PDHM – Meet Me on Main: A Walk Through TimeJUN 17, 2026 – JAN 17, 2027
Explore the history of Port Dover’s beautiful Main Street. Learn the stories of the buildings still standing, and of those we’ve lost to time.
NCA – Through Folklore & Fog: Myths and Legends of Norfolk CountyExhibit runs from June 9 – December 11, 2026
Step into the shadows of Norfolk County and uncover its most enduring myths and legends that have shaped local folklore. From tales of buried treasure to whispers of witches and wandering spirits, this exhibit explores how such stories take root—and what they reveal about the people and places behind them. Unearth rare artifacts, photographs, and archival material that reveal how truth and myth intertwine.
NCA – Game On! A History of Local Sports & RecreationRuns until August 28, 2026
Game On! A History of Local Sports & Recreation celebrates the rich history of local sports and recreation, from the rise of baseball and hockey in the area to the captivating wrestling matches at town hall, and more! Through photographs, archival materials, and artifacts, visitors will explore how sports and recreation have helped shaped community identity, fostered local pride, and inspired lifelong participation.
PDHM – From Her Hands: Norfolk’s Women Potters of the 1960s and ’70sClick on the arrow below (bottom right corner of book) to flip through the From Her Hands: Norfolk’s Women Potters of the 1960s and ’70s exhibit catalogue.
You can also navigate using the scroll bar below the book.
Dover Ducks: Carvings of Thircul ChurchClick on the arrow below (bottom right corner of book) to flip through the Dover Ducks: Carvings by Thircul Church exhibit catalogue.
You can also navigate using the scroll bar below the book.
PDHM – Where the Past Rests: Port Dover CemeteryThe Port Dover Cemetery stands as a quiet guard to the lives and legacies of past generations. Nestled just outside of town, this historic burial ground has served the community for a century and a half, offering a dignified resting place and a rich tapestry of local history.
Still independently operated and volunteer-run, the Port Dover Cemetery remains a testament to community stewardship and historical preservation. Its continued care ensures that the stories of Port Dover’s past will endure for generations to come. Port Dover...
DTMHC – The Art of Irma MakariunaiteOn Display Until August 2026
Mixed media artist Irma Makariunaite seeks inspiration from the materials that she uses in her artwork. She embeds fragments of hand-written letters that were sent to her from her grandparents upon her immigration to Canada. She also integrates her own childhood drawings – lovingly preserved by her grandmother – in between the layers of acrylic. Fragments of other documents and ephemera are also included in the process of creating rich textures, colour, and meaning within her artwork. It is through these...
Agricultural Hall of FameJacob Joseph Proracki(2024)Born in Manitoba on July 23, 1918, Jacob “Jake” Proracki was the son of hard-working Ukrainian immigrants. His farming life began when the family sought opportunities in Norfolk County, moving to Round Plains in 1923. Jake worked alongside his father growing asparagus and strawberries before transitioning to tobacco. Upon his parents’ retirement, Jake took over the family farm with his wife Olga and five children. During the early 1960s, Jake began experimenting with greenhouse watering applications in an effort to save Olga the...
Agricultural Hall of Fame
Tom Haskett (2024)Born in Simcoe on September 22, 1941, Tom’s drive to become a farmer was well established as a youngster despite being warned of its many hardships. After graduating from Simcoe High School, Tom apprenticed as a millwright, working in Delhi and later at Borg Warner Auto Parts in Simcoe. In 1966, he married Joan Collin, a nurse at Norfolk General Hospital, and the two saved enough money to purchase Tom’s grandparents’ farm near Vittoria. The couple raised their family, continued on with their own careers, and invested everything into the 50-acre...
Agricultural Hall of FameKernal Peanuts (2023)Kernal Peanuts Ltd. Was set up when the former tobacco growers saw an opportunity to start fresh given the decline in the tobacco industry. The sandy soil that made the area so prosperous for tobacco was also a key element for peanuts but given its never-before-grown status, the first crops were largely experimental leading to incredible amounts of time, capital and determination by Racz.Ernie Pacz handles all the HR, packaging, marketing, accounting and retail while Ernie looks after the machinery, planting and direct farm-related duties....
Agricultural Hall of FameJohn Strickler Martin (2023)The Honourable John Strickler Martin had always had a keen interest in raising chickens, even as a young boy. Though born in Haldimand County in 1875, Martin and his family soon moved to Port Dover near Silver Lake where he attended school and eventually began teaching at the Port Dover High School. His Silver Lake home provided the perfect environment for breeding chickens, working late and rising early to attend to them. Despite this, Martin found it challenging in balancing teaching career with his pursuit of chicken breedingMartin...
Agricultural Hall of Fame
Irene Anderson (2023)Irene (nee Nemeth) Anderson was born in Toronto in 1932 and became interested in art at an early age. Following the family’s purchase of a tobacco farm near Langton, Irene’s artistic skills were nurtured by a childhood connected to the rural, agricultural environment. By all accounts, she loved the daily routine and nearly all aspects of tobacco farming; especially planting season which would become a familiar theme in many of her sketches decades later.Irene attended Simcoe High School, acquired her grade 10 diploma followed by courses at...
