Bala's Museum facts for kids

Bala's Museum, also known as "With Memories Of Lucy Maud Montgomery," is a special museum in Bala, Ontario, Canada. It is run by Jack Hutton and Linda Hutton.

This museum used to be a boarding house, which is like a guesthouse, run by Fanny Pike in the early 1900s. Today, it holds interesting items from the Muskoka area. It also has many things related to Lucy Maud Montgomery, the famous author who wrote the Anne of Green Gables books and The Blue Castle.

Bala's Museum is the only museum about Lucy Maud Montgomery outside of Prince Edward Island. People from all over the world visit it. Many come for the yearly Anne of Green Gables Day. During this event, people re-enact Montgomery's two-week visit to Bala in 1922.

How the Museum Started

Linda and Jack Hutton were on their honeymoon in Prince Edward Island when they learned something amazing. They found out that Lucy Maud Montgomery had visited Bala for two weeks in 1922. She stayed at a place called the Tree Lawn Tourist Home.

This old building, where Montgomery ate her meals, had been for sale for a long time. Linda and Jack bought it to save it from being torn down. They wanted to create a place to remember Montgomery's visit. On July 24, 1992, they opened Bala's Museum. It was the first museum in Ontario to focus on Lucy Maud Montgomery's life and her famous books.

What You Can See at the Museum

The museum has many cool things to explore.

Anne of Green Gables Displays

• Dioramas: These are small 3D scenes that show moments from Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables book. It's like stepping into the story!
• Books: You can see a very first edition copy of the Green Gables book. There are also copies translated into many different languages from around the world.
• Original Art: The museum has a copy of The Delineator magazine from 1905. It features a painting of Montgomery by George Gibbs. This painting is often used on the front cover of various Green Gables books.

Rare Movie Items

One of the most valuable items the museum owns is the original sheet music from the 1919 Anne of Green Gables film. The Huttons bought this music online. They later found out they were bidding against the National Library of Canada! Even though the movie itself was lost, the museum has also found some rare film stills (pictures from the movie) from its production.

Lucy Maud Montgomery's Personal Items

The collection also includes items that belonged to Lucy Maud Montgomery herself.

• Tea Set: You can see a beautiful silver tea set that was given to Montgomery for her wedding in 1911.
• Letter Basket: There's also a special basket where the author kept her letters.
• Diary Excerpts: The museum displays parts of her diary from when she visited Bala.

A Special Historical Place

In 2013, the township of Muskoka Lakes gave Bala's Museum a special honor. They officially named it a historical site. This means the museum is an important place that helps us remember the past.

See also

In Spanish: Museo de Bala para niños