Anna Swan Museum at The Creamery

Tourism Region: Central Nova Scotia-Northumberland Shore

THE ANNA SWAN MUSEUM at THE CREAMERY honours the life of the famed giantess Anna Swan(1846-1888) who was born and raised in the Tatamagouche area on the North Shore of Nova Scotia.At age 4 she was four feet in height, and by age 6 stood as tall as her average-sized mother.Anna reached a height of 7 feet 11 inches and weighed almost 400 pounds.

The "Nova Scotia Giantess" was employed at P.T. Barnum's American Museum in New York City for several years before touring Europe with a troupe of entertainers.

In London Anna married her Prince Charming,Martin van Buren Bates, the 7 foot 9 inch "Kentucky Giant", who had been an officer in the Confederate Army.Her wedding dress was a gift from Queen Victoria. The couple settled in Seville,Medina County, Ohio, where they built a giant house tailored to their needs.The marriage produced two giant babies;sadly,neither lived.

Anna's intriguing lifestory,marked by fame, fortune, happiness and sadness,is used in schools in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand to promote literacy and to foster respect for and understanding and acceptance of those who are considered"different".Anna learned to cope with her great height by heeding the advice of her maternal grandmother to"stand tall and be proud of your Highland ancestry".She was well educated,enjoyed a lucrative career,travelled extensively and married a man who genuinely loved and revered her.

THE ANNA SWAN MUSEUM at the Creamery in the village of Tatamagouche interprets Anna's story through
~~bilingual interpretive panels and touch screen
~~ actual-sized figures
~~ replicas of the giants' clothing,pictures
~~one-half of a double door from the giant house in Seville, Ohio
~~ video
~~ guided tours and archival material with more to come. SEE THE PHOTO SECTION OF THIS CHIN SITE.

Both children and adults are enthralled by Anna's life.Anna has been the subject of several TV documentaries and many research papers. Rosalee Peppard, a winner of the prestigious Helen Creighton Award for her work in preserving and promoting heritage through music, has written and recorded a song("herstory") paying tribute to Anna.

A cairn in Central New Annan near the site of Anna's childhood home is indicative of the pride Nova Scotians have in their heritage.(Google ANNA SWAN MONUMENT.)

Curator Dale Swan, Anna's great-grand nephew ,enjoys relating the Anna story to visitors and is happy to assist students with heritage projects on Anna Swan or Tatamagouche history. The museum is very pleased to be networking with museums featuring Martin and Anna exhibits in Medina and Seville, Ohio, and with several of Martin's relatives from Kentucky. Annie, as Anna was known to family and relatives, never forgot her roots in Nova Scotia.FOR A GROUP GUIDED TOUR, PLEASE CALL IN ADVANCE.

THE ANNA SWAN MUSEUM is just one component of CREAMERY SQUARE-a facility currently under development along the Tatamagouche riverfront. Other exhibitors housed in the distinctive red building known as THE CREAMERY SQUARE HERITAGE CENTRE are THE SUNRISE TRAIL MUSEUM, THE BRULE FOSSIL CENTRE,THE NORTH SHORE ARCHIVES and THE CREAMERY MUSEUM.All these museums under one roof plus an adjacent Farmers' Market and ,in a future phase, a performing Arts Centre and MORE! For more information, visit the following on the net:
~~Anna Swan Monument(several good links)
~~centralnovascotia.com
~~Anna Swan Digital Collections
~~Anna Swan-Nova Scotia's Remarkable Giantess
~~ tatamagouchecreamerysquare.ca
~~ novascotiaheritage.ca(See Sunrise Trail Museum and NORTH Shore Archives on this site.)
~~Destination Nova Scotia


Google BRULE FOSSIL CENTRE, SUNRISE TRAIL MUSEUM, ANNA SWAN, NORTH SHORE ARCHIVES and CREAMERY SQUARE.

THE NORTH SHORE ARCHIVES houses collections of materials(
~family histories
~obituaries, cemetery records
~maps
~pictures
~ articles about local history) etc.) relevant to Tatamagouche and area.
SEE NORTH SHORE ARCHIVES on CHIN.
Artifacts and ehibits displayed in THE SUNRISE TRAIL MUSEUM chronicle the history of the settlers of the Tatamagouche area-the Mi'kmaq, Acadians, Foreign Protestants, Scots and others as well as events such as The Battle of Tatamagouche(1745),Le Grand Derangement( the Expulsion of the Acadians-1755)Household, mining, farming, fishing,shipbuilding and other exhibits interpret the way of life years ago.
SEE SUNRISE TRAIL MUSEUM on CHIN.

THE CREAMERY MUSEUM displays machinery from the buttermaking days of the Tatamagouche Creamery. A character named Boiler Bob enhances the presentation.
SEE CREAMERY SQUARE on CHIN.

