There are many museums in Niagara and with the anniversay of the War of 1812 approaching there wil be even more attention paid to our history and military past.

MUSEUMS

Grimsby Museum
6 Murray St. Grimsby, ON
There is no designated parking at the museum. A ramp will provide access to the building but the doors are not automatic. The exhibits/displays are all on one floor and an elevator goes down to the basement room which is used
for programming and meetings.
Tel: (905)945-5292
Web site: www.town.grimsby.on.ca
Winter hours: Canadian Thanksgiving in October to Canada's Victoria Day May
24. Wed.-Fri. 1-5 p.m.; Wed. evenings 6-8 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 1-4 p.m.
Summer hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wed. evenings 6-8 p.m.; Sundays 1-4 p.m.
Admission: $2 adults, $1 seniors, students and children under 5.

Ball's Falls Heritage Conservation Area
6th Avenue, Jordan
The Balls' Fallls Conservation Area is a lovely place to learn about the history of the area. Nestled in a valley with a creek running through it, not all of the buildings are accessible but the entire area gives you the feeling that you are in a time warp. A lovely old church wwhere weddings are still held, settler's cottage, the Ball homestead, a grist mill, an old barn and more, all in a setting that takes you back to the early 1800s.
Just up the road from the valley is the spanking new Ball's Falls Centre for Conservation, a $3.8M totally accessible building that provides a total learning experience. Everything you'd want to know about the Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve and the natural and cultural resources found along the Twenty Valley are displayed using interactive demonstrations. Both children and adults can enjoy this equally.
To be continued.

Jordan Historical Museum of the Twenty
3800 Main St, Jordan, ON
Parking: There is no designated parking for the museum but the entire main street of Jordan is right off the laneway that leads to the museum grounds. There is also quite a bit of parking near the historic buildings.
The museum area is comprised of several beautifully restored buildings including the Fry House which is an 1815 Mennonite farmhouse and an old limestone schoolhouse. Both buildings are accessible. The Fry House has a permanent ramp on the back and the schoolhouse has a portable ramp that can be installed whenever needed. Heritage House on Main Street at the entrance of the grounds houses the museum offices, an exhibit gallery focusing on the entire Town of Lincoln and an exhibit of fraktur which is a form of Pennsylvania German folk art. Heritage House is also wheelchair accessible.
The schoolhouse is currenty showing an exhibition titled Wanderers and Workers, a display looking at the considerable contribution of migrant workers to local farms. The tools and baskets used for fruit picking by Pennsylvania German Mennonite settlers who came to this area around 1800 to the current workers from the Caribbean and Mexico are explored.
In the fall the museum hosts Pioneer Day, Oct. 4, 2008, with outdoor exhibits, food, music, demonstrations of soap and candle making and native goods plus military re-enactments and all the beautiful fall colour as the museum grounds overlook the scenic Twenty Valley.
Tel 905-562-5242
Website: www.lincoln.ca and go to vistors or residents
Hours: May to the end of August - Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sept to May - Mon. - Fri: 8:30 - 4:30; Sat. 1-4 as volunteers are available. Call ahead during off season and groups of 15 or more must call ahead.
Admission: by donation

Lincoln and Welland Regimental Museum
Mary Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake in the old Butler's barracks
Because the barracks was never meant to be a museum displays that can be damaged by humidity and heat are moved on a regular basis. A new museum is in the works and the man leading the charge is Lieutenant-Colonel Jeff Cairns, former commmanding officer of the regiment. Uniforms, weapons and vehicles are constantly rotated to avoid damage. The museum is open during the peak summer months. We have no hours or contact for this museum but will keep trying.

St. Catharines Museum
Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3
Welland Canals Parkway, St. Catharines, ON
The complex, a main tourist attraction alongside the Welland Ship Canal, has two designated parking spots in the large parking area, but it is a little distance from the building entrance. However you can drive right up to the drop-off area in front of the building. There is a ramp to access the building and automatic doors. The museum is part of the canals centre complex and is accessible. The Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum is included as part of the main museum with no additional admission cost. There is also an accessible washroom. Unfortunately the complex has no restaurant at present but a nice snack bar on the premises serving soups, sandwiches and ice cream cones is open from March to October.
Ship transit on the canal is from late march to late December and there's an elevator just inside the museum entrance that will take you to the 3rd floor viewing area. You can see the ships come into thel ock, watch it rise and then go out to the next lock. It's facinating being so close to these absolutly huge ocean going ships and lakers.
In the museum, the exhibition running from June 2 to Aug. 31, 2008 is Satisfaction Guaranteed: The Mail Order Catalogue in Canada. There are always a good number of local items on display as well.
Tel: (905)984-8880
Web site: www.stcatharineslock3museum.ca
Hours: The building is generally open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. but from late October to mid-March winter weekend hours hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: $4.25 adults, $4.00 seniors, $3.25 students 14 yrs. and up, $2.50 children and a 15% discount for families.

Niagara Historical Museum
Castlereagh at Davy Streets, Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON
There is no parking lot attached to the museum. Visitors park on the road where some spots are marked for museum parking and the roadway is flush with the sidewalk. The ground floor is fully accessible but the doors are not automatic. There is an accessible washroom. The upper gallery which comprises approximately 20 per cent of the museum is not accessible.
The museum's mandate is to display Niagara-On-The-Lake artifacts. This year, 2008, there is a special display of paintings downstairs of Niagara done between 1829 and 1917.
Tel: (905)468-3912; Web site: www.niagarahistorical.museum
Winter hours: Beginning in November 1-5 p.m. daily
Summer hours: Beginning in May 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: $5 adults, $3 seniors, $2 students, $1 children 5-12.

Welland Historical Museum
65 Hooker St., Welland ON
The museum has no designated parking spots. After entering the building through a manually-operated door, a wheelchair lift ramp will take you to the main floor.
The museum showcases the history of the Welland Canal from the United Empire Loyalists and settlement of the town and how the building of the canal brought industry to Welland which, in turn, produced population growth.
In partnership with five other museums, the Welland museum also brings travelling exhibits to the city for a three-month stay.
Children's exhibits of toys and amusements as well as interactive play are also featured in partnership with the Niagara Falls Children's Museum.
Tel: (905)732-2215
Web site: www.niagara.com
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. year-round.
Admission: Admission is by donation. However, large groups are charged $2/person.

We'll also be looking at Fort Erie and Fort George and could use the help of a real Niagara military buff.
To come:
Fort Erie
Fort George
Militaria - Re-enactments
Old Fort Erie Siege
1812 Weekend - Niagara-on-the-Lake
Jordan Pioneer Weekend -
Fife and Drum, Fort George - Niagara-on-the-Lake