Ron Morel Memorial Museum

Ron Morel Memorial Museum

Ron Morel Memorial Museum
4.5
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
About
The Ron Morel Memorial Museum is a SUMMER SEASONAL museum only. It is CLOSED DURING THE FALL, WINTER and SPRING. It is housed in locomotive #5107 and was founded in 1971 by the late Ron Morel Sr. whose vision was to showcase two of his passions -local history and trains. The museum has something for everyone: •Seasonal exhibits highlighting Kapuskasing history topics •Archival photographs and artifacts •Permanent exhibit on the Internment/Prisoner of War Camp of World War I •Railway memorabilia •Model train display •Sculptures by the late Maurice Gaudreault •Historic Kapuskasing Walking Tour booklet •Gift shop ; Open early June to early-September. Hours of Operation: 9:30am - 4:30pm, daily (including weekends). Visitors can make a donation to support the museum, if they wish.
Duration: < 1 hour
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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.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles24 reviews
Excellent
16
Very good
7
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Vince B
Cincinnati, OH54 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2012 • Couples
This is a small, but very well done museum illustrating the history of Kapuskasing with emphasis on the railroad. It is safe to say that Kapuskasing would not exist if not for the railroad so this is appropriate. It also has a very nice collection of works by Maurice Gaudreault, a local clay sculptor. It is well worth the visit.
Written August 20, 2012
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.

Lubomyr
Kingston, Ontario24 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017 • Solo
Few people know that the town of Kapuskasing began as an internment camp during the First World War, when thousands of Ukrainians and other Europeans were rounded up as "enemy aliens" and transported to 24 camps across the country, one of them at Kapuskasing. This small museum now has a very impressive collection of internee artefacts and photographs. The camp (around which the experimental farm was built) lasted from 14 December 1914 until 24 February 1920, the last internment camp to be closed (with many of its final residents being deported). All of this happened under the authority of the War Measures Act that would be used against Japanese, Italian and German Canadians in the Second World War and even some Quebecois in 1970. Today there is a plaque and statue (by John Boxtel) recalling the internment operations at the Kapuskasing Internee Cemetery. Worth seeing to learn about a still little known episode in Canada's history.
Written December 22, 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.
The Ron Morel Memorial Museum has an extensive permanent display on the Kapuskasing Internment/Prisoner of War Camp of World War I. It features an explanation of why internment happened, many photographs of life in the camp and artwork done by the internees/prisoners. The Internment/Prisoner of War cemetery is just a few kilometres from the museum and is easily accessible. It was recently renovated with a grant from the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund.
Written June 6, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MomTraveller12
Southern Ontario77 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013
We stopped here on our trip around Ontario. We hadn't planned on checking out the museum but we stopped at the tourist info booth to check out the monument out front and ended up going through the museum that's at the same place. It's free by donation but we spent a fair bit of money in the gift store so figured that was our contribution. The museum has 3 sections. One is clay sculptures that talk about the history of Kapuskasing. The second is the history of how the railway came to be in Kapuskasing and particularly focuses on the POWS that were forced to work in the area. The 3rd area has railway memorabilia and two model train setups. One is small and the kids can operate. The other one is very complex and nice to watch and is operated by staff. We spent about and hour here but could have spent longer but we needed to get going. We had our 3 & 5 year old kids with us and they loved it too.
Written August 25, 2013
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.

Dana M
21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2017 • Family
We had a lot of fun in here learning about the local history and looking at the train memorabilia. The sculpture exhibit in the main building was really incredible! Worth the detour.
Written October 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 you enjoyed your visit! Thanks for stopping in!
Written October 17, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

CarolDM1900
Montpelier, VT3,331 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2016 • Couples
WHY TO VISIT: 2 Good Reasons
1. The museum's exhibits are quirky and eclectic, designed to appeal to many different interests. Just walk through, stop to look at whatever strikes your fancy, and, almost without trying, you will discover for yourself the history of the people and the place: what makes "Kap" tick. It's an interesting place, with an intriguing past that you might miss if you didn't stop here.