DTMHC – Gel Printmaking with Irma MakariunaiteAUG 221:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Gel printmaking is a monoprinting technique that creates one of a kind textured artwork that incorporates stencils, found objects, and printing ink to transfer designs on to paper. The process allows for layers of colour that create vibrant images. All supplies and materials will be provided.
$35 per person.
Pre-registration required.
Tickets make be purchased in person at the museum or online via Eventbrite (link coming soon).
DTMHC – Japanese Sashiko EmbroideryOCT 171:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Rosey Bourne teaches Japanese Sashiko. This technique is primarily used to mend, reinforce, and embellish garments. In the past, Japanese women of rural farming communities practiced this simple running stitch using white thread on indigo-dyed fabric. Participants will draw a simple pattern onto a six-inch square of blue fabric and stitch the design. All supplies and materials will be provided.
$25 per person.
Pre-registration is required.
Tickets are available for purchase in person at the museum or online via Eventbrite...
PDHM – Holiday Stained Glass Workshop with Ingrid Zyma-IrvinNOV 28 & DEC 512:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Make something special for the holidays! Learn the basics of stained glass in this 2-day course led by local artist Ingrid Zyma-Irvin. Participants will learn to cut, grind, foil and solder glass, making at least one holiday themed stained glass creation.
Participants MUST be able to attend both days of the workshop.
$60 per person. Pre-registration required.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the museum or online via Eventbrite (link to come).
PDHM – Summer CampREGISTRATION OPENS WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2026
Camp runs from Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm with the exception of holidays. Register for a single day or for a whole week!
This camp is geared at children ages 5-10. Children must be 5 years old on their day of camp. Proof of age required at drop off.
Cost: $37.25 per day, per child.
Registration:
Summer camp registration opens on Wednesday, May 6th. Registration can be done either in person at the museum or online via Norfolk County’s ENCORE system. Click here to be taken to ENCORE.
Cancellation Policy:
If there...
DTMHC – Delhi’s Team Takes the Lead: Norfolk’s Golden Era of Bike RacingOCT 2025 – AUGUST 2026
Bikes blaze around the track at an astonishing 70 km per hour and a 55-degree angle as they navigate the corners of the Delhi velodrome. Local cyclists had one of the most modern indoor circuits in the province and it was built by one of its own. Albert Coulier went on to build tracks around the world and raced in his fair share. This new exhibit explores Norfolk’s champions, builders, and innovators in a sport not for the faint of heart.
DTMHC – Light up the Season: Delhi BIA Christmas PartyTWO NIGHTS!
NOV 28: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PMDEC 5: 3:00 – 6:00 PM
Deck the halls at the Delhi Tobacco Museum! The Delhi BIA presents “Light up the Season.” Come see the Delhi Tobacco Museum & Heritage Centre in all its Christmas grandeur. Sip a cup of hot cocoa and try your hand at our seasonal scavenger hunt, then take a picture with olde St. Nick and tell him all of your holiday wishes!
Hundreds of holiday decorations made by the students from St. Frances and Delhi Public School will be be on display on the museum’s MANY...
PDHM – ChristmasfestNOV 2110:00 am – 4:00 pm
We can barely HO-HO-HOLD in all of our excitement for Port Dover’s annual ChristmasFest celebration!
Stop by the museum before or after the Santa Claus parade to share in a little Christmas cheer with us. We’ve got a festive scavenger hunt on our main floor and a Christmas craft upstairs for ages 3-10.
This event is ADMISSION BY DONATION (cash or a contribution to the Port Dover and Area Lifeline Foodbank).
PDHM – Walter Lewis: Pre-Confederation Lighthouses (Lecture)OCT 241:00 pm
Hear Walter Lewis speak on pre-confederation era lighthouses.
Walter Lewis is an award-winning maritime historian specializing in the history of the Great Lakes region. He is the creator of MaritimeHistoryOfTheGreatLakes.ca, widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive resources for Great Lakes research.
$10 per person. Pre-registration is required.
DTMHC – Haunted SawmillPhoto courtesy of NorfolkToday.ca.
OCT 23 & 247:30 PM – 9:00 PM
The Quance sawmill has a dark side… Do you dare explore the interior of the sawmill and come face to face with the shadowy energy that built up over a hundred years of accidents and injury? What forces feed off the pain and survive in the blackness of the abandoned mill.
Small brave groups tours will be guided through mill at designated time slots?
Pre-registration required.
Tickets are $10. Tickets can be purchased online via Eventbrite (link to come).
A Disappearing Landscape: The Townsend Barns ProjectCombining the Historical Society’s 20 plus years of research and hundreds of photographs with an online interactive portal, the project highlights the rural landscape through historic barns and agricultural outbuildings. Click the image below to access.
DTMHC – Paul Allen Presents: Bright Lights, Black StarsJUN 201:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Paul Allen, the author of When Tobacco was King, brings us his latest book about diversity, struggle, and perseverance. Allen has written a new non-fiction book which follows the journey of Negro League baseball players in Canada’s oldest baseball league. The author will be on hand to answer questions and sign books.
Admission by donation.
BLOGJames Christison, curator at Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum, with a photo exhibit in 2022 of area barns which was one part of A Disappearing Landscape: The Townsend Barn Project. PHOTO BY STAFF Simcoe Reformer
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