Museum

The Arnprior and District Museum

The Arnprior and District Museum is located under the distinctive clock tower in the heart of downtown Arnprior, Ontario. Permanent and travelling exhibits are located on two floors and there are video exhibits to view. Exhibits are changed and refreshed often so visitors can experience Arnprior’s vast material culture. They cover all aspects of life in an Ottawa Valley town with roots in the lumber industry at the confluence of the Ottawa and Madawaska Rivers.

We hope you visit us soon, click here for our hours and location.

We're social!

Ask the Curator

If you have questions about our exhibits, donating artefacts or any other aspect of our museum, you can email the Curator.

Exhibitions and Collections

Activities

Colouring Book

Colouring is a fun activity for young and old alike. Here is the museum's colouring book you can print and colour.

Spot the Differences

Arnprior Clock Tower Maze

Virtual exhibits

Choose the virtual exhibit you want to view. We're currently working on a project about Kenwood Mills and the textile industry too! We have:

What is this Artefact?

Challenge yourself and others with weekly trivia on our Facebook page.

Brief history of Arnprior

The Algonquin First Nations first inhabited Arnprior and the surrounding area at the confluence of the Ottawa and Madawaska Rivers. European settlers from Scotland, England, and Ireland settled the area and veterans of the War of 1812 who were given land grants for their service to the Crown. Arnprior incorporated as a village in 1862 and became a town in 1892. Come visit us to learn more!

About the Museum

The Arnprior + District Museum is located under the distinctive clock tower in the heart of downtown Arnprior, Ontario. Housed in a designated Thomas Fuller post office circa 1896, the exhibits and collections offer a walk through Arnprior's rich and colourful history. The building was nearly demolished, but was saved through the foresight of David and Jessie Gillies who offered it to the town for use as a museum and library as part of a centennial project in 1967.

Permanent and travelling exhibits are located on two floors and there are several inspiring video exhibits to view. Exhibits are changed and refreshed often so visitors can experience the vast material culture the museum holds of the community. They cover all aspects of life in an Ottawa Valley town with roots in the lumber industry at the confluence of the Ottawa and Madawaska Rivers.

A garden along the east side of the building commemorates the Prince of Wales visit to Arnprior in 1860. Funding for the garden came from the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage Fund.

The Arnprior + District Museum is owned and operated by the Town of Arnprior and generously supported by the Ontario government's Community Museum Operating Grant, Ontario Power Generation, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the World War Commemorations Community Fund, the Friends of the Arnprior + District Museum, and the Museum Reserve Fund. We are grateful for donations from generous local individuals and businesses. We are a member of the Renfrew County Museums Network.