Galleries and Exhibits

The Heritage Centre showcases exhibits to learn about the history of Richmond Hill and more. 

Gallery Hours:
Tuesdays 1 – 4 p.m.
Thursdays 4 - 8 p.m.
Saturdays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Yonge Street Gallery 

Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe officially established Yonge Street in the 1790s. Yonge Street opened up the northern part of York County for settlement, positioning Richmond Hill as an essential stopping point along the two-day journey. The town owes much of its development to its location along this “Main Street”.

Community Gallery

In the early 1800s, most people knew everyone in the village. People worked hard, with little rest — except on Sundays when they attended church and socialized with neighbours. By the next century, people had more leisure time. Labour-saving devices lightened workloads and new cleaning materials reduced housework, making it easier for women to work outside the home. As the village grew, so did modern services. Let’s discover our community.

History Room 

Enjoy a trip through time starting with the earliest inhabitants in the area moving through the centuries to the city of Richmond Hill we know today. Interactive pop-up panels encourage creative thinking as you meander through this exhibit.

South Gallery 

This is a gallery of change that showcases changing exhibits from our Heritage Services team, the community and travelling exhibitions that inspire and connect through cultural heritage.

Featured Exhibit in the South Gallery

Collecting Time – 150 Years of Memories 

Take a look back at 150 years of Richmond Hill’s history, as we open our Time Capsule of artifacts. Explore this behind the scenes exhibit as we uncover treasures from the past and learn about the process of creating time capsules to preserve relics for future discoveries.