1915 he used "grow". When the poem was published in Punch Magazine in December of 1915 an editor (with McCrae’s permission) changed the line to read "blow" noting that "grow" was repeated in the last stanza of the poem. McCrae himself interchanged the two words in the poem over the next few years before his death in 1918.

Yes ... it has been over 50 years since the death of John McCrae. (He died in 1918).

Public donations are the foundation of Guelph Museums’ collections. If you have an item you wish to donate, please contact the Curator at (519) 836-1221, ext. 224 to discuss its suitability. The second step in making a donation is to complete a "Consideration Form" that will provide the museum with background information on the item and donor. All items are assessed according to whether they were produced, sold or used by Guelph residents and whether there is sufficient space in collection storage areas. Objects may also be connected to historically important people, places and events in Guelph’s history. The museum also considers the condition of the artifact, supporting documentation, relevance to current research, exhibitions or programs, as well as if the item is duplicated in the collection. The Acquisition Committee meets bimonthly and will advise the donor of acceptance. If an item is not considered appropriate to the collection, staff of Guelph Museums can also transfer your donation, with permission, to another institution or offer it to the museum’s education collection.

Both the Guelph Civic Museum and McCrae House offer a variety of year-round and seasonal programs for all ages. For details of programs available please contact the Coordinator of public programs at (519) 836-1221 ext. 223 or the Program Assistant at (519) 836-1221, ext. 226. Fees are $3.00 per person with a minimum $40.00 charge.

• The Guelph Civic Museum
  6 Dublin St. S., Guelph, ON, N1H 4L5
  (519) 836-1221

• Rogers Yahoo! Hi-Speed Growing Up In Guelph Children’s Museum
  (part of the Guelph Civic Museum)
  6 Dublin St. S., Guelph, ON, N1H 4L5
  (519) 836-1221

• McCrae House
  108 Water St, Guelph, ON, N1G 1A6
  (519) 836-1221

Volunteers are a valuable asset of the museums and assist in many ways including program interpretation, collection cataloging, artifact preservation and fundraising. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer you can pick up an application form at the Guelph Civic Museum. The application provides the museum with information on your interests, background and availability. Once completed, the application is reviewed by the Coordinator of Public Programs and/or the Curator, and the applicant will be called for an interview. For more details please call the Coordinator of Public Programs at (519) 836-1221 ext., 223 or the Curator at ext. 224.