Lake of the Woods Museum

Photo Credit: Jeremy Shields

The Lake of the Woods Museum is located in the City of Kenora, Ontario. This museum was established in 1964 and is one of the finest small museums in Canada.

The Lake of the Woods Museum is a well-established museum that is the home to a varied and intriguing collection of artifacts and thematic displays and special events. 

The Lake of the Woods Museum’s exhibits begin with an intriguing collection of aboriginal artifacts, including colourful bead work, quill work, embroidery, jingle dresses, ceremonial pipes, birch bark and willow baskets, accented with photographs of the area’s first inhabitants.

The second exhibit focuses on the everyday home and social life between 1890 and 1920, a time of tremendous growth of the town of Kenora. Sitting room, kitchen, and bedroom vignettes are set off with exhibits featuring china, silverware, local schools, war service, women’s period dress, household goods, and souvenir ware.

The third exhibit is the industrial development of the town.  Lumbering, mining, water power, flour milling, and lake transportation were vital to the area’s development.  A diorama of the lake’s most successful gold mine, the Sultana; photographs of boat building and store interiors; Lake of the Woods Brewery artifacts; medical devices; and outboard motors are just a sampling of what’s on display.