McCulloch House Museum & Genealogy Centre

McCulloch House Museum & Genealogy Centre

McCulloch House Museum & Genealogy Centre
4
Historic Sites • History Museums
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Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Beginning in 1773, hundreds of ships carrying thousands of Scottish immigrants began arriving at Pictou Harbour, Nova Scotia, Dr. Thomas McCulloch, came ashore in 1805 and soon found himself leading a monumental change in the lives of 19thcentury Nova Scotians. Visit McCulloch’s 200-year-old brick home and explore exhibits that detail how one man’s passion launched him on a journey to create public education in this province. We are located at 86 Haliburton Road (Genealogy Centre) and 100 Haliburton Road (Museum) in Pictou, Nova Scotia. We can provide guided tours, or an informative self guided tour. We also promote local history by offering exhibits about our community, our families, and the history of Pictou County at the Genealogy Centre. Research requests and genealogy keeps us busy all year long! Our extensive research, archival, and library collection is a valuable resource for researchers, students, historians, and genealogists.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

4.0
16 reviews
Excellent
7
Very good
4
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
3

Kurt
Nova Scotia, Canada1 contribution
Mar. 2021
What an amazing site! I am always looking for "local flavour" places wherever I go, and wow did I find one! I have fallen in love with Nova Scotia, and I leaned so much about its history here. Who knew that little Pictou was such a hotbed of political discussion and educational reform? Dr. Thomas McCulloch, the man this museum honors, was a pillar of Nova Scotia's educational system and the staff at the museum bring him alive. I could listen to the museum staff talk about him forever. Deeply knowledgeable and personable.
Written March 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rickross2021
1 contribution
Jan. 2021
Excellent access to land transactions as far back as the 1700s makes this an excellent place to do research. These porperty related records reveal more than just deeds. Other transactions such as wills, separation from spouse records, indentures, and mortgages are parts of this collection.
Written February 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NDF848
Toronto, Canada85 contributions
Aug. 2018 • Family
McCulloch House is an authentic representation of the home of one of Pictou's most acclaimed citizens in the 19th Century . He not only founded & ran Pictou Academy in its 'hay-day' ; he also went on to be the first president of Dalhousie U. in Halifax . His sense of curiosity for natural history is clear from his collection of artifacts, as well as his alignment with the philosophy of the Scottish Enlightenment, and its stark contrast with the conservatism of 19th Century Halifax . A great quote from Joseph Howe, in the display, refers to Pictou as the 'cradle of liberty' in 1829 .
In addition to McCulloch House, is the recently renovated & modernized Genealogy Centre which is an asset to any traveller who has roots in Pictou County . Curator, Michelle Davey, and genealogists on staff are willing to bend-over-backwards to help you find references in local historical papers, land registries, etc . Very impressive and well-worth a visit !
Written August 12, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

candpmackay
Pictou, Canada20 contributions
Dec. 2017 • Couples
The House is well maintained and tells the story of Rev. Thomas MacCulloch and his efforts to establish Pictou Academy. The Centre is a treasure trove for persons interested in researching their Scottish history.
Written December 21, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mary S
Indian Lake, United States44 contributions
Jun. 2017 • Couples
This maybe a good site for local grammar school children but had very little to offer for adult history buffs. I felt like we were a burden to the guide who had very poor knowledge of the site.
Written June 19, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm very sorry to hear that the guide was not more helpful. We will provide more training and advice for the summer staff so that they are more knowledgeable about the site prior to conducting tours. The interpretive panels were designed to provide a more detailed story of Dr. Thomas McCulloch and the establishment of public education in Nova Scotia. We appreciate your feedback about the interpretation & will take this into account when discussing new exhibition and interpretive plans.
Written June 21, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

gooilersLeduc
Sherwood Park, Canada563 contributions
Sep. 2016 • Couples
We made a special trip to see this attraction and it was the biggest waste of money for any attraction that we saw in our two week tour of the East .It had no old artifacts to look at.All it had was cardboard signs with some writing on them.Even my wife who is a history nut said it was a big waste of time and money as it was terrible.I would stay away and never go back there again.
Written September 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank your for your feedback. We are in the process of discussing new interpretation & exhibitions for the House and your comments are important to us. The family of NS Museums invested a lot of money and time in to developing the panels a number of years ago. The focus was to concentrate on the story of Dr. Thomas McCulloch and the establishment of non-secular education and the effects it had on the settlement of Pictou in the early 1800s. Unfortunately, many visitors are disappointed to see that there is very little authentic period artifacts from the belongings of the McCulloch family. We hope that the artifacts and collections in the study and main exhibit area were of some interest. The butler desk and wardrobe and the personal items in each are of special significance to the collection and story, as well as the Audubon items. As awkward as it is knowing that a customer is unsatisfied, we would always be obliging in returning any fees paid if we had known your disappointment after visiting.
Written June 21, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Peter F
Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada24 contributions
Aug. 2016 • Couples
A perfect spot to research your family tree or just looking up historical facts. The staff are friendly and helpfull and the information is plentiful. A tour of the old house is a walk in the past. Extremely informative and the attention to detail is great. Hint- i was also there in December, and talk about a neat old world christmas display.
Written August 23, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tom646
Belmont, NH374 contributions
Aug. 2016 • Couples
Did not go into the museum part but did stop in to the adjacent archives building to do some research on the MacKenzie ancestry. The people in the arcives couldn't have been more friendly or helpful and went out of their way to help us find material
Written August 10, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

shannhugo440
Halifax, Canada343 contributions
Jun. 2015 • Family
Was recommend to come here a few weeks back from this lady at the Hector. The house is stunning from the outside, and even better on the inside. The tour guide took us around and told us about the stuff inside. Panels and rooms were loaded with Scottish immigration history and info about the town. There's a beautiful period clock in the first room.

Was taken back by the bird room at first - creepy turtle and all! There's an original picture from Audubon on the wall. This room was full of objects, even had an eye spy game for kids. The little room, kitchen, and dining rooms had so much about the town, it was amazing to hear/see that the town is so rich in history. They also have a bunch of old artifacts that were dug up from some dig or cleaning or something. Very interesting.

Loved the visit and hopefully we'll be able to visit again sometime with the kids!
Written July 24, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

stanlie3
Halifax, Canada6 contributions
Jul. 2015 • Couples
Great stop in the Pictou area. The staff is very helpful and friendly. There is also a centre where you can research family genealogy. Lots of resources and interesting information !
Written July 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MCCULLOCH HOUSE MUSEUM & GENEALOGY CENTRE - 2023 What to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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McCulloch House Museum & Genealogy Centre is open:
  • Tue - Fri 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

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