Where every room has its story

Closed for 2023

Please note that for the 2023 season, the Michener House Museum will not be open to the public due to construction. To learn more about the current project reimagining the Michener House Museum, please visit our page dedicated to the ReImagination Project – updates will be posted here and on our social media platforms should this change.

To inquire about our Fiber Workshops, please contact us directly at [email protected].

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Location

Michener House Museum & Gardens

OPEN Victoria Day to Labour Day
5036 – 51 Street (Alberta Street)
Lacombe, AB

(403) 782-3933
[email protected]

The Michener House is a Municipal and Provincial Historic Resource. It was built in 1894 as the Village of Lacombe Methodist Church Parsonage and is the oldest residency left in Lacombe today.

Today it is historically significant as the birthplace of Right Honourable Roland Michener, former Governor General of Canada, and as the parsonage of his father, Edward. The house also illustrates the important first phase of the town’s development, pre-the Great War.

More information can be found on the Canada’s Historic Places website.

Learn about the Heritage Learning Garden initiative here.

Historic Background

After the departure of the Michener family, the house passed to successive ministers of the Methodist church, was expanded with an addition to the rear in 1918, and subsequently converted for use as a church hall.
The church itself was also used as a hall after the congregation joined with that of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Lacombe to form St. Andrew’s United Church in 1922. In later years the church saw service as the Lacombe’s Boy Scout Hall, before it was finally demolished in 1984 and is the parking lot directly south of the present-day Heritage Learning Garden.

In an effort to save the Michener House, the Lacombe & District Historical Society was born in 1971. The building was declared a Provincial Historic Resource in 1977 and was restored to its original appearance prior to its opening as the Michener House Museum in 1984.

Restoration Work

The Michener House has undergone an in-depth and lengthy restoration process, including in the 1980s, early 2000s, and most recently in 2022.

The goal of preserving its original layout and materials as much as possible. This included updating the plumbing, electrical, and heating systems, as well as rebuilding the porch and portico (with the original materials) and a year-long debate on how best to move and restore the interior staircase to its original location. The exterior of the house was painted white with brown trim and the porch was painted grey-blue to match the upstairs flooring.
Financial support from both the Provincial and Municipal Governments allowed for the replacement of the roof with cedar shingles in 2014 and siding repairs in 2022.
The flashing and high-impact points of the building were also repaired in 2022 by Denzil Paterson of Central Valley Furniture. The house is now presented as it would have been during the Michener family’s time in 1899-1900, with both permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Contact information, hours and location for the
Michener House Museum

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Are you passionate about culture & heritage and Lacombe’s local history?

Learn more about how to be part of the Historical Society team, or Executive Board, discover new volunteer opportunities in your communities, or be a heritage hero and donate today!

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ADMIN OFFICE

Flatiron Building Museum
Suite #200, 5005 50th Ave, Lacombe AB T4L2L1

(403) 782-3933

[email protected]

FALL/WINTER HOURS

Flatiron Building Museum
OPEN Wed-Sat 10 am – 4 pm
Blacksmith Shop Museum
OPEN Victoria Day – Labour Day
Michener House Museum
CLOSED over 2023 for renovations

LINKS
The Lacombe & District Historical Society acknowledges that we are working, volunteering, and living on Treaty 6 Territory and the Métis homeland, a traditional gathering place for diverse Indigenous Peoples including the Maskwacis Nēhiyaw (Bear Hills Cree), Niitsítapi (Blackfoot), Nakoda (Stony), Dene (Athabascan), Métis and many other distinct Indigenous Peoples whose footsteps have walked these lands for time immemorial, and whose history, culture, and language continues to influence our vibrant community.
To learn more, please visit our Treaty No. 6 resource page.
The Lacombe & District Historical Society is a registered Alberta Society’s Act Non-profit Organization & CRA Recognized Charity
Charity No: 119244416RR0001

©2023 Lacombe Museum