Learn, relax, connect, move.
At Heritage Park Museum we are continuing to learn and grow to become a more inclusive and safe space for our community. The 2025 season brings new concepts to help with accessible community wellbeing. New research shows that museums can help with mental well-being. Museums provide a quiet place where you can either be alone or connect with others through a guided tour or conversation with our friendly staff. Museum exhibits stimulate the brain with new information and connect you with local history and community. On an average day, our museum is a calm, quiet, and non-stressful environment with open outdoor spaces, gardens, and indoor exhibits. Our museum also offers picnic tables for a peaceful lunch out of the house or office. Our free community summer camps, seniors events, programs, and public events provide an opportunity for the community to come together and connect. Connection is an important aspect of community wellbeing and health. Our goal is to continue taking steps to ensure our space can be a place that is accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to all members of our community. Some of the new programming described below aims to elevate our efforts to support community wellbeing and mental health. Our new staff training program emphasizes education on diversity, inclusivity, community education, mental health, and accessibility. We use the image below, new research, steps other institutions are taking, and community input and needs for guidance towards a vision of a better future for Heritage Park Museum:
Source: Institute for Development and International Relations.
Mental health and wellbeing at the MUSEUM
Weekly Guided Mindfulness
Our weekly, free guided mindfulness sessions are great for those who are new to meditation, yoga, or mindfulness. The sessions are only 40 minutes. Mindfulness practice such as yoga or meditation helps calm your mind and can help you cope with stress and anxiety. It allows your mind to take a step away from your thoughts. Gathering in a group for meditation allows you to silently connect with others and motivates you to follow through with the practice of meditation. Sessions are free and begin in June 2025.
Seniors Events
Join us for three summer seniors events, starting in June, 2025. Come be with others and enjoy time with our staff. This event aims to connect other seniors with local history, community, and art. Events will be posted on the event page on our website and our social media accounts. Past events have included board games, tea in the dance hall, and painting.
Accessible Tours
We are working to make our tours more customizable to be more accessible. When we open for the 2025 summer season, we will be offering a specific wheelchair-accessible tour, self-guided pamphlet tours at the front gate, a visually-impaired guided tour, and private tours with a consultation about the visitor’s needs and sensitivities. The admission for all our tours, including the ones above, is by donation. We can also offer a sensory kit upon arrival, which includes headphones, sunglasses, wipes and fidget toys. Visit our tours page to book. Or take a look at our Visitor’s Guide for more information on accessibility at the museum.
Community Events and Kids Camps
Every year Heritage Park hosts a number of community events, such as Easter, St. Jean Baptiste Day, Canada Day, and Halloween. These events help to get our community together and provide affordable activities for all. We also host a free kids camp and a teen camp (not free, but a scholarship can be requested) in July/August, where kids get to have fun and learn about the history, cultures, and environment of the area.
If you would like to meet with the curator over coffee and discuss how Heritage Park Museum can better serve our community, please email us at curator@heritageparkmuseum.com.