Simcoe County Virtual Exhibition Gallery
Step back into the turn of the 20th century. Through high-fidelity 3D interactive captures, explore the physical structures, community cornerstones, and industrial innovations that reshaped daily life across Simcoe County between 1890 and 1920. Click and drag inside the windows below to explore the artifacts in full 360 degrees.
Originally constructed in 1870 for the Hamilton and North-Western Railway, the Gilford Station stands as a testament to the steam era that broken open Simcoe County's logging and agricultural industries. By the early 1900s, under the Grand Trunk Railway network, stations like this were vital community hubs connecting remote settlements to bustling commerce centers like Barrie and Toronto. Discover the unique architectural board-and-batten framing preserved directly from the tracks.
Before the assembly lines of southern Ontario dominated the global automotive industry, local ingenuity flourished right here in Simcoe County. Manufactured by the Tudhope Carriage Company in Orillia, Ontario, this 1909 high-wheeler represented the dawn of motorized transition from horse-drawn transport. Rotate the asset to examine the carriage-style chassis, high-clearance wheels built to handle rugged, unpaved rural roads, and early internal combustion engineering.
Education at the dawn of the 20th century was a localized, single-room affair. Built in 1900, the Minesing Schoolhouse accommodated local children of all ages under one roof, serving as a social foundation for rural communities. Famous for its historic architecture, this building also captured international attention when it served as the backdrop for the iconic 1985 television production of Anne of Green Gables. Zoom in to inspect the authentic masonry layout and structural design preserved on the museum grounds.