About Ontario Museums

Ontario’s approximately 700 museums, historic sites and related institutions play an invaluable and essential role in the province. Collectively they comprise the core of the social, cultural, economic, and institutional memory of Ontario, and play a key role in collecting, preserving and interpreting that heritage within the context of our 21st century information society.  These institutions hold unique collections with thousands of artefacts and stories that compose Canada’s captivating history, featuring important contributions to our communities by first nations, bilingual and visible minority groups and new Canadians.

ONTARIO MUSEUMS: KEY TO VIBRANT COMMUNITIES
• Museums have a fundamental role to play as educational infrastructure in a 21st-century learning society, where the strength of our economy depends on each individual's ability to think critically, learn new skills and adapt to a rapidly-changing culture and economy.
• Museums, heritage and cultural organizations foster creativity and innovation in our society and help to attract talented people to our communities.
• Museums and heritage attractions contribute to safe and comfortable neighbourhoods and foster local identity and pride.
• Museums contribute to the quality of life in Ontario through educational programs for children and adults, by enhancing community identity and pride, by helping to renew small towns and urban neighbourhoods, and by assisting in youth development.

MUSEUMS AND EDUCATION
• There are more than 1 million annual school visits to Museums in Ontario
• Museum programs support the Educational Curriculum of Ontario

A MUSEUM IN EVERY TOWN
• There is a museum in every city, town, and village in Ontario
• Need help finding a museum? Browse this Website in both French and English.

MUSEUMS FOR ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE
• There are 26 different types of museums included in this Website, including agricultural museums, art galleries, botanical gardens, children's museums, First Peoples cultural centres, rail museums, science and technology museums, sports museums and halls of fame, to name a few.

Browse this Website to learn more about Ontario’s museums and the rich stories they hold!