Nestled on the Canadian shores of the St. Clair River international boundary, we are a local, not-for-profit museum that preserves a staged Victorian home, marine collection, log cabin and research archives
Located on the St. Clair Parkway in the Village of Sombra, the Sombra Museum maintains three major permanent exhibitions: The Marine Room, the log cabin, and of course, The Bury Home, an excellent example of Victorian architecture and daily life for the early settlers of Sombra Township. During the summer of 2011 and into 2012 the Sombra Museum got a makeover! Our brand new building across the road from the Bury Home, where the Hargrove Store once stood, had it’s grand opening on June 19th 2012. Thanks to the generous support of the community, our donors, our volunteers and grant providers, portions of the former building were partially converted into storage, artifact intake and assessment space and a project work area when the Marine and Agriculture exhibits move to their new home. The new building is also home to an expanded archival vault, filled with genealogical records, photographs, letters, postcards, obituaries, diaries, newspaper clippings, maps, census and cemetery records and many other primary and second research sources. We not only have family records, but also information about churches, schools, businesses, historical events, shipping and other topics related to the former Sombra Township and the Great Lakes. We welcome you to come in and explore the past with us! In 2013, Sombra Museum acquired parts of the bulkhead and hull, as well as a great deal of the instrumentation and fixtures from the former WWII submariner chaser HMC ML Q105, which had been operating in Sarnia as the Duc D’Orleans cruise ship since the 1970’s. Some of these items, along with a scale model of the Q105 are currently on exhibit in the Marine Room. The ship’s propellers and a plaque were installed in front of the Cultural Centre building and unveiled during a ceremony August 7, 2014, which is the 71st anniversary of the original launch of the Q105. This is only phase one of the Q105 exhibit, so check back for future updates! We are constantly adding new exhibits and displays and exploring topics of interest. In 2025, we are featuring an interactive LEGO exhibit, entitled “Build Your Story, Brick by Brick.” This year also marks the unveiling of the Abraham Smith log cabin pavilion and educational area, and a redesign of the Great Lakes Hall marine room. There is always something to explore at Sombra Museum! Check in with us on Facebook, on our website www.sombramuseum.ca or on Instagram (@SombraMuseum) for the latest events and Museum updates. In 2024/25 we are launching a YouTube channel! Check it out for recordings of past Speaker Series and other content! The new Cultural Centre building is fully accessible. The lower floor of the Bury House is also accessible.
