musee huron-wendat

We came here two days in a row because we were told to go on a tour to see half the museum. They close off most of it unless your with a tour guide which they only seem to do in french. Its about $20 per person small and we waited 2 hours for a tour to catch up to get into most of it.Don't bother

Charles a wandate native is very knowledgeable guide for his young age. He answered all of our questions

It was so interesting and fascinating to be guided by a local Wendat fellow who did the tour in French and was very courteous to do a personal version in English for me as I was the only non-French speaking person in the group.Be sure to purchase the 'full' pass that covers the museum, the long house, the house, and church to get a fuller perspective of the nation and their approach to life. We then went to the white water and falls which was a treat and a nice balance.

We visited and signed up for a tour which cost $43 for the two of us. We joined a group having a tour in English in the museum. Right from the start it was very slow delivered with no reference to the audience several of whom had more knowledge on certain aspects than the guide. We were given a very slow talk around a small limited collection. At least half the group started wandering round by them selves or sat on the seats and consulted their phones. This would have been a failing lesson if delivered to a school party! After at least 3/4 of an hour we reached the long house. Here we were fortunate and the group split and by accident we got with a group rather than the other tourists. A Huron lady took us into the long house and gave a very good account of life there which was interesting.The museum is very small.My tip would be to visit the History Museum ( was called the museum of civilization until recently) in Ottawa. Its half the price and has wonderful galleries incredibly well presented on the the history of Canada and in particular the part played by the First Nations. Its vast, has a stunning display of totem poles, as well as other interesting exhibitions. We were there for over two hours and could have spent longer.

we were here in the same day, when we visited the Traditional Site Huron and we missed the english guided tour. It is a wonderfully build hotel, with a museum and a restaurant. The staff is very kind, nice and gives you information, offering you all the options which you can choose in the area. The lobby of the hotel when you enter is giving you such a peace and quiet. Must visit and see!

We visited this small museum offering a free tour (in French at tour of 3pm). We enjoyed a good collection of artifacts; the staff being a member of the Huron, was very enthusiastic.

Visited the musée during our stay at the hotel. Good collection of artifacts and very knowledgeable staff. We did not want a tour guide so the staff went out of their way to show us the long house. This was really appreciated. Small gift shop in lower floor but since this is a boutique hotel, you can buy what you see in hotel.

We popped in to the museum for an hour before setting off on a hike, but it was long enough to read the history and enjoy the exhibits. The bit I liked best were the way marked trails with signs explaining how the Huron Wendat lived. Fascinating. Well worth a visit.

On our second visit to this small, well organized museum we learned a lot about the culture of the Wendats or Hurons. The materials on display are unique and in many ways different from what one can see at the ROC in Toronto, and they cover a lot of ground. We took a guided tour, which enabled us to see the newly erected longhouse (which is not accessible without a tour). Unfortunately the young man spoke rather problematic English, which made it difficult to follow his explanations. Overall I would suggest to only visit the museum along unless the guide speaks good English.

Small museum. Exhibits are at the quality you will find in major museums, just not enough of them. Luckily it was free on the day we visited. Did not take the tour so did not visit the long house.

Our guide was a Wendake young man, who took us around the museum and then out to the longhouse. We learned and tried some games children played, as well, not as easy as it looks… especially picking up a feather with your mouth! The three-panel video screens alone were soothing to watch nature scenes. The museum is located in a round, tepee shape building. The displays were professional, interesting and the entire atmosphere immersed us in the culture. Especially liked the glass entry that explained the creation of the world.

Loved the interactive aspect as well as the layout. Personnel was warm and inviting. Highly recommended!

. Situated about 15 kilometers north of Vieux Quebec, the town of Wendake has a gentle charm – whitewashed 17th and 18th Century buildings along winding lanes, bright red and purple flowers in planters. The Wendat (the French called them Huron) complex features everything from a full-sized replica of a traditional longhouse to a modern conference center and a posh hotel that would have been at home in Aspen – elegant décor featuring animal skins and lots of glass. Wood facing, stained a sort of redwood color, ties the modern buildings together. The hotel’s restaurant serves what might be called New First Nations cuisine – fish and game (red deer, caribou) dishes, appetizers featuring produce and herbs that might have been available to the Wendat people in the early 17th Century when they migrated to this region from the area around what is now Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The menu looked intriguing, but we weren’t in the mood for ambitious fine dining. The $135 tab for the evening tasting menu includes wine pairings. Judging from the call brands lined up behind the bar, this is no “dry” reservation. Accessed through the hotel lobby, the museum is laid out in the round, with a grove of slender birch trunks in the center, next an array smaller artifacts, such as awls and especially finely worked moccasins, in pedestal cases, then larger, curved glass cases containing larger pieces, from carrying baskets and showy wampum sashes to snowshoes to canoes, with bilingual texts posted alongside explaining aspects of the Wendats’ beliefs, traditions and daily lives. Finally, similar cases, except one-sided, are arrayed around the wall. Downstairs was a temporary exhibit of paintings and constructions (a couple of which employed gilded caribou horns) by a contemporary Wendat artist. Visitors could also watch young artisans engaged in beadwork – for sale, of course, in the boutique. In terms of museumology, the Huron-Wendat Museum strikes an effective balance between old and new. Slides and film clips of animals in the forest and Wendats engaged in various activities play around the domed ceiling above the cases without detracting from their contents. At one point, a visitor can lift a handset and hear a Wendat man talk about taking his first hunt with his grandfather. An asphalt path leads down from the hotel and museum to a pretty stream and a traditional vegetable garden. Like the Pueblo people of the Southwest, the Wendat, once they settled and took up agriculture, relied on the Three Sisters – squash, beans and corn. Bilingual interpretive signs explain that these three crops support each other: beans climb the corn stalks, and squash shade the soil, slowing evaporation during dry times.

Nice way to learn about Hurons. The museum is one large round room, but filled with traditional artifacts and objects. We cannot take pictures.

We spent a few hours at this beautiful small museum full of artefacts from the first nations culture. The guided visit is a must. The guide was very knowledgeable and interesting. We were a small group (just our family at the beggining of the visit) and we had great insights about the first nations stories and culture.