Programs & Events

Enjoy a fully guided, in-depth tour of Annandale House. Tours can be tailored to meet a wide range of curriculum needs. Explore topics such as the aesthetic art movement, life in Victorian times, sustainability and genealogy.

Eco-Explorers: March Break at the Museum

“Eco-Explorers: March Break at the Museum” is a celebration of the different eco-systems that make Earth special! Each day we will be celebrating a different eco-system. All materials and supplies are provided. Registration is required.

Monday, March 10^th: Desert

Tuesday, March 11^th: Rainforest

Wednesday, March 12^th: Grasslands

Thursday, March 13^th: Tundra

Friday March 14^th:  Aquatic

Swashbuckling Pirates: July 8^th, 9^th, 10^th

Step aboard for an exciting, family-friendly pirate-themed drop-in program! Kids of all ages are invited to join us on a swashbuckling adventure filled with crafts, games, and treasure-filled fun. Each day will be different!

Mythical Creatures: July 15^th, 16^th, 17^th

Unleash your imagination and step into a world of magic and wonder at our Mythical Creatures drop-in program! Kids are invited to explore the enchanting realms of unicorns, dragons, mermaids, and other legendary creatures through crafts, games, and activities.

Each day is different!

Homestead: Annandale Camp

Monday, July 21st through Friday, July 25th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Come and learn all about what it was like to live in Tillsonburg 200 years ago, through games, crafts and engaging activities.

Open to children aged 7 to 12.

Camp Nile Explorers

Monday, July 28th through Friday, August 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Come and celebrate Ancient Egypt. Each day will be different as we explore ancient Egypt through play, arts and crafts, indoor and outdoor games, baking/cooking and exploration.

Open to children aged 7 to 12.

Camp Curiosity

Monday, August 11th through Friday, August 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and its connections to Annandale NHS through play, arts and crafts, experimentation and exploration.

Open to children aged 7 to 12.

Camp Hop the Decades 

Monday, August 18th through Friday, August 22^nd from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Come on a vibrant journey through time, celebrating the culture, music, fashion, and activities that made each decade unique!

Open to children aged 7 to 12.

Colour Me Happy: August 26^th, 27^th, 28^th

Dive into a vibrant world of creativity and self-expression with Colour Me Happy! This drop-in program invites kids and families to explore the joy of art, color, and positivity through fun and relaxing activities. Whether you're painting, drawing, or making crafts, every moment is an opportunity to celebrate happiness and unleash your imagination.

Each day is unique!

LUNCH & LEARN LECTURE SERIES (Prices Subject to Change)

A four-part series of catered lunches and interesting lectures on local history. Lunch is served at noon with the lecture following. Admission to tour the museum is included in the ticket price. Single tickets or a series pass for all 4 Lunch & Learn programs is available. Preregistration is required.

“In the Words of Dr. Cooper: Excerpts from his Essays”

Presented By Kathleen Watkin

Dates: Thursday, February 27^th or Friday, February 28^th

“Benjamin VanNorman: Co-Founder of Tillsonburg”

Presented by Patricia Phelps

Dates: Thursday, March 27^th or Friday, March 28^th

“Nancy Barker Tillson: Tillsonburg’s First Lady”

Presented by Laurel Beechey

Dates: Thursday, April 24^th or Friday, April 25^th

“All Roads Lead to Tillsonburg”

 Presented by Joan Weston. 

Dates: Thursday, May 22^nd or Friday, May 23th 

In honour of International Women’s Day indulge in cheesecake and chatter with friends! Preregistration required.

Come and join artist Heather Cork and learn to make your own wool flower bouquet. All materials and supplies are provided. Preregistration is required.

Come for hot cross buns and tea followed by an Easter Egg hunt through the museum. Easter baskets supplied. Preregistration is required.

Have you ever wanted to learn how to make your own rug? Now is your chance! Come and learn how to rug hook with Sandra Thornton, of the Oxwood Rug Hooking Club.

All materials and supplies are provided. Preregistration is required.

Please bring your own lunch!

Tillson Anniversary Tea

Come and celebrate E.D. and MaryAnn’s 175^th Wedding Anniversary with tea, goodies, wedding cake and the vocal stylings of Stella Jurgen. Preregistration is required.

Discover the art of woodworking in this hands-on course led by Brett Schultz! Learn the basics of shaping wood and create your first project. Choose from designs such as an apple, block, boot, or dog. Then in week two, refine your creation and add a personalized touch with paint. Pre-registration is required.

Try to escape Tillsonburg’s “aesthetic” museum by solving puzzles and following clues that will set you free. Clues are based on Tillsonburg’s past. Geared towards teens and adults.

Pre-registration required.

Ever wonder how soap is made? Learn all the science and historical perspectives of how soap is made. Then make two bars of soap of your own to take home!

All materials and supplies are provided. Preregistration is required.

Step back in time and uncover the rich history of Tillsonburg’s early settlers with a guided Pioneer Graveyard Tour at the Tillsonburg Pioneer Graveyard.

Bring your favourite cherished Tillsonburg photographs to the Museum to be scanned and saved into your Museum’s permeant collection. We will provide you with a digital copy of all the photos we scan. To make an appointment please contact Jen Gibson at 519-842-2294 or jgibson@tillsonburg.ca

Mommy & Me Tea Party

Attention all moms and mother figures! Come and celebrate Mother’s Day with your favourite kids at the museum with a tea party and crafts! 

Pre-registration required.

“Cowabunga! We are Back Again!" Turtlefest Movie at Dusk

Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and snuggles and come to the Museum Lawn at dusk to watch the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze” (1991) in celebration of TurtleFest Weekend. 

Turtlefest on the Lawn

Visit the museum on TurtleFest to participate in “turtlely” family fun with live turtles, Lego © games, crafts, tours and the popular Turtle scavenger hunt. 

Canada Day Open House & Fun Fair on the Lawn

Come celebrate Canada’s Birthday by touring Tillsonburg’s National Historic Site and taking in the fun on the lawn. Games, crafts, cake, snacks and much more.

Teddy Bear Picnic

Bring your favourite Teddy Bear or stuffed animal and come celebrate them on the Museum Lawn. Activities will include a Teddy Bear Hunt, Teddy Bear Tea, Teddy Bear Crafts and Activity Stations!

“Cleered (sic) off a building-spot choped (sic) some logs and began a house and got it up three logs high on two sides.”

      -From George Tillson’s Diary, March 17^th, 1825

Fast forward, two hundred years later; that humble three-log-high cabin has grown into the Tillsonburg we know and love today!

Come and celebrate the 200^th anniversary of Dereham Forge (now Tillsonburg) with an open house social on Monday, March 17th, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Light refreshments and cake will be served.