Something new is coming to the Simcoe County Museum in Midhurst.
While the museum closed to the public in November so crews could begin work on interior renovations, there’s still been a lot going on at the site, located just a few minutes outside of Barrie, museum curator Kelley Swift Jones said.
Interior demolition and renovation work got underway back in the fall, while exterior work for new septic lines and the additional foundation for the expansion is scheduled to begin in April, Swift Jones added.
The entire project — which includes the completion of the 5,000-square-foot Mathews Innovation and Transportation Gallery with a mezzanine and a 2,300-sq.-ft. space for the museum’s curatorial requirements — is scheduled to be completed in June 2026.
While the museum was initially set to reopen to the public at the end of March, officials recently announced that it has since been changed to June 1 due to some minor delays.
Despite that, Swift Jones says the project is coming along well so far.
“There have been delays, as there often are in projects like this. Supply-chain issues have been a bit of a challenge this year with a few different pieces of mechanical equipment and so on," she said. "That’s why there’s been a delay to extend the closure for the renovation portion from the end of March until the end of May, primarily due to supply chain delays.
“Everything else is still on track to be finished with the 13,000-sq.-ft. addition by the end of 2026.”
Staff are counting down the days until the expansion is complete, as it will include new space for collection storage, she noted.
“A lot of museums only display a percentage of the actual artifacts that they have in their collections," said Swift Jones. "Our collection storage was getting really tight and overcrowded and we had some artifacts in not-ideal conditions. This two-level expansion allows for really great improvement for collection storage.”
Another important aspect of the expansion is the exhibition gallery, she added.
“The innovation gallery space allows us to bring back a whole bunch of artifacts that haven’t been on display for a while — particularly the transportation collection," said Swift Jones. "When we had our last expansion, which opened in 2006, we had to close the transportation barn. A lot of our cutters, wagons and displays were put into storage. Some of those will be coming back.”
The museum has also received donations of some “really great vehicles,” she said, adding those will also have a place of honour in the innovation gallery.
The total cost for phase one of the renovation and expansion project is $16.6 million, and, as things stand now, it is still on budget, Swift Jones confirmed.
While the museum will remain closed to the general public until the end of May, school groups will be returning in May as staff do have access to a portion of the museum including interpretive rooms and washroom facilities.
“Students will still be able to access those rooms, and most programs offered in May and June tend to be early settler workshops, which are primarily conducted outside," she added.
And, while staff have not been able to welcome the public for the last few months, they have been busy behind the scenes working on future exhibits, Swift Jones said.
“This is the second time I have been involved in an expansion," she added. "There’s a lot of work and a lot of changes that happen … but just the thought of having a new space and a beautiful new gallery to talk about innovation (in) Simcoe County from an environmental and historical perspective … I don’t even know if we can put into words how excited we are to get this built and showcase new exhibits, safeguard our collection and have more space to share our history.”