Justin Bieber exhibit - Steps to Stardom

Open February 18, 2018, extended until at least October 2019.

Steps to Stardom

Steps to Stardom, tells the story of Justin Bieber's meteoric rise from busking on the steps of the Avon Theatre to becoming one of the most popular pop stars in the world.

The Museum has been given access to hundreds of items - awards, clothing, pictures, all-access pages, personal letters and even running shoes and we are now in the process of collecting the items for exhibit.

In addition, a number of things have come forward from Stratford residents that have also been offered to the Museum -- team pictures, hockey jackets, drum sets, even library cards, that were used by Justin before he was an international pop star.

The exhibit tells the story of the Stratford native's career from those early years - busking in Stratford and performing in local talent shows - to the largest venues and stages in the world.

The exhibit, created by the Museum in conjunction with Justin and his family, opens at the Museum on February 18 and will be on display until at least the end of 2018. At that time the Museum and Justin and his family will decide if the exhibit will be extended into 2019.

Photo credit: Stratford-Perth Archives, The Beacon Herald collection. July 2002.

From Avon Theatre steps to world stage

Stratford is one of those places that can boast a number of native sons, or daughters, who go on the greater things.

We can boast of groundbreaking politicians, Olympic swimmers and Stanley Cup champions, scientists, thespians, journalists, authors and even chefs that leave their fingerprints on the national or world stage.
There is arguably no one from Stratford that is as well-known and has had global success like Justin Bieber.

In conjunction with Justin and his family the Stratford Perth Museum is mounting an exhibit about the pop star’s meteoric rise to fame.

From a beginning that included the Stratford Star contest, a fundraiser to buy a set of drums and then busking on the steps of the Avon Theatre, Bieb’s rise from those humble beginnings to global stardom was the stuff of movies - literally - Never, Say Never.

The exhibit includes many incredible and personal items chosen collectively by the Museum and Justin and his family - Grammy, Emmy and Teen Choice awards, microphones, backstage credentials, running shoes, t-shirts and jackets, personal letters, photographs and even a Stratford Minor Hockey windsuit.
They all help craft the story of a kid from here.

Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird

The Stratford Perth Museum is proud to partner with the Monroe County Museum to present Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird exhibit for the summer of 2018. This is the first travelling exhibit ever created by the museum in Monroeville, Alabama.
This original and exclusive exhibit turns the pages of one the world’s most loved novels.
The iconic book is arguably one of the most enduring written works of our time and is as relevant today as it was in the 1930s when it was set and in the 1960s when it was published and despite dealing with an uncomfortable subject it has been a must read and loved book for generations.
Portrait of American novelist Harper Lee smokes a cigarette as she sits on the porch of her parents home, Monroeville, Alabama, May 1961. Lee's novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was award the 1961 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction the previous month. (Photo by Donald Uhrbrock/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)
Similarly, the famous movie, which was so loyal to the plot of the novel, holds a special place in cinematic history and for many Gregory Peck will forever be Atticus Finch.
The exhibit examines that phenomenon – a book that is so important to individuals, holds a special place in American culture and is remarkably popular around the world having sold 30 million copies in 40 languages?
Thousands of people flock to Harper Lee’s hometown of Monroeville and the Monroe County Museum each year to see the exhibit Harper Lee: In Her Own Words. The museum is in the courthouse that was the setting for the climax of the movie.
The Stratford Perth Museum is very proud of its partnership with the Monroe County Museum and to be able to present this exhibit in 2018.

Stratford Festival: Such Stuff as Dreams...

“Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made On” recounts the story of the initial years of Stratford’s Shakespearean Festival, when performances were held in a tent. In 1952, over a period of only 18 months, Tom Patterson’s long-held dream to present Shakespearean drama in his hometown progressed from idea to reality. The plots, the plans, the people and the plays that transformed Stratford from a railway hub to the City that hosts North America's largest classical repertory theatre company are showcased in this exhibit.

You Are Here: Vignettes of Perth County

Ongoing Exhibit

This exhibit offers a glimpse into the history of Stratford and Perth County from settlement in the 1830s to today. Drawing on the museum’s collection of photographs, artifacts, and archival documents, the exhibit highlights the people, businesses, organizations, and events that make Perth County the vibrant destination that it is today.

At You Are Here, experience a unique mix of poets and politicians, parades and plowing matches, settlement and sport history, and more that you can find here at the Museum and all across Perth County.

Railway Century

Ongoing Exhibit

This exhibit tells the story of Stratford as a railway hub, and highlights the prosperity that Perth County’s extensive railway links brought to farmers and businesses in the region. The Locomotive Repair Shop, operated by the Grand Trunk Railway and later the Canadian National Railway, was the driver of Stratford’s early economic development. Agriculture, dairy, furniture making, and knitting mills, now connected to the world by rail, were just a few of the industries that made Perth County one of Canada’s most prosperous counties.

Perth UP: A Retrospective of Duty and Valour

Perth UP: une rétrospective du devoir et de la valeur

Ongoing Exhibit

This exhibit traces the history of the Perth Regiment from its inception in 1866 to present day.

The themes of duty, sacrifice, valour, brotherhood, and remembrance are used to highlight the development of the Regiment from its earliest days as a volunteer militia company fighting in the Fenian Raids, through to its role in the liberation of the Netherlands at the end of World War II.

This exhibit showcases objects, letters, photos, and personal stories from throughout the regiment's history.

Why "Perth UP"? The Maple Leaf "UP" was an ubiquitous marker during the Second World War pointing the way to Canadian front lines. "61" represented the Perth Regiment.