The annual Illumination event since 1832 held in September.
This drawing depicts the Battle at Montgomery's Tavern.
A black and white wedding at the Doan House.
The annual Illumination event since 1832 held in September.
Winter Hours: The Museum's historic buildings are CLOSED for the winter. However, our offices are open for inquiries.
Sunday: CLOSED
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: CLOSED
Thursday: CLOSED
Friday: CLOSED
Saturday: CLOSED
The Museum will OPEN for the season on May 30th, 2025.
Stay Connected:
Get Involved:
We are always looking for volunteers to help out. Contact us and find out how we can find something that matches your interests! Year round opportunities available.
Support the Museum:
There are a variety of ways that you can provide support for the Sharon Temple. Becoming a member, setting up a monthly contribution, or set up a Legacy Gift.
Land Acknowledgment
We here at Sharon Museum & Gardens would like to acknowledge that the land we work on, and the land any tours, events, and programming take place on, are the unceded, ancestral homelands of the Anishinabewaki, the Wendake, the Haudenosaunee, and the Mississauga. We take great pride in the responsibility of being caretakers of this land, and endeavour to do all in our power to respect and maintain the land while acknowledging its history.
We would also like to acknowledge the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, as East Gwillimbury’s closest First Nation community, and recognize the unique relationship the Chippewas have with this territory.
Proposed Site Rendering
SITE UPDATE
Sharon Museum and Gardens (SMG) (formerly Sharon Temple National Historic Site and Museum), in partnership with Welland Land Development, is thrilled to announce plans to construct a new visitor centre. This decision followed the tragic loss of the historic Stephen Howard Jr. House to fire on October 11th, 2024. With the support of the Town of East Gwillimbury, the historic house was slated to be relocated by Welland to the site of SMG to serve as a visitor centre. In the aftermath of this loss, Welland has stepped up to construct an entirely new visitor centre for SMG, which will support the Board of Directors’ bold strategic plans for the future of Sharon Museum and Gardens.
The Stephen Howard Jr. House was designated by the Town of East Gwillimbury as a property of cultural heritage, value, or interest in 2015. It was built in 1864 by Stephen Howard Jr., who was the son of an early Quaker settler in this area. Its destruction was a significant loss for the heritage of East Gwillimbury, as well as the Howard family, who (until recently) continuously lived in the house for nearly five generations. Another loss from its destruction was the future it offered to SMG as a visitor centre containing an expanded exhibit gallery, as well as additional storage for the museum’s collection. The Board of Directors at SMG are deeply grateful to the Town of East Gwillimbury for their continued support of the Howard House project.
The vision of a new visitor centre stems from a strategic plan established by SMG to govern the Museum from 2024 to 2027. As guided by the objectives outlined in this plan, the Museum intends to expand how we engage with the community and to enhance the functionality and interpretation of the site. The new visitor centre envisioned through this partnership between SMG and Welland will offer additional storage space for the Museum’s collection, significant exhibit space, programming space, and multipurpose space for community use and rental, operating as a place for the community of East Gwillimbury to come together, reflect, learn, and celebrate at.
“We were deeply saddened by the loss of Howard House in a fire on October 11, 2024. This unfortunate event has nullified our original relocation plan, which we were eagerly anticipating. In light of this loss, we have explored alternative options to honor our commitment to both the Town and SMG. We are pleased to share that SMG is satisfied with the new design of the Visitors' Centre, and our architectural team is currently refining the final details. We remain dedicated to positively contributing to our community and the Town.” - Henry Li, Representative for Welland Land Development Inc.
In the News
Upcoming Events
York Region Classical Music Festival - Piano TrioSun, Sep 07East Gwillimbury