2. The friendly, enthusiastic, very dedicated people who work here will do their utmost to make your visit a good one. They'll offer what amounts to a personal tour of the exhibits - if that is what you want. We not only felt welcome: we felt pampered with their smart, gracious attention. Our young guide-volunteer and a colleague of hers answered many of our questions themselves, but they also introduced us to the museum director. She in turn went out of her way to introduce us to one exhibition for which she had created a booklet with more than 30 color pictures of the objects on display, and then volunteered to print out all the descriptive information for each, so that we could take it with us. These are people who love their work, and it shows. Their enthusiasm is infectious.

WHAT TO SEE: 3 Suggestions
1. For railroad enthusiasts, modelers, and kids of all ages, it's about the TRAINS, large and small. Outside, you can see the real thing, led by Canadian National Railway Engine 5107, built by the Montreal Locomotive Company in 1919. It's followed by 2 coaches and a caboose, each pressed into service to house most of the museum's exhibitions as well as its gift shop. Inside, there's a splendid model train layout that your guide will turn on just for you, to admire as long as you wish, while telling the history of its creation. On the way to the models, you'll also pass some very interesting railroad memorabilia.

2. For history buffs, you can learn all about the Internee/POW camp nearby during World War I. This is a fascinating and very human story, not only of the soldiers captured in war brought here, but also of Canadian citizens who by reason of birth or heritage were considered security risks and isolated here for the duration, much in the way as people of Japanese birth or heritage were interned in the US during World War II. Another aspect that fascinates is the relationship between prisoners and guards, seen through displays that include hand crafts and gifts made by the captives for their captors. There is a wartime story here that engages and appeals.

3. For those interested in folk art or in family or working life of the past, there is a great exhibition of clay sculptures by Maurice Gaudreault, who made them in just ten months "to tell the tales of the good old days." These works are charming and nostalgic, but they are also much more. They are works of great humanity that open a door to understanding how individuals pursuing their own interests built a community serving the interests of all. I found them to be extraordinary pieces of folk art, very well executed by someone with an instinctive feel for how to portray his family, friends, and neighbors going about their business in that long-ago community. I am very happy to have the booklet created by the director, along with the printout of captions, as a souvenir of our visit.

This is a splendid little museum, with a high degree of community involvement and volunteerism. It charges no entrance fee, instead relying on gift shop purchases and donations. Your generosity will ensure that it remains open to all.
Written July 3, 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.

LynnMondoux70
Kapuskasing, Canada40 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015
It brings you back in time. The representative of the Museum is totatlly awesome, explains well and the kids adored her. She was impressive.
Written October 1, 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.

Heather A
British Columbia, Canada297 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Couples
The clay statues telling the story of early days in the town were wonderful, as were the two working model train sets. It was a bit difficult to find the entrance & the hours. The entrance is at the front of the caboose of the train that is parked outside the station. The tourist info centre is also in the station, but is not open on weekends.
Written July 12, 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.

tanya h
Dresden, Canada15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Friends
This was a wonderful tribute to Old Kap. They are lucky to have Julie Latimer in charge. We had a lovely visit with her and her staff and were amazed at the beautifully arranged, informative displays.
Written July 11, 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.

doddfamily2015
Picton, Canada3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2015 • Family
The museum offers a complete history of the town of Kapuskasing. Including the WW1 pow camps, military and police history along with several period displays and so much more. As well as a huge fully operational model train display. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly.
Written June 12, 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.

Denis N
Kapuskasing, Canada56 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Family
Many items from the past century, presenting the evolution of the town in Northern Ontario. Interesting presentation of minitiature ceramic sculpture of traditionnal events
Written March 4, 2014
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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Ron Morel Memorial Museum (Kapuskasing, Ontario): Hours, Address, Free, Top-Rated Attraction Reviews - Tripadvisor

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