Discover Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site recognizes the accomplishments of Josiah Henson through interpretive videos, interactive exhibits, numerous artifacts and tours reflecting the Black experience in Canada. The five acre site consists of the Josiah Henson Interpretive Centre, with its Underground Railroad Freedom Gallery and North Star Theatre, plus three historical buildings, two cemeteries, a sawmill and numerous artifacts that have been preserved as a legacy to these early pioneers. Each August Civic Holiday weekend (this year on July 30, 2022), the site hosts Emancipation Day – with various speakers, performers, exhibits and cuisine reflecting early Black life in Ontario. Black History Month programming takes place each February.
Museum Summer Hours
May 21 to October 21 – Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Special Announcement
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site is changing its name. The new name will be announced on July 30, 2022 during Emancipation Day celebrations at the museum. Learn more at www.heritagetrust.on.ca/reclaiming
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1789, Josiah Henson and his family escaped to Canada in 1830 via the Underground Railroad. They made their way to the Dresden area of southwestern Ontario, establishing the Dawn Settlement and a school for other refugees from slavery. Author Harriet Beecher Stowe loosely based her character Uncle Tom on Henson, inspiring the name of this historic site. The five-acre property includes an interpretive centre and theatre, the Hensons’ former home, a pioneer church built in 1850, and two cemeteries. You can learn about Black life in early Canada through events, films and exhibitions.