Age of Sail Heritage Centre facts for kids
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| Established | 1994 |
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| Location | 8334 Route 209 Port Greville, Nova Scotia Canada |
| Type | Community and Marine Museum |
The Age of Sail Heritage Centre is a cool museum in Port Greville, Nova Scotia, Canada. It's also called the Age of Sail Heritage Museum. This museum teaches you all about the history of communities along the Parrsboro Shore. These towns are right by the Minas Channel, which is part of the amazing Bay of Fundy. The museum especially shows how important shipbuilding and cutting down trees (lumbering) were to these areas long ago.
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What You Can See at the Museum
The Age of Sail Heritage Centre is made up of several old buildings. These buildings were moved to one special spot. This spot is on the banks of a beautiful valley next to the Greville River. The river has tides, meaning the water level changes a lot.
The main building of the museum used to be a church. It was built way back in 1854. Besides this main building, you can find other interesting places. There is a cafe and a gift shop. You can also see the Port Greville Lighthouse right there! There's even a boat shed, a blacksmith shop, and a band saw shed. You can walk on several trails from the museum. These trails lead to cool historical spots and natural areas along the river.
How the Museum Started
The idea for the heritage centre began in 1981. A group called the Greville Bay Recreation and Development Group formed. They wanted to improve the Port Greville area. At first, they created a picnic park. This park was at an old place called Red House Landing Site. They also built and took care of washrooms and a picnic area.
In 1988, Ross Colins, who led the group, suggested building a museum. Then, in 1991, the Greville Bay Shipbuilding Museum Society was officially created. Their goal was to protect and save the "working heritage." They wanted a "hands-on shipbuilding museum." This museum would focus on the Parrsboro Shore's long history of cutting timber and building ships.
Building the Museum Site
Later in 1991, the group started clearing and cleaning the museum site. They also put up a building for information. In 1992, the McLeod family gave them a special building. This building used to be called Cochrane Hall. It was originally a Methodist church built in 1854. Workers carefully took it apart. Then, they moved it about 2 kilometers to the museum site. It sat there for a year while money was raised for its reconstruction. In 1993, the rebuilding work began.
Opening and Growth
The Age of Sail Heritage Centre Museum opened its doors to visitors in 1994. After its first year, the centre won a special award. It was a provincial architecture award for its new and clever design. An expansion to the museum happened in 2011. This expansion added space for public events, research, and keeping old items safe.
The museum mostly runs thanks to volunteers from the community. They also hire a curator and a few students each season. The museum has more than 2,000 items in its collection. These items include old clothes, hand tools, models, and equipment. There are also many old photos and documents. The museum is one of the fun places to visit on the Fundy Shore Ecotour.
