Huron/Ouendat Village

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The Huron/Ouendat Village at the Huronia Museum in Midland, Ontario, Canada, represents life between AD 1500-1600, just prior to the arrival of Europeans. The village has the following components: shaman’s lodge, wigwam, masks, fish racks, longhouse, sweat lodge, corn field, bone pit, fur drying rack, and burial rack.

The Huron Village was created by W. Wilfrid Jury (1890-1981), Director of the Indian Archaeology and Pioneer Life at the University of Western Ontario in London.

WILFRID JURY UWO

WILFRID JURY UWO

The village is modelled on Jury’s work on the excavation of the pre-contact Forget site near Midland.

DSC_0586 longhouse view from south

The village originally opened in 1956. There are only a handful of locations where longhouses have been reconstructed.     In May 2007, a fire destroyed part of the village and was closed for several months before re-opening to the public.

Visiting the village is largely done on a self guided basis, with informational panels placed throughout to share information about each aspect of village life.  Huronia Museum also offers printed guide sheets in English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, and Russian.

For groups of 15 or more, guided tours of the village are available if arranged in advance.

The Huron Ouendat Village is open every day from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm, last admission is at 3.30pm.

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Huron long house interior

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Huron long house interior

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23 thoughts on “Huron/Ouendat Village

  1. Hello, my daughter will be on a class trip to Huron Village in mid November. She uses a walker and/or a wheelchair. Can you advise if the paths are accessible?

    Thank you.

  2. The ground inside the village is quite hard packed so getting around should not be a difficulty. The path to the village is wood chip, but they are not very deep and so with a little extra push she should be fine. We have had many visitors in the past who used either a wheelchair or a walker and they were able to visit with no trouble.
    If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to contact us again.
    Thank you.

  3. Hello there!
    There are unfortunately no washrooms at all in the Huron Villagem which is really a large outdoor exhibit. The museum’s main building, which is a short distance from the village has accessible washrooms.
    Please let us know if you have anymore questions.
    Thanks. We look forward to seeing you soon!

  4. I am traveling to Midland Huron Village on Friday July 17 with children and Grandchildren (17 in group). We would like to know prices before we arrive.

  5. Hello Shirley Daigneau!
    The admission rate for children between 5 and 17 is $5 (tax included)
    The admission rate for seniors is $7 (tax included)
    The admission rate for adults between 18 and 64 is $8(Tax included )

    If you arrive as a group (a group 5 or more) and would like to take advantage of the group rate, the admission rates for adults and seniors is then $6.50 and $5 for children.
    I hope this helps. We look froward to seeing you soon!
    PS: We have lots of different activities for children like treasure hunts in the museum and village. Be sure to ask for them!

  6. I brought my friend in September, to visit the village. I had described it to her, and she was looking forward to it. We were both VERY disappointed with the state of the village that you are still charging admission for. I understand there was a fire there, and it was explained to us that you are still awaiting insurance settlements, but there is modern stuff in there now, and wood piled high waiting to be made into something. We think admission should be free, or at best no more than a couple of dollars, because the village is pathetic. There is no atmosphere, no sense of what life may have been like, and really nothing to really see. We won’t be visiting again!!!!!

  7. Hello

    Can you tell me what the Hurons jellery was made of and the dominant colours they used,Have you any jellery fron the 1500-1600 in the musium,thankyou

    • From Huronia Museum manager of collections and exhibits, Genevieve Carter:

      Pre-contact Huron jewellery was made of bone, stone, shell, porcupine quill, and copper (which was obtained through trade). Unfortunately, none of the decorative objects in the museum’s collections have retained their dyes, though we do know from early-seventeenth century European writing that the Huron liked reds. I imagine that they experimented with a variety of vegetable and mineral dyes, and were able to obtain a range of colours and hues from them.
      Note that ornamentation was not achieved through jewellery alone: “[their clothing] was carefully decorated with painting and with bands of trim made from porcupine quills. Both sexes spent considerable time caring for their hair and greasing their bodies with oil and animal fat to protect them against sun, cold, and insects. On festive occasions, colours were added to these fats and the whole body was painted with representations of men and animals, or with geometric designs. ” (Bruce Trigger, Children of Aataentsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660)

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  9. We plan to make day trips throughout the summer based on the Grade 5 Social Studies curriculum expectations for our 9 year old daughter. Does the Huron Village cover any of these expectations? If so should we plan to be at the village for the entire day 9-5? Is there enough to keep our four daughters occupied, interested, and learning for eight hours? Are there picnic grounds, barbecue sites, cafeteria?
    Thank you. I haven’t been there since 1970.

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  11. Hello,
    My husband and I will be going to the Huronia Museum sometime between April 27- and May 2nd this year. Years ago my father-A.E. Ingram created a diorama of the Huron Village. He then worked as an artist for the National Museum of Canada for the then Department of Northern Affaires and Natural Resources. I have seen pictures of the exhibit which was at the museum but would like to see the real thing as my father has since passed away. If I remember correctly my dad did a diorama of a Huron Village- also in the long house and with many of the Huron people and I think there was a Huron nativity scene. I hope you can tell me where these are. We leave for Collingwood this Saturday- April 26. Thank you.
    Linda Prichett

    • We have had people inquire about wedding photos and similar things, but to my knowledge there hasn’t been a wedding in the village.

  12. I was pleased to see that the diorama by father (Arthur Edward Ingram) created of the Huron nativity scene is still intact and on display. Your museum is unique and I think it would be a wonderful backdrop to a modern wedding.
    Thank you,
    Linda Prichett

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  15. We’ve been there in the Museum and in the village today. We’re from Italy and we were very enthusiast of everything we’ve seen. Iy’s really a fantastic place and we are very happy for having had this special experience. We loved the Village very much and we wish all people one day could see it 😊

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