Exhibits at the Museum
Currently on Display
This exhibit is currently on display in the Museum's Exhibit Building!
The Sharon Temple is the most striking remnant of a community known as the Children of Peace, many of whom lived, farmed, and worked in the area we now call Sharon. This remarkable building is constructed on a square plan and made up of squares within squares, thereby making manifest its builders’ determination to deal squarely with all people in all things.
To deal squarely is to be honest, fair, and equitable. As the Children of Peace grew into an established agricultural community, this sentiment also became enshrined in their egalitarian beliefs and co-operative principles. This marked them as unique and perhaps even unusual among their 19th-century contemporaries, but they found their place as talented musicians, capable farmers and craftspeople, and passionate political reformers. Come explore the fascinating lives and significant contributions that this community made to 19th-century Upper Canada.
Developed and curated by Madison Carmichael, Programming & Collections Manager.
Dealing Squarely: the Children of Peace in 19th-Century Upper Canada
With Affection's Offering: Greeting Cards in the Victorian Era
This exhibit is on display in the Museum's Gatehouse Giftshop!
“With Affection’s Offering” is a personal invitation into the hearts and minds of a time past. This exhibit offers the chance to recognize the greeting card’s immense potential, and connect your own experiences with those of a different place and time. The exhibit includes a specially selected collection of real greeting cards which were at the centre of genuine moments of connection between friends and family.
The journey begins with a look into the card designer’s toolbox, and continues as the card is brought to life through the print process. Then, after the card has been sold, selected, and signed, it eventually lands in the hands of its recipient. As a final request, viewers of the exhibit are asked to consider their thoughts and intentions when sending or receiving cards, and reflect on the meaning that they might bring to their lives in the future.
Developed by Abbey Hurri, Collections Assistant 2025.
On Display in the Community
Coming soon!
Online:
Road to Rebellion is here! Sharon Museum and Gardens gratefully acknowledges the financial support of our Online Exhibit through the Digital Museum of Canada (DMC)'s Community Stories Stream. Click here to view the interactive exhibit in English and French.
Developed by Katlyn Jones, Museum and Virtual Experience Manager
Past Exhibits:
Heart of the Home: Kitchens in the 1800s
This exhibition offered a look at the daily lives of families during the 1800s, highlighting the essential role of the kitchen in everyday life. Visitors discovered how cooking and baking were central to the rhythm of the day, with meals prepared using the tools and techniques of the time. This exhibition was curated by Mia Morales, our Collections Assistant in 2024.
Womanhood in the 1800s
This exhibition was curated by Mary Watson, who worked as our Collections Assistant in 2023, and it focuses on the lived experiences of women in the 1800s. Women's stories often go untold, and so this exhibition offers an opportunity to recognise and reflect on the rich lives that women lived in the past, in a variety of roles, and on their many accomplishments.
Escaping Residential Schools: Running for Our Lives
We were pleased to host "Escaping Residential Schools: Running for Our Lives," a travelling exhibition from the Legacy of Hope Foundation. Visitors learned from the experiences of First Nation, Inuit, and Metis children who sought to escape the Residential School System and who ran for their lives. This exhibition featured first person testimony and seeks to give voice to those who escaped and to honour those who did not.
"Farm Fresh Ontario"
This exhibition explored the history of farming and food production in Ontario. It was a travelling exhibition from the Archives of Ontario. Displayed alongside artifacts and historical photographs from our collection, visitors discovered the agricultural history of Sharon and East Gwillimbury, as well as the unique role the Children of Peace and their community played in the development of farmers' co-operatives in Ontario.
The Evolution of Play
Each season, the East Gwillimbury Public Library graciously allows us to use their display cases to showcase some of the museum's unique artifacts and archival documents. This provides our seasonal employees with an opportunity to create their own exhibits - from initial concept through story-boarding to installation.
The Holland Landing Library hosted an exhibit developed by our Collections Assistant, Mary Watson. It explored the effect the industrial revolution had on childhood, toys, and play. It featured toys from the early 19th century such as a teddy bear, a wind-up snake, and Magic Dots!
Values of a Utopian Society
Local artists and community members submitted works of art for an art exhibit in 2022. The art pieces reflected the four virtues of the Children of Peace: Faith, Love, Hope and Charity.
Each piece is unique and shares a story about the Sharon Temple and the Children of Peace from the perspective of the artist. Thank you to all who participated in our first ever community art exhibit!
Road to Rebellion
Open from June 2020 - October 2022, the Road to Rebellion exhibit at the Sharon Temple National Historic Site and Museum highlighted the role of the Children of Peace, the Community of Sharon, and the Sharon Temple in the Rebellion of 1837 and their quest for equality, democracy, and responsible government.
Curated by David Lichty, Master of Museum Studies (University of Toronto)