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If you are not looking forward to the rest of a long cold winter because you
are not interested in outdoor activities maybe you should consider some of
the other options this area offers. There are a number of theaters, plays,
concerts, etc. as well as museums and art galleries. One of the more
interesting options is Grey Roots Museum and Archives; it combines a county
museum, archives, tourism services, theatre, café, gift shop, and meeting
rooms. There are six exhibit galleries, special events, and children’s
programs as well as Moreston Heritage Village that adjoins the main
building.
The museum got
its beginning with a few temporary exhibits in 1955. In 1959 a building was
obtained for an art gallery and museum. More spacious facilities were
obtained with the aid of the city of Owen Sound, and Grey County-Owen Sound
Centennial Museum was opened in 1967. The museum continued to grow and they
began to develop a heritage village. In 2004 the museum with 6 of its
heritage buildings along with the Grey County Archives (which was also
running short of room) moved to its present site off Highway 18. They
developed their present logo which is a multi-colored sheaf; each color
represents a different element of Grey County. Green for forestry, gray
rock for the escarpment, red for fireworks or the celebration of people,
yellow the county’s agricultural heritage and blue the water and many
waterfalls. The building was built to encompass all these elements even to
a small waterfall in the foyer. The village encompasses the period from
1850 to the 1920’s and is still expanding.
There is a good
selection of permanent, current and virtual exhibits to enjoy any time you
go. The permanent ones focus on subjects like the environment or heroes of
Grey County. Some of the current ones for the next few months include “From
Slavery to Freedom” about African-Canadians in Grey County and will be
shown from Feb. 01 – Apr 01, 2011, and “Mystery of the Mayan Medallion which
gives you the opportunity to explore the mysterious Mayan Culture through
and interactive exhibit from Apr. 09 – Sep. 28, 2011.
The virtual exhibits cover such topics as The Women’s Institute of Grey
County, The Kennedy Empire of Owen Sound, The Meaford Tank Range and several
biographies. You can go to the Museum’s website for a complete list.
The events
encompass a variety of children’s programs, cultural films, lectures,
festivals, etc. Some upcoming events for the next 3 months are: family
friendly movies every Sat. during Jan. at 2:00 p.m., Black History
documentary films every Sat. during Feb., March Break Family Activities Mar.
12 – 19, Kids Camp Mar. 14 – 18, and a Maple Syrup Festival Mar. 26 from
8:00 a.m. to noon.
Regular winter
hours are Tue. To Sat. from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm except on holidays. This
gives you a good opportunity to explore the exhibits, find information in
the archives, and enjoy a snack at the café. If you feel you will be making
several visits and are interested in the events you may want to consider
purchasing a membership. This would give you invitations to exhibit
openings, free regular admission, and subscription to their quarterly
newsletter, and discounts on items in the gift shop, programming and
rentals.
Sources
http://www.greyroots.com/programs-events/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Roots_Museum_and_Archives
http://www.icekubesystems.com/htmlfiles/CASE_STUDIES/grey_roots_museum.asp |
