Local interest in the creation of a museum for the town resulted in the founding of the “Caledon Museumvereniging” (Caledon Museum Association) on 5 May 1970. Committees were formed for fund raising and item collecting, and a constitution was adopted. The Caledon Museum is split into two buildings depicting very different parts of local history.
The Victorian House houses an abundance of artifacts that reflect the true spirit and legacy of the community. If you’re visiting on a Friday make sure you get there in time to watch a bread baking demonstration in the old working Victorian kitchen – you might even be lucky enough to purchase a loaf or two. The house has artefacts from 1840 to 1900 so take a step back in time and find out how things worked then.
In 1996 the museum took over management of the Caledon Town Hall. This impressive building, located in Plein Street, was completed in 1906 and is a Provincial Heritage Site. The museum ran a very successful shop, and used part of the building to display the Caledon Family Photographs which it was in the process of collecting. In 2007 the municipality took back management of the hall, and the museum was entirely located in its premises in Constitution Street.
At the same time that, the Constitution Street house was purchased, the museum also purchased the Masonic Lodge at 16 Constitution Street. The Lodge, which had been vacant for a time, was renovated to serve as store rooms and offices for the museum. The Lodge is also used to display various items of furniture and currently houses the Caledon Family Photographs. The museum has no ties whatsoever to the Freemasons, but the decorative ceiling, original to the Lodge can still be viewed.