Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum

Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum Heritage House is the municipal museum, archive & art gallery for the Smiths Falls community. He died in debt on January 1st, 1864.

In the early 1850's the lure of plenty of water power and the promise of railway development attracted Joshua Bates, founder of nearby Farmersville (now Athens), to a site beside the roaring waters of Old Sly's Rapids on the Rideau Canal. Bates built two mills on property leased from the Crown and promoted the development of the Brockville and Ottawa Railway Company. After suffering considerable l

osses in his milling operations and investing heavily in the now bankrupt railway company, he began construction of his large frame house in 1861. Despite his optimism for the future, fate did not allow Joshua Bates to recoup his fortune or to enjoy his new home. Ironically, his home and mills were acquired by his competitor Truman R. Ward, eldest son of Abel Russell Ward, a founding father of Smiths Falls. After many years of neglect, the Corporation of the Town of Smiths Falls purchased the once dignified country estate from the Gleeson family in 1977 for use as a museum. Today the lifestyles of Joshua and Tamson Bates and Truman and Anabella Ward are depicted in the classically styled home where both families once lived. Heritage House Museum functions as a historic house depicting upper middle class life circa 1865-1875 and as a local museum featuring a permanent collection of Smiths Falls artifacts, traveling exhibits and art shows.

We wanted to thank our amazing summer students for their hard work this season. They helped with summer camps, movie nig...
08/27/2026

We wanted to thank our amazing summer students for their hard work this season. They helped with summer camps, movie nights, events, tours and so much more. Lots of laughs and fun shared. We wish them the most wonderful year at school!

Still a few spaces available for tonight's Ghost Walk!Our ticketing system is acting up and there are a few spaces still...
08/14/2026

Still a few spaces available for tonight's Ghost Walk!

Our ticketing system is acting up and there are a few spaces still available. If you would like to learn some bizarre happenings in downtown Smiths Falls, please meet our guide at the front of Town Hall for 7 pm. Or you can purchase your tickets in advance at the museum, 613-283-6311. Tickets are just $10/person.

Rideau Artist of the Year - Competition WinnersAlmost 20 regional artists were challenged to complete an original piece ...
08/13/2026

Rideau Artist of the Year - Competition Winners

Almost 20 regional artists were challenged to complete an original piece of artwork in the style of en plein air during the July 25 Smiths Falls Big Art Walk. Using downtown Smiths Falls and the Rideau waterway as their inspiration, each artist had up to 12 hours to complete their works and submit them
to the panel of three art jurors for review.

This year the museum presented a tie for Rideau Artist of the Year!

Carleton Place artist Heidi Sinnett won for her ink and watercolour piece of the Smiths Falls Public Library entitled, Inkformation.

Westport artist, Lorraine Gravelle shared the title and prize for her acrylic painting titled, Lest We Forget.

The second-place winner was Makenna Cleaver, for her work, Mother’s Morning.

This year, the museum awarded an Honorable Mention to Ryan Hill of Ottawa for his acrylic and oil entry titled, Streetside.

This diverse showcase of local talent from the competition will be on display for the public at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum, Wednesday - Sunday 10:30 am - 4:30 pm until October 4, 2026.

See you at the Museum!

Come paddling with us!In partnership with the Rideau Roundtable the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum is offering histo...
08/13/2026

Come paddling with us!

In partnership with the Rideau Roundtable the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum is offering historic canoe tours on Sunday, August 23rd:

Guests will start at the museum for an outdoor tour around Old Slys before heading over to Lower Reach to load into a voyageur canoe for a tour of the waterway to the Detached Lock Station.

Tour times start at 10 am and 2 pm and cost $40 per adult (13+), $30 per child (12 or under). Pre Registration is required.

For more information or to save your spot, contact 613-283-6311 or [email protected].

Join us this Friday, August 14th for our Downtown Smiths Falls Ghostwalk! Only $10/person. For more details or to orde...
08/12/2026

Join us this Friday, August 14th for our Downtown Smiths Falls Ghostwalk! Only $10/person. For more details or to order your tickets visit: https://GhostWalksSF.eventbrite.ca.



Experience Smiths Falls Downtown Smiths Falls

Photo Credit: Kathy Botham

07/29/2026

See Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde on their new adventure in Zootopia 2! We are excited for the second week of Smiths Falls Movies Under the Stars 2026. Pixie Pie Face Painting will be there painting faces at 7 pm, the same time the canteen opens! Movie is on at dusk.
Thank you to our generous sponsor REMAX!

It is a beautiful day in Smiths Falls!We have some dedicated artists capturing the community and the Rideau Canal for ou...
07/25/2026

It is a beautiful day in Smiths Falls!

We have some dedicated artists capturing the community and the Rideau Canal for our Rideau Artist of the Year competition. If you see them around town, please encourage them.

And they're off!The 5th Rideau Artist of the Year competition has begun. Take a tour of downtown Smiths Falls today and...
07/25/2026

And they're off!

The 5th Rideau Artist of the Year competition has begun. Take a tour of downtown Smiths Falls today and watch artists compete en plein air to win the title of Rideau Artist of the Year. From 10 am - 4 pm the downtown is also hosting the Big Art Walk with artists, performers and entertainment throughout the day.

A beautiful day to celebrate the arts in Smiths Falls!



SMITHS FALLS WHALE BONES!It has been a long time since we updated you all on the Smiths Falls/Numogate Whale Bones, we s...
07/23/2026

SMITHS FALLS WHALE BONES!

It has been a long time since we updated you all on the Smiths Falls/Numogate Whale Bones, we send our deepest apologies out for that. Truth be told, I travelled to Montreal back in Febuary to visit the Peter Redpath Museum at McGill University where the bones are held. While there, I (along with my sister and our friend) spoke with Mr. Anothony Howell regarding the bones. Why have I withheld this information until now? Dramatic effect of course (i.e. I forgot to post it...). Here is the current update:

Due to the records being so ancient (1882 was a while ago, I believe) they have unfortunately been lost to time. However, the amazing Anthony has narrowed the Smiths Falls bones down to one of two similar sets that both came in around the same time. Currently, the Peter Redpath Museum is searching for proper funding to send the bones for dating and analysis to confirm once and for all which of the two sets are the humpback whale from Numogate/Smiths Falls. In the meantime on our end, we have been preparing for a 2027 Champlain Sea exhibit that also focuses on the impacts to the geography of modern day Smiths Falls. If, by that time, the whale bones have not been identified, we will propose the possibility of bringing both sets to Smiths Falls! That way regardless the bones will be returned home, at least for a little while.

In the meantime, the whale naming website (made for us by lovely members of the community) remains open! Please go to https://smithsfallswhale.ca/ to cast your votes. In early 2027 we will narrow the top 4 or so names down (we have to adjust, as unfortunately the numbers have been artifically skewed towards one name by a factor of 1000 votes), where we will host the final community vote. The name for the whale that once swam right above modern day Smiths Falls will be revealed at the opening to our 2027 Champlain Sea Exhibit when this happens!

Thank you all so very much for your patience with this undertaking. We hope you are all still as excited as we are!

All the best and stay "whale" (it sounds like well... get it?)

Ayden

Address

11 Old Slys Road
Smiths Falls, ON
K7A3M3

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 10:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+16132836311

Website

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