Guelph Museums Re-open with Exciting New Exhibitions and Events

Guelph Civic Museum and McCrae House National Historic Site are welcoming back visitors with new exhibitions, events, and safety protocols in place. McCrae House opened Friday, July 16 and the Civic Museum is set to open Tuesday, July 27. Advanced registration is required to visit museum sites, and tickets can be booked at the Guelph Museums page on Eventbrite.

Information regarding admission, hours, and COVID-19 guidelines is available at guelphmuseums.ca.

Fourth Friday concert with Ian Reid

In-person Fourth Friday concerts return Friday, July 23 at 7 pm with a free live performance by Ian Reid, an award-winning singer-songwriter from Rockwood, ON. The performance will take place on the patio at the Civic Museum, weather permitting, and will also be streamed live on Facebook @guelphmuseums. Advanced tickets are required.

New exhibitions at the Civic Museum

Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences as they are Lived features contemporary objects and personal expressions submitted by community members to document this historic time in Guelph.

The Museum started collecting material related to the pandemic in April 2020. Following the June 2020 local demonstration in support of Black Lives Matters, Guelph Museums and the Guelph Black Heritage Society partnered to preserve stories and experiences of the global and local awakening to racial injustice.

Reflecting on the intersection of these two crises, Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences as they are Lived is on display until February 27, 2022.

Bravo! Guelph Little Theatre Celebrates 85 Years commemorates the creativity, engagement, and continuing legacy of Guelph’s longest running community theatre. This case exhibition gives a behind-the-curtain peek through production photographs and recordings, costumes and props. The rich history and resilient spirit of Guelph’s community theatre is on display from August 10 to December 5.

McCrae House Tea at Two

Tea at Two resumes August 3 to September 5, daily at 2 pm Tuesday through Sunday. After touring McCrae House, visitors are invited to relax and reflect over tea and scones in the peaceful backyard gardens. The menu includes exclusively-blended McCrae House teas, scones with whipped cream, jam and berries. Reservations are required in advance. The cost is$17+HST.

McCrae House Backyard Theatre: A Night in Flanders

Backyard Theatre returns in August with performances of A Night in Flanders.

A Night in Flandersis an original one-act play by Donald Macrae. Set in Ypres Salient, West Flanders, Belgium, it explores Lt. Col. John McCrae’s internal landscape as he wrestles with questions regarding life, love, duty, conflict, and death. A surprising visit in this strange reverie by his mother, Janet, may help John in his struggle. Or, perhaps he’ll need to purge the tormenting emotions in a poem.

Performances are set for Thursday through Saturday, August 19 to 28. Evening shows start at 7 pm, and Saturday matinees at 2 pm. Tickets are $25+HST and are available in advance.

Tickets and reservations for all events are available at the Guelph Museums Eventbrite page.

Guelph Civic Museum is located at 52 Norfolk Street. McCrae House National Historic Site is located at 108 Water Street. Both buildings are physically accessible.

Additional information and online programming is available at guelphmuseums.ca.

-30-