Waterloo Region Museums and Galleries
Waterloo Region is home to a number of locally and nationally renowned museums and galleries. You are invited to visit each cultural site to see what it has to offer!
City of Cambridge
Museums & Galleries, Things to Do
The Fashion History Museum is located in a former post office in Hespeler. It was founded in 2004, but did not have a permanent home for ten years, resulting in travelling exhibitions until 2015 when they moved to their current location.
The collection in the museum spans from the 1660s to the present day, and includes almost 10,000 different items. One of their notable artifacts is claimed to be the oldest European shoe worn in America, while another noteworthy item is a hat worn by Julia Grant, wife of Ulysses S. Grant. As well as historical garments, the Fashion History Museum also highlights contemporary items, and has a library and archive of fashion-related publications. Artifacts from the Fashion History Museum have travelled to many locations around the world, including Hong Kong and Bahrain.
The Fashion History Museum features a number of exhibitions which are changed regularly. Past exhibits have included Jane Austen’s World, vintage Hollywood glamour, 200 years of wedding fashion, as well as a one-day exhibition of Dior clothing.
New for Fall 2021 will be the museum’s Frock On: a Century of Fashion and Pop Music exhibition. This exhibition is being created to compliment UNZIPPED, the Rolling Stones blockbuster exhibition that will make its Canadian debut at THEMUSUEM in Kitchener November 21, 2021 until March 2022. Information on the Fashion History Museum’s current exhibits and events are listed on their website.
Admission to the Fashion History Museum is $5.00, and is free for children under 12 years of age and to those accompanying persons with disabilities. Group rates may also be acquired upon request and must be booked in advance. Guided tours may also be arranged, for an additional charge.
The Fashion History Museum is open 11 am – 5 pm Wed. to Sun., and Thursday evenings until 8 pm. There is parking directly behind the building, and street parking is also available.