About The Arthur Child Heritage Museum

The site on which the Heritage Museum now stands was originally the main station for the Thousand Islands Railway. After passenger service ended in 1962, the station, owned by the Town of Gananoque, became a restaurant but was destroyed by fire in 1990. Arthur Child, who grew up in Gananoque, wanted to ensure the preservation of the rich history of the Thousand Islands region. His ideas and generous donation, together with the Town's land, Municipal, Federal and Provincial Government funding as well as additional private and corporate donations, brought about the construction of the Arthur Child Heritage Museum, the centrepiece of the Historic Thousand Islands Village complex. The Town of Gananoque continues to own the building but the museum is operated and governed as a registered non-profit charitable organization by a volunteer Board of Directors.

The Heritage Museum invites residents and visitors to celebrate the natural and cultural history of the 1000 Islands region. We welcome over 30,000 local, regional, and international visitors annually to enjoy this popular waterfront attraction.                                                              

                                             The Arthur Child Heritage Museum viewed from the water's edge.

Mission Statement

The Historic Thousand Islands Village Foundation operating as the Arthur Child Heritage Museum of the Thousand Islands is a non-profit charitable organization, dedicated to creating exhibits and archives, collecting and preserving artifacts that interpret the unique history, life and times of the Thousand Islands Region and its communities.

                                  Community Supported
We are a proud member of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve network of regional partner organizations.