User:Ctimbury

Grey Roots Museum and Archives began as a county museum in 1955. Since then it has taken a large role in preserving the history and promoting the heritage of Grey County.

The current facility is located just south of Owen Sound on Grey Road 18. It was opened in 2004, constructed from materials that characterize the development of the county. The building houses the county museum, archives, and tourism offices. There is also a Heritage Village adjacent to the main building, with volunteers and buildings portraying the development of Grey County from the 1850s to the 1920s.

History
The Museum Committee began to borrow artifacts for temporary exhibits in 1955, but a permanent museum was founded in 1959 with the help of the Grey County Historical Art Society as an art gallery and museum. A more spacious arrangement was made in 1967 with the help of the city of Owen Sound, and the new Grey County-Owen Sound Centennial Museum was opened. The museum would grow at this site, developing it's own heritage village, until 2004. As Grey County's museum and archives both faced a shortage of space to expand, new property was acquired off Highway 18, and both museum and archives were moved to this site. Six of the buildings from the heritage village were moved to the new site, with plans for a total of twenty buildings upon completion.

Exhibits
The museum and archives have permanent, current, and virtual exhibits available. One permanent exhibit focusses on the effects of the environment on local settlement. Another showcases the local heros of Grey County- including Billy Bishop, Tom Thomson, and Agnes Macphail. There are a number of virtual exhibits, ranging from a focus on Women's Institutes to Black History. There are available on the museum website.