Ukrainian Museum of Canada

After our bellies were full from the YXE Street Food & Music Festival, we jumped back in the Ford Focus to head over to the Ukrainian Museum of Canada.

Right off Spadina near University Bridge, this is a place I have passed by many times and have always wondered what was in there. I had never heard anyone talk about the museum, which increased its mystique for me.

I thought the "Ford Focus on My City" weekend could be a perfect time to try it out with my kids, who have Ukrainian heritage on their dad's side of the family tree.

Unfortunately for me as a blogger, and for you as my reader, the museum staff were adamant that I not take pictures inside. I even asked if I could please snap some and then post them after I had obtained permission from management. The answer was still "no."

So, in the hopes that word pictures are not prohibited, I will try to sketch out a few.

{P.S. I parked by this place.
Anyone know what it is?}

The museum is made up of three small exhibit rooms and a gift shop. One room has a temporary exhibit of rural Canadian photography. Another room is lined with paintings depicting the lifestyle of Ukrainian women who immigrated to the Canadian prairies. The final room is full of artifacts such as clothing, linens, tools and books brought from Ukraine by early Ukrainian immigrants to Canada.

My kids liked the colourful display of Ukrainian Easter eggs {pysanky}. They also liked seeing other familiar items in the museum, such as Easter bread like their Gramma Anne makes each year.  

My 6-year-old seemed quite connected to the plight of the Ukrainian immigrants, and he asked a ton of questions. Unfortunately, my daughter struggled with the other rule of the museum: don't touch anything!

Most museums have some things you can touch and a few things you cannot. I feel the Ukrainian Museum is missing out making this a more child-friendly place by not incorporating any interactive elements.

A trunk of Ukrainian costumes to try on, a little box of toys or dolls, some play Ukrainian food, a hands-on piece of embroidery . . . really anything interactive could make this a more memorable trip for a family.

My recommendation would be to go when admission is free for Culture Days. Or, make a trip to the museum with kids during one of its classes for kids.The museum offers pysanka workshops each year for kids in Grade 2 and higher. Registration generally begins in January and they fill quickly.

I was told they are also planning a Ukrainian cooking class and other kid-friendly events for the future, which would be nice. Until then, admission is $8 for adults, $6 for children and preschoolers are free.

As it turned out, we were able to have a bit of an interactive experience as we were leaving the museum. We found a "lady bug tree" that was just covered with these cute critters.

We shook off the bugs and hopped back in the Ford Focus for the next stop on our itinerary.

{ Itinerary }  { Stop 1 }  { Stop 2 }  { Stop 3 }  { Stop 4 }  { Stop 5 }  { Stop 6 }
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