The BRULE FOSIL CENTRE exhibits include 290 million year old trackways(predating the dinosaurs by about 90 million years).The fossils provide provide some of the earliest examples of social behaviour in amphibians , as well as the only example of a Walchia Forest found in its original growth position.The discovery of these fossilized footprints has received recognition and support from the National Geographic Society.


THE ANNA SWAN MUSEUM and NORTH SHORE ARCHIVES had their beginnings many years ago under the auspices of THE SUNRISE TRAIL MUSEUM. The present ANNA SWAN MUSEUM , NORTH SHORE ARCHIVES and SUNRISE TRAIL MUSEUM are delighted to
be together again- in THE CREAMERY SQUARE HERITAGE CENTRE.

THE FARMERS'MARKET is open Saturdays 8AM-noon.

Nearby are the historic TATAMAGOUCHE TRAIN STATION and THE BUTTER TRAIL.aA few km away are THE BALMORAL GRIST MILL and THE SUTHERLAND STEAM MILL.



COME SEE US.
WELCOME TO TATAMAGOUCHE AND AREA and to THE CREAMERY SQUARE HERITAGE CENTRE.
CIAD MILE FAILTE(ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND WELCOMES),
PJILA'SI, BIENVENUE, WILLKOMMEN

Guided tours of the HERITAGE centre and of the village of Tatamagouche can be arranged.

About the Collections

panels and touch screen tv interpreting the life of Giantess Anna, lifesize figures of Anna and her husband, a high door from Anna's giant house , puppet clothing replicas which may be tried on, archival material, pictures, actual skirt, shoe slipper worn by Anna and trousers worn by Captain Bates,video,colouring materials for children, Bible, replica of gold wtch and chain and oCapt.Bates'sixe 22 ring.

Archives

The Anna Swan Museum at The Creamery is adjacent to the North Shore Archives which has historical and genealogical information on the area and to the Sunrise Trail Museum .See their listings on CHIN.

Photographs • Textual Records

Human History

Local History

Services & Activities

Washrooms, Butter Trail -a riverfront walking trail(PART OF THE TRANS CANADA TRAIL) through Tatamagouche, Guided tours of the exhibit-school groups welcome, close to other interesting local museums
giftshop.

The second floor is accessible by elevator.

Walking tours of Tatamagouche and booklets are available.

Research Services

The Anna Swan Exhibit at The Creamery is closely allied with the adjacent North Shore Archives and Sunrise Trail
Museum which provide information on local history and genealogy. Volunteers are pleased to assist with genealogical and local history research.Information on other local museums can be provided.The Brule Fossil Centre on the first floor,,is a wonderful complement to the other components of THE CREAMERY SQUARE HERITAGE CENTRE.

Archival Records • Films • Genealogical Research • Information Centre • Video Library

Educational Programs

Talks about Anna's life by her great-grand nephew or summer staff.
Student groups welcome to learn about Anna Swan and local history. There are other displays available for viewing at The Creamery. We provide information about other attractions in the Tatamagouche area.
Inquiries regarding school projects are welcomed.

School Programs : Age 5-11 (k-6) : Age 12-17 (7-13)(Quebec: Secondary 1-CEGEP) : Age 18 and up (Post-Secondary) • Seniors Programs
Other: Visits to classrooms in the local area can be arranged.

Visitor Services

~BILINGUAL captioning of exhibits in THE BRULE FOSSIL CENTRE,SUNRISE TRAIL MUSEUM and ANNA SWAN MUSEUM, as well as interactive exhibits.
~ We are close to other museums-the historic Sutherland Steam Mill and the Balmoral Grist Mill.
~a giftshop is located on the first floor.
walking trail
~walking tours of Tatamagouche are available

Films and Videos • Guided Tours : English • Nature Trails, Walks or Gardens • Parking Facilities : Free : Bus • Washrooms • Special Needs Facilities : Washrooms
Other: gift shop
elevator
Other Guided Tours: French transcript of the Anna Swan story available

Volunteer Services

Volunteer Training Offered

Activities:  Creating and organizing displays, research and interpretation, hosting school visits

Food Services

Saturday morning(8-noon ) Farmers Market

Picnic Area

Internet Services

General Information • Events • Virtual Exhibitions • School Visits or Programs • Children • Local History • Other Internet Services

Local Tourism Links

Local Attractions

Other Services

The Anna Swan Museum at The Creamery is allied with the North Shore Archives and the Sunrise Trail Museum.

Publications and Products

postcard, illustrated booklet of Anna's life T shirts
in gift shop on the first floor

Brochures • Postcards • T-Shirts or Sweatshirts or Caps

Featured Images

Map

Visit the Website

Location

Address:	39 Creamery Road Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia B0K 1V0 See Map
Telephone:	902-657-3447or 902-657-3449 or902-657-2086
Fax:	902-657-0240
Mailing Address:	Anna Swan Museum at The Creamery P.O.Box 402, 39 Creamery Road, Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia B0K 1V0
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