General Information

Our Mission Statement: To be a premier cultural heritage destination that inspires and engages people through interactive educational programming, cultural exchanges and strategic partnerships.

 

Burlington’s community museum is a replica of the original homestead of Joseph Brant ‘Thayendanegea’ (1742-1807). In 1798, the Mohawk and British captain was granted 3,450 acres at the ‘head-of-the-lake’ (Burlington Bay) by King George III, awarded for his services to the Crown during the Seven Years War and the American Revolution.

Built to commemorate Joseph Brant at the urging of the Hon. T.B. McQueston, Minister of Highways in Ontario, and with the help of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, Thayendanegea Chapter; construction began in 1937, with the official opening of the Museum to the public on May 23, 1942. 

Over the years, the Museum has added a number of important acquisitions to the collection, including personal artifacts owned and used by Joseph Brant and the Eileen Collard Collection of Historic Costume and Textiles. Committed to the preservation of Burlington’s past, the Joseph Brant Museum is a place for exploring a wealth of cultural traditions, issues and ideas that inspire within and beyond our borders.