The Ken Seiling Museum in Kitchener includes entry to both the museum exhibitions and the Doon Heritage Village. Half of the museum is closed so there isn’t too much to see indoors. The only exhibit they had open when I visited was the Human Plus exhibition displaying how engineering helps replace body parts so even the disabled can take part in competitive sports.
When the permanent exhibition space is open, there are displays on the history of engineering in the region from a giant steam engine all the way to the modern Toyota factory. There are also pieces of art and a war memorial on the second floor.
The Doon Heritage Village was open, but none of the buildings could be entered. Still, it shows what life was like in the early 20th century with authentic period buildings moved to the site of the museum and preserved for visits. There are stores, a church, a fire house, and several farms and gardens. There would normally be farm animals like sheep and horses if the buildings weren’t closed.
The outdoor portion of the museum is like the Ballenberg Open Air Museum in Meiringen, Switzerland, but Canada doesn’t have nearly enough history yet to populate an entire valley with heritage architecture.
