Wednesday, May 21, 2008
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
Rideau Canal Museum Now Open
SMITHS FALLS, ON – The Smiths Falls Rideau Canal Museum is now open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and even prouder this season to be the heart of the Rideau Canal, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Last year, the Canal joined thirteen Canadian locations on the World Heritage list and became the first in Ontario to receive the global title.
On Friday, May 30, the museum will kick off the summer season with a concert performed by Larry Paul & Company. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be $12 each and can be purchased at the door or by calling the Museum at 613-284-0505 to reserve. The museum’s 80-seat auditorium provides a unique musical experience with refreshments available during intermission.
Full season passes are now available for purchase at $25 each and the membership will include free admission to the museum for the member and up to five guests, personal invitations to special events, a 10% discount in the museum’s gift shop, a reduced rate to rent to museum’s auditorium, an open door and voice to the Annual General Meeting, access to organizational committees and the Board of Governors, and a complimentary welcome package. Company memberships are also available at different rates based on the number of employees.
From June 1-8, the Rideau Canal Museum will also be having a sale of nearly all our Gift Shop merchandise!
The discounts will range from 10% - 50% on Gift Shop items including blown glass, pottery, jewellery, handmade soap, bees- wax candles, paintings, art prints, handmade cards, as well as children’s toys and games.
Aside from the many items on sale in the Gift Shop, please feel free to visit our Waterfall Café for a choice of delicious treats and beverages.
On June 8, the museum will be part of Doors Open Smiths Falls during which 17 heritage and cultural sites will be open to the public free of charge. In collaboration with the Rideau Roundtable, the museum will be offering Voyageur Canoe Rides on a 34-foot replica canoe. Learn about the history and wildlife of the Rideau River while a qualified and costumed canoe instructor tells the story of the canal’s construction from 1826-1832.
There will be voyageur canoe rides also on June 14, July 5, July 19, July 20, and August 2, and a spot can be reserved for these tours by calling the Museum.
The annual Rideau Rangers Day Camp invites children from ages 4 to 10 to join this summer’s fun-filled week from either July 14-18 or August 18-22. From 10a.m. to 4p.m. Monday to Friday, kids will enjoy indoor and outdoor activities, arts and crafts, a canal history lesson and relative game/activity, and a cultural experience on a Voyageur Canoe ride! Please call the museum as soon as possible to book your child’s spot.
For this year’s Chocolate and Railway Festival, there will be a special exhibit with the world-renowned Rideau Carvers on the museum's 3rd floor from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. Permitting the weather, there will also be an outdoor demonstration for present-day carvers to exhibit their unbelievable skill. The history of decoy carving on the Rideau waterway is an old art form that began out of necessity in order to attract migrating ducks and geese. In the late 1960s and early 70s, a group of men from the Smiths Falls area began decoy carving in the North American contest circuit and have since been internationally awarded. Come see the four remaining members of the Rideau Carvers and an exhibit featuring their accomplishments. A 1970s film titled "Smiths Falls Carvers" will also be shown in the museum's auditorium.
The museum’s staff is currently working on a scotch and wine tasting series and more information will be posted in the next coming weeks.
For more information, please contact the Rideau Canal Museum 613-284-0505 or visit our website, rideau-info.com/museum
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Exhibits