lang pioneer village virtual tour

Time Travelling Online: A Virtual Q&A at Lang Pioneer Village Museum

• April 2, 2021
• , Peterborough and the Kawarthas , Uncategorized

Wall to wall and floor to ceiling, the room is filled with artifacts of a bygone age: colourful tins of tea and coffee, delicate china tea sets, wooden barrels and copper buckets, snowshoes and straw hats, bottles of patent medicine claiming to cure everything from toothache to hair loss. The sun shines brightly through the front window and grows dimmer at the back of the room, where a checkerboard sits between two spindleback chairs waiting for the town gossips to come swap stories.

It’s strange to be taking this in over a Zoom call. The irony of using video conferencing software to connect with the nineteenth century isn’t lost on Hailey Doughty, the interpreter leading my family through a virtual tour at Lang Pioneer Village Museum . But she’s quick to point out there are more parallels between pioneer and the 21 st century lifestyles than you might guess. With its departments ranging from a pharmacy to homewares to luxuries, Menie General Store represents the 1899 equivalent of a one-stop box store. “Going to the general store once a month might be like going shopping once a week rather than, oh, I’m just going to run into the store and grab something,” Doughty says, laughing.

This isn’t my first visit to Lang (see this article for a sense of the museum pre-pandemic), but it’s my first experience of the Virtual Q&A program . Launched in the fall of 2020, the program seeks to give visitors a “living museum” experience from the safety of their own home. Interpreters offer 30-minute sessions in key buildings chosen from among the roughly three dozen buildings on the grounds outside Keene, Ontario. Options include the Menie General Store, South Lake School House, Fife Cabin, Samuel Lowry Weaver Shop, and Register Print Shop. Although you can’t explore the meticulously recreated 19 th century village on your own at the time of this writing, you can still get an in-depth look with the help of a skilled interpreter.

The last time I visited in person my son was three. Now he’s five, and he’s got even more questions. He asks Doughty to show him the toy section, where we admire the stereoscope, a kind of wood-and-wire View-Master prototype. In the school supplies section, we ponder the slate boards that pulled iPad duty for kids studying at home. Most engaging of all is the artifact guessing game: Doughty asks what we think a cup with an odd ceramic ridge is, but we’re stumped. Turns out it’s a moustache protector, designed to keep one’s fashionable waxed moustache from wilting while sipping tea.

Details like these don’t just keep kids amused. To me, the goofy gadgetry makes a distant, potentially dusty subject relatable. It evokes a real person chasing fads and susceptible to vanity, more memorable than any record of names and dates. “Even in the summer you’ll have people come in and they’ll be like, ‘we’re gonna be here for ten minutes,’” Doughty says. “And then those are the people that, when we didn’t have COVID and we were able to have people on site, would be here for three hours because they’d be just absolutely enthralled with everything.”

Our 30-minute session goes by quickly, so I’m glad I’ve signed up for a double header. The Menie General Store was relocated from just east of Campbellford and most of the artifacts sourced from nearby, to preserve the sense of a local connection. It’s a recognizably modern experience compared to our next stop, the Fife Cabin.

Our second interpreter, Renee Homiak, describes the Fife family as lucky for having windows. The door is open for some extra light, and Homiak is bundled up in period-appropriate clothing against the March weather. The rustic log cabin she stands in is the oldest build on site, built in 1825 and representing a settler’s first home after arriving in Canada. Homiak tells us European immigrants set sail in early spring, arriving in the region in late summer or early fall. They had to work quickly before winter set in. Preoccupied with building a shelter and unfamiliar with the territory, they relied on the knowledge of the local Indigenous inhabitants, the Michi Saagiig, to survive. The Michi Saagiig showed them hunting grounds, introduced them to ice fishing, and taught them to replace their clunky leather boots with seasonally appropriate moccasins. “Without their help they probably wouldn’t have survived through the winter,” Homiak says.

