Open House

The Fredericton Region Museum will open its doors to the community with free admission and lots of family programming this Sunday as part of its annual Open House.

There has never been a better time to get out and explore one of downtown Fredericton’s most recognizable buildings – the famous military barracks in Officer’s Square, home to the Fredericton Region Museum, who will host their annual Open House this Sunday.

“This will be the seventh consecutive year the Open House is running,” said Richard Ivey, a summer student at FRM. “During the event we open our doors to the public and waive admission fees. We strive to provide family oriented activities to draw in as many visitors as possible who may not have attended the museum before. Past events have included crafts, refreshments, musicians, face painting, scavenger hunts, rug hooking, and knitting.”

This year’s Open House theme will be Arts & Crafts, and will include several local artists set-up in various locations throughout the museum.

“We have local up-and-coming artists attending to demonstrate their skills,” said Ivey. “We have an artist who will be working on a textile craft, another who will be live demonstrating painting and drawing skills, and we will be displaying jewelry and other items of a metal worker. We will be providing art materials to allow the public to try their hand at drawing and painting. Local musician Emilio Bonnell will be attending to provide live music. We will also have crafts for children, door prizes and a booksale.”

This year’s event will also offer an opportunity for visitors to visit the museum’s third floor, an area generally closed off the public where the museum’s artifacts are stored and where the collection team work to create and maintain exhibits. Guided tours will also be available.

“People tend to visit museums in an attempt to soak up the history of the area when travelling on vacation,” said Ivey. “At Fredericton Museum we believe that learning about history does not have to reserved for special occasions. We hope to draw in not only visitors from other areas but locals as well. The Fredericton community has a lot to offer. When people take the time to look around they are often surprised to find out how deep and interesting our local culture is.”

The Fredericton Region Museum is open most days of the week between 10:00AM and 5:00PM.