{"id":14704,"date":"2016-05-16T05:55:28","date_gmt":"2016-05-16T09:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=14704"},"modified":"2016-05-13T13:31:47","modified_gmt":"2016-05-13T17:31:47","slug":"discover-muskokas-living-history-at-muskoka-heritage-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/discover-muskokas-living-history-at-muskoka-heritage-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover Muskoka’s living history at Muskoka Heritage Place"},"content":{"rendered":"

You may not be able to redo the past, but you can experience it anew. How?<\/p>\n

First, bring to mind the smell of a wood fire. Add the comforting smell of baking emanating from a pioneer kitchen. Layer that with the sound of a steam engine\u2019s whistle in the distance, a school bell calling students to their one-room schoolhouse, a donkey braying, and the echo of metal hammering metal in the blacksmith\u2019s forge.<\/p>\n

Can you picture it?<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll experience all that and more when you visit Muskoka Heritage Place. And whether it\u2019s your first time or your tenth, there\u2019s no better way to get acquainted \u2013 or reacquainted \u2013 with Muskoka\u2019s past.<\/p>\n

Begin in the Muskoka Museum<\/a><\/span> for a self-guided chronological journey of artifacts showing human activity in the area starting 7000 years ago. The museum\u2019s current feature exhibit \u2013 War: What is it Good For?<\/em> running through 2018 \u2013 features WWI artifacts including several specific to Muskoka’s own 122nd Battalion, plus information and historic images in honour of the 100th anniversary of “The Great War.”\"MuskokaThen head out into the pioneer village where 18 historic buildings await exploration. Most of these aren\u2019t replicas, keep in mind \u2013 many of the buildings in the village, which includes a First Nations\u2019 encampment, one-room school house, a trapper\u2019s cabin, a general store, hotel, church, blacksmith\u2019s shop, and family homes, were moved to the site from various locations across Muskoka and were originally built as far back as 1868.<\/p>\n

Stop and chat with one of the costumed narrators to learn more about life in the village. Be sure to check with the admissions desk for a list of the day\u2019s activities and demonstrations \u2013 learn what games the First Nations, M\u00e9tis, and pioneer children played and try them for yourself, make a candle, see how difficult it was to keep clothes clean (a washboard and manual wringer are hard work!), and watch how a blacksmith made every day tools. You can even go on a Nature\u2019s Treasure Hunt, searching for cards depicting the plants, trees, and animals First Nations\u2019 peoples used and taught settlers about, helping them to survive in their new home \u2013 ask the admissions staff for details.<\/p>\n\n\t\t