Joseph Schneider Haus

The Joseph Schneider Haus Museum and Gallery is a dynamic community museum in downtown Kitchener. The heart of the complex is the fine Georgian frame farmhouse built by one of the area's first pioneers, Joseph Schneider, a Pennsylvania-German Mennonite. A local landmark and Kitchener's oldest dwelling, the c. 1816 homestead was restored and furnished and opened as a living history museum in 1981.

Adjacent to the museum is a modern wing which houses administrative support areas, exhibit galleries, programming space, an artifact vault and a resource library. Among the museum's stored collections is the prestigious Canadian Harvest Collection of German-Canadian Folk Art which preserves significant artifacts from areas of Germanic settlement across Canada.

Programs and events

The museum offers a wide range of programs and professional services designed to educate and to entertain.

View the Event Calendar or contact us for a full listing of events, exhibits, educational programs and professional services, or explore the online collection.

Folk Artist-In-Residence 2012

The Friends of Joseph Schneider Haus sponsor the annual Folk Artist-in-Residence Program, designed to support the efforts of local artists and artisans working in traditional crafts and trades. The Friends are pleased to introduce F.A.I.R 2012 Debbie Thompson Wilson, Miniature Painter and Limner. Debbie begins her residency with the exhibit The Illustrated Alphabet: Everyman's ABC Feb. 18 to June 10, 2012. Check out the brochure for more information.

In the Galleries

Feb. 18 to April 9, 2012 
Mitts, Muffs and Buffalo Rugs
For the Schneiders and their Mennonite neighbours, winter was a time for quiet fireside moments, but also for layering on the woollies, bundling the family into the cutter and enjoying a thrilling ride over the snow-packed roads to visit family and friends. Mitts, Muffs and Buffalo Rugs celebrates how our ancestors so cannily outsmarted the cold of winter. 

Feb. 18 to June 10
The Illustrated Alphabet: Everyman's ABC
An intimate look at the alphabet from A to Z through illuminated letters, printed ABCs and other early educational aids.

Student Interpreter Activity

Students visiting the haus with their class will receive a Student Interpreter Pass with a link to our Student Interpreter Activity.
Show your pass for free admission for you and an adult. Take part in the Student Interpreter Activity to test your skills and have some fun!

Contact us

Joseph Schnieder Haus

466 Queen St. S.

Kitchener, ON N2G 1W7

Phone: 519-742-7752

Fax: 519-742-0089

Hours of operation

• Wednesday to Saturday - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday - 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The historic haus will be closed from Dec. 25, 2011 to Feb. 18, 2012.

Admission

• Adults $2.25
• Seniors/Students $1.50
• Children $1.25
• Family $5

Free parking is located across the street and the museum is accessible by transit routes 2, 8, 24 and 25. The main floor of the historic house and exhibit galleries is wheelchair accessible. A written guide is available for those unable to access the second floor.