The Fifes would survive the journey from Scotland to make a lasting impact on Canadian agriculture, thanks to the introduction of Red Fife wheat. The hardy variety was well-adapted to the northern climate, becoming the country’s number one wheat for decades to come (it remains popular today, with Black’s Distillery in Peterborough using it in their spirits as a local homage). Homiak says none of that would have come to pass if Jane Fife hadn’t rescued the first grain samples from a hungry cow: “They planted all of the seeds that they had, and Jane Fife ran out just in the nick of time to save three wheat heads – their family cow was trampling everything and eating the wheat.”

Again the personal details make the one-room cabin seem alive with history. “I love the collection, the artifacts – they speak,” Homiak says. “Every crack is a different story, every notch in the wood is what was happening, what was going on. To be able to gather that information and share it with people is just amazing. And I do believe that we can learn a lot from our past, and that history repeats itself, and we can make better choices in the future.”

As we near the end of our tour, I ask Homiak and Doughty what it’s been like moving such a visual, tactile experience online. Both miss the in-person days, but the response is surprisingly positive. “I had a school from Niagara, which would be far too long for them to come for a daytrip. They booked three times because they were just so excited to see something that they haven’t been able to,” Doughty says. “It’s great because we’re getting to connect people, but also people we’ve never connected with before because they’ve been so far out.”

If circumstances or distance have kept you from visiting, now might be a good time to give Lang a try. Doughty says staff and volunteers have a sense of mission about ensuring the wealth of historical knowledge stored there. “When people aren’t at the village it’s empty,” she says as we wrap up the call. “That’s what the village is meant to be, it’s living, it has people through it. So if we can even get them virtually, that’s much better than no one taking it in.”

Click here to book a Virtual Q&A at Lang Pioneer Village Museum, and check the website frequently for updates on the status of special events and guided tours.

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Lang Pioneer Village Museum

History comes alive at Lang Pioneer Village, an immersive museum experience nestled on the shores of the Indian River. Featuring over 30 restored and furnished 19th century homes and buildings along with costumed villagers who bring the village to life, Lang Pioneer Village offers a museum experience unlike any other.

The Lang Pioneer Village Museum is about 18 km east of Peterborough, just off County Road 24.

For up-to-date information and details on Lang Pioneer Village Museum, we recommend you visit their website . For information about other places of interest to explore nearby, keep scrolling to see what Destination Ontario recommends.

More about Lang Pioneer Village Museum

Established to commemorate the centennial of Canada’s Confederation in 1967, the Lang Pioneer Village Museum serves as a reminder of Peterborough’s historic past. The Museum’s mission is to preserve, promote, and authentically recreate the history of Peterborough County. 

Visitors can tour more than 30 buildings on the 40-acre site, all of which were originally built between 1820 and 1910 and have been restored and furnished. This includes homes, shops, a factory, a general store and post office, church, schoolhouse, and two mills.

Costumed residents of all ages dressed in authentic 19th century attire attend to their daily chores and go about life in the village, making history come alive for visitors who explore the grounds at their own pace. Most buildings have an interpreter stationed inside happy to provide information and answer questions about that particular place.

Notable among the buildings is the working Lang Grist Mill and the weaver shop and loom, which features one of the only Jacquard looms currently on display in North America. There are even genuine outhouses on the property (though visitors aren’t expected to use them). They’re simply there to show what life was like in the 1800s.

Local farms in the area loan animals to the Pioneer Village, so visitors may get the chance to see sheep, goats, pigs or chickens.

The experiences at Lang Pioneer Village include Aabnaabin Camp, where visitors can learn about the history, language, and culture of the Michi Saagiig (Mississaguas) and hear the First Nations story told by Indigenous interpreters, thanks to a partnership between Lang Pioneer Village and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations.

A typical experience at Lang Pioneer Village is both indoors and outdoors. Hours of operation vary by season and day of the week, so be sure to check the website before you visit. The Museum recommends planning a minimum of two hours to explore the entirety of the grounds, though some have been known to spend the entire day.

