Discover the Collection

DSCF4278

Mandate

The mission of the Museum’s Artifact Collection is to identify, collect, preserve, research, exhibit and interpret objects which demonstrate the founding, settlement, diversity and development of the community of Dundas and the surrounding area.

Artifact Collection

The Dundas Museum & Archives houses more than 18,000 artifacts spanning the entire history of the Dundas Valley – from 150 million-year-old calcite crystals to artifacts from current local businesses! These valuable resources can tell us the stories of how we used to live and who we have become over time.

Our extensive collection of vintage everyday objects – from tools to toys and furniture to fashion – tells us about vanished ways of life. We are also the stewards of one of Ontario’s best collections of artifacts related to the Attawondaron, or Neutrals, an Indigenous nation with settlements in the Valley until the 1600s. Some of our other collection strengths include:

Our largest artifact is the c.1848 Doctor’s Office, transported from 85 King St. to its current location on Museum grounds in 1974. Learn more here!

Together, our collections form an important source of understanding about the social, political, architectural and economic history of our region.

Donations

The Dundas Museum & Archives welcomes donations of artifacts that fall within our collection mandate. Our current collections have been built over the years through generous donations from members of the public. To read more about the types of items we’re interested in, as well as the process of making a donation, please visit our Guide to Donating to the Collection. You can also submit your photos online here!

Monetary donations to the Dundas Museum & Archives are also gratefully accepted, and support the continued preservation of our collection. You can make a donation online here, through the mail using a cheque, or in person at the Museum using cash, card or cheque. You can also support us by becoming a Friend of the Museum.