Guelph Civic Museum
Guelph Civic Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Guelph Civic Museum showcases Guelph's history through permanent and changing exhibits, a fun and interactive families gallery, and special events and activities. Located in the recently renovated Loretto Convent, atop the hill at Norfolk Street and beside the landmark Church of Our Lady, the museum is home to a collection of artifacts that bring Guelph's past to life.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
85 reviews
Excellent
41
Very good
38
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Elsbeth D
22 contributions
Apr 2022 • Friends
We stopped into this compact museum to get a glimpse of Guelph history. The kind lady at reception went out of her way to detail the museum offerings, the building history and its surroundings. She even tried to find someone who could open the John McCrae House for us as we visited before it’s opening day. Not to be, but we appreciated her efforts. The museum does a nice job of describing the areas industry, natural history and indigenous history in the space it has. A visiting display on fans was quite interesting. The bronze life size + statue of McCrae outside, and the commendation of the man and the poem inside were very moving.
Written April 27, 2022
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.
CraigPenney
Guelph, Canada64 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
We've lived in Guelph for about a year and a half and everytime we drove by the museum we told ourselves that we need to check it out. So, in October, we did. The entrance fee is $5.00 and there's no question you'll get $5.00 worth of enjoyment. We learned a lot about Guelph's history and the staff were very friendly. You should probably allow 45 minutes to an hour to go through it.
Written November 15, 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.
We're so glad to hear you enjoyed your visit to Guelph Civic Museum! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Written November 22, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tsoi
Hong Kong87 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
Tourists especially those from Hong Kong may know only a little about tourism in Guelph. It is because there is not much promotion about this place and going there may not be so easy as you have to travel a long way by buses or trains from Toronto in order to reach there. I have to say it is worth to pay a visit to Guelph though as compare to other big cities like Toronto, Vancouver, there is not much to see. However I love the atmosphere there.
The Civic Museum is not very big but you can know a lot of history about Guelph and Canada inside the museum. People serving there are very nice, friendly and with passion. They welcome your visits and can tell you all useful information about their city.
My wife and I were there on a rainy day in July. We were actually tired when we arrived at the museum but hospitality of the museum staff cheered us up again!
The Civic Museum is not very big but you can know a lot of history about Guelph and Canada inside the museum. People serving there are very nice, friendly and with passion. They welcome your visits and can tell you all useful information about their city.
My wife and I were there on a rainy day in July. We were actually tired when we arrived at the museum but hospitality of the museum staff cheered us up again!
Written August 10, 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.
We are so glad you made a stop to the Civic Museum! Our staff are very passionate about Guelph and it's history, wonderful to hear they extended a warm welcome. Thank you for visiting and for your kind review!
Written August 14, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Slots2014
Windsor, Canada52 contributions
Sept 2018 • Couples
Learn some culture and history. Spend a couple of hours learning the history of Guelph and the cursive writing exhibit. Well, worth a couple of hours of your time.
Written September 11, 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.
Dan F
Singapore34 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
Very well designed and maintained museum. Our five-year-old and three-year-old had such a good time that they wanted to stay on even after closing time. Worth a visit.
Written March 6, 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.
Thank you for your kind words. We're so glad your children enjoyed themselves - you'll have to come back with them to do some more playing and exploring!
Written March 9, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Peter_K_B_Toronto
Toronto, Canada1,296 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
For a museum in a small city this one is surprisingly worth visiting as others have mentioned. Last week, a statue was added: of the author of the poem In Flanders' Fields. It's about World War I, by Lt. Col. John McCrae of Guelph who was a physician. He died of pneumonia near the end of the war (Jan. 28, 1918). This bronze statue is a moving tribute to all who have lost their lives during wars.
Written July 3, 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.
namanuel
Guelph, Canada10 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
I've been to this museum on two different occasions. If you're interested in history, this is a good (small city) museum focusing on local history. If you're not interested in history though, this is probably not something that you would be interested in.
Written April 21, 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.
Fred D
Guelph, Canada205 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
After years of bickering about need and cost, Guelph City Council finally purchased the former Loretto Convent on "Catholic Hill" below the Basilica of Our Lady and converted it into a museum. The modern glass exterior perfectly frames and compliments the original limestone structure. Rotating exhibits are always interesting and educational. It is well worth numerous visits.
Written March 25, 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.
jagminder86
Toronto, Canada33 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
If you are looking for some quite city then please visit Guelph. It has all the beauty; a river for kayaking, beautiful trails for hiking, some historic monuments and local breweries are the best. If you like to go for camping then it has Guelph conservation are. Please plan a trip.
Written July 2, 2019
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.
Mark
Glen Williams, Canada56 contributions
Apr 2019 • Solo
As a history buff and a historian the background story is more important than the items on display. With limited space the Civic Museum tries to cover too much general history. The current indigenous displays are more cultural crafts than local history. The Museum needs to focus on a few themes at a time and present them in some depth.
Written April 3, 2019
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.
GuelphMuseums
Guelph, Canada
Hi Alyssa,
Sorry for our delayed response. Yes, the other two answers are correct. Only service animals are permitted inside the museum.
Hope you still get a chance to visit!
Written August 14, 2017
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