There are plenty of picnic spots around the Village, which are perfect for outdoor lunches. The Village also features a snack booth that serves assorted food, beverages, and Kawartha Dairy ice cream, or visitors can venture to local restaurants in the nearby town of Keene.

There are several annual events at Lang Pioneer Village, including the Father’s Day Smoke & Steam Show, Transportation Day Car & Motorcycle Show, the Anniversary Weekend Celebration, Applefest, Historic All Hallow’s Eve and Christmas by Candlelight. Events tend to sell out fast, so remember to purchase your tickets online in advance.

Due to the historic nature of the buildings, it is important to note that not all are up to modern accessibility standards. If visitors are unable to enter a particular building, the staff will work to meet their needs as best they can. Lang Pioneer Village is working hard to enhance accessibility around the village.

Lang Pioneer Village offers an unparalleled glance into the past, where visitors can step back in time to explore and learn about 19th century Canadian pioneer life.

Last updated:  August 18, 2023

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Lang Pioneer Village Museum Claimed

Welcome to lang pioneer village.

Travel back in time and experience Peterborough County’s history brough to life at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. Throughout the village, costumed interpreters will introduce you to the people, trades and events that have helped shape local history as you visit more than 30 homes and businesses from 1800 to 1910. Discover the history and culture of the Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg at Aabnaabin Camp, a partnership project with Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation. Explore a working Grist Mill, discover the early technology which led to the development of the computer at the Samuel Lowry Weaver Shop, hear the sounds of history all around you – the hammer striking the anvil in the Blacksmith Shop, the ringing of the school bell, the bleating of heritage sheep, the creak of the woodstove opening and so much more. We invite you to come visit us today. It’s where history is happening!

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104 Lang Road, Keene, Ontario K0L 2G0, Canada

• (705) 295-6694 or 1-866-289-5264
• https://www.langpioneervillage.ca

( Lang Pioneer Village Museum )

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Where Your Outdoor Recreation Begins

Pioneer Village Virtual Tour

Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department and our amazing volunteers teamed up with Envisionary Media and Jane Santucci to create a virtual experience of Pioneer Village for all to enjoy.

Each Monday from November 16- December 7 we will release the videos created in lieu of our annual special events. All videos will be posted at 12:00 p.m. on designated release dates.

Gristmill Video Release Date: November 16, 2020

Tannery Video Release Date: November 30, 2020

Please help us boost our viewership and subscribe to our YouTube Channel and like our videos!

Tourism Info

Lang Pioneer Village Museum is located in Keene, ON, just 10 minutes east of Peterborough in the township of Otonabee-South Monaghan. Lang Pioneer Village Museum is a historical site located within the Peterborough & the Kawarthas tourism region. Comprised of Peterborough City and County, Peterborough & the Kawarthas covers a vast area with many attractions, accommodations, restaurants and more.

Lang Pioneer Village Museum is proud to have signed the O'de Piitaanemaan Pledge. The Pledge (pronounced Oh-da-pee-tah-na-mawn) is a way for everyone who loves Peterborough & the Kawarthas to become a steward of the land, waterways and culture that make it such a special place and help to ensure it stays that way. Visit www.thekawarthas.ca/pledge to learn more.

For tourism information, please visit the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism Visitor Centre located at 270 George St. N. in Peterborough, call 705-742-2201 or visit their website at thekawarthas.ca .

Lang Pioneer Village Museum is also a proud partner of Kawarthas Northumberland. Visit their website at kawarthasnorthumberland.ca .

Tourism & Information Sites

Buckhorn Tourist Association Family Days Out Kawartha Now Kawarthas Northumberland Regional Tourism Organization Ontario Festivals Visited Otonabee-South Monaghan Township Peterborough & the Kawarthas Literary Tourism- The Word Travels PeterboroughOntario.com Rice Lake Tourist Association Rice Lake Info

Lang Pioneer Village