Saint John Museums and Gallery Tours
The New Brunswick Museum (NBM) provides a remarkable introduction to New Brunswick’s rich cultural history and diverse natural environment. At Canada’s oldest continuing museum, visitors will discover stories of New Brunswick’s past and present on three floors of creative exhibitions, and fun events.
Saint John Jewish Historical Museum
The Saint John Jewish Historical Museum in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, preserves and displays the history of the Jewish community in the city of Saint John. The Museum was opened by founder Marcia Koven in 1986. A Jewish Historical Society had already been established in the congregation.
The Museum is based on a community history model. It is supported through artifact donations and other participation by members of the local Jewish community. The Jewish community in Saint John has roots going back to the mid-1800s. Solomon Hart, a businessman from England, became the founder of the existing Jewish community in the city when he immigrated to Saint John in 1858. The first synagogue in the city was established by Solomon and Sarah Hart in 1889. Immigration from northern and eastern Europe increased the community to about 1400 members in the 1920s. Immigration to Saint John waned after this, and as out-migration to larger cities increased, the city’s Jewish population declined to about 300 members in the 1960s. Today there are roughly two dozen Jewish families in the congregation.
The Museum has several permanent exhibits, as well as new exhibits each year, and occasional traveling exhibits. Outreach programs include hosting tours from local schools, distribution of educational kits, and hosting tours from cruise ships visiting the city.
The Museum also has a library and archive of Jewish history, viewed by appointment.
Awards
The museum has received several awards recognizing its work, including the following:
- American Association for State and Local History (1987)
- The Church and Synagogue Library Association (1996)
- Province of New Brunswick (2000)
Saint John Police Museum
The Saint John Police Museum is dedicated to educating the public on the history of the Saint John Police Force. The police force was formed in 1849.
Say hi to our constable dressed in 1849 uniform and do a selfie or a family portrait behind a jail cell door. View the 1965 Volkswagen police car restored in 1999 to celebrate our 150-year anniversary. Interact with volunteers, retired, and former police officers and hear their stories about the good old days. Welcome one and all.
Old Number 2 Engine House Museum
No. 2 Engine House is a two-storey stone structure constructed in 1840-41 in the Neo-classical style. Located on Sydney Street in Saint John, it includes the front and oldest portion of the building, measuring approximately 25 feet wide by a depth of 50 feet from the building’s Sydney Street façade.
HERITAGE VALUE
No. 2 Engine House is designated a Provincial Historic Site for its architecture and for its association with the architect, John Cunningham.
No. 2 Engine House is recognized for being the earliest known Canadian example of a fire hall designed to house a volunteer brigade using manually drawn and operated pumper fire engines. No. 2 Engine House was first occupied in 1841 and closed as a station in 1949. After its closure, the building was used by different organizations until opening as The Saint John Firefighters Museum in 1991. This museum houses a collection of artefacts related to the history of firefighting in Saint John.
Heritage value is also attributed to No. 2 Engine House as it is the work of well-known local architect John Cunningham. This building is a rare and unique surviving example of the first phase in fire hall design and in the development of municipal fire fighting in Canada. Its refined Neo-classical façade is typical of this style often used in governmental buildings during the mid-18th century. John Cunningham also designed the adjacent Court House.
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