Originally located in the John McLean House (c. 1840) at 10 rue Principale, the Aylmer Museum has stood witness over years to the urban, cultural and educational scene in Aylmer. An off-shoot of the Aylmer Heritage Association in 1987, the Museum has contributed to bring local and regional history to life through its varied programs and activities. Geology, First Nations, explorers, fur traders, the timber industry and the steamboat era have all been presented by the Museum. 

By moving into Symmes Inn—greater Gatineau’s most outstanding heritage building—the Museum has again taken up some of those themes, with its permanent exhibition primarily focused on the Ottawa River and its tributaries from the pre-European period to the present. Because of its ideal location, Symmes Inn Museum is indeed at the heart of Aylmer and is an important centre of activities for the nearby heritage district.

Thanks to its permanent, temporary and traveling exhibitions and in cooperation with the Réseau du patrimoine gatinois, as well as local colleges and universities, libraries and other sector stakeholders, the Symmes Inn Museum will be the catalyst for promoting local and regional history to the young and not so young and for encouraging historical research. In this way, the Museum contributes to the development of a sense of identity and pride for the residents of Gatineau and the entire Outaouais region.

MISSION

The mission of the Museum is to protect, study, interpret and promote the Charles Symmes Inn and to collect the cultural heritage associated with it in order to make known the history of this classified building and to strengthen the social structure of Gatineau, by relying, among other things, on a museum education program and on an approach that encourages meetings and exchanges.