Village de Séraphin facts for kids

Village de Séraphin was a special kind of museum in Canada. It was an open-air museum, which means it had buildings and exhibits outside. This village was inspired by a popular TV show called Les Belles Histoires des pays d'en haut. Visitors could explore more than eighteen old houses. It was located in Sainte-Adèle, Quebec.

Building the Village

In 1965, a pharmacist named Fernand Montplaisir bought some land. This land in Sainte-Adèle was where the house of a character named Séraphin Poudrier was located. Montplaisir wanted to build a village based on the TV show.

He paid $50,000 to use the characters from the show. The TV show was created by Claude-Henri Grignon.

Opening and Growth

Village de Séraphin first opened its doors in 1967. When it first opened, it had eight houses. These houses were old "post-and-plank" style homes. They were bought from nearby areas in Sainte-Adèle and rebuilt in the village.

In its very first year, over 100,000 people came to visit the village. This showed how popular the TV show and the idea of the village were.

By 1977, the village had grown. There were now 17 houses for visitors to explore.

New Attractions and Closure

In 1983, Fernand Montplaisir opened a new park. It was called Pays des Merveilles, which means "Land of Wonders." This park was close to Village de Séraphin.

In the mid-1980s, another house was added to the village. This was called the "château de la riche héritière," or "castle of the rich heiress." This addition brought the total number of houses to eighteen.

Fernand Montplaisir passed away in January 1998. After his death, his wife, Thérèse Montplaisir, tried to sell the village. However, she was not able to find a buyer.

On May 30, 1999, Village de Séraphin opened for its last day. Soon after, the village was sold at an auction.