Schneider Haus National Historic Site

What an absolute gem! First time visiting with my four young children and we had a wonderful time. The front portion of the main building is historic with artifacts. The back portion of the building has three new spaces for children to explore, a maker space, and two play spaces. The spaces kept my little ones (ages range from 3-8) engaged for hours and they still didn't want to leave. There are also outdoor spaces and buildings to explore on a tour. The March Break kitchen science experiments were very engaging and we all learned a lot.

The staff and volunteers were absolutely wonderful - very knowledgeable and patient. They engaged well with the children.

There is a little gift shop and a few snacks and drinks to purchase.

Great place to spend a few hours with the family. $18 including tax for a family of 4

Free parking available across the street

They have a new modern play/craft area that is wonderful for children. Many craft materials including clay, tape, glue, scissors, cardboard, popsicle sticks, markers, paint sticks, paper, etc

The staff working there is also super kind.

The admission price was reasonable - $16 for one adult and 2 kids. It was not busy when we went and the tour guide spent a lot of time explaining things and answering questions. The kids enjoyed the new activity space. Expect to spend 1-2 hours

We had an enjoyable time at the kids discovery area and had a very informative and in depth tour of the house itself from one of the staff. Would definitely recommend as a relatively short visit to know more about the history of the region.

I had the pleasure of visiting the museum recently and was fortunate to have Kalico as my guide. Kalico did an exceptional job explaining everything in detail and answering all my questions with great patience and knowledge.

Their passion for the exhibits and history truly shone through, making the experience both educational and enjoyable.

Quite interesting! It took us 2 hours to cover the whole place, and we didn't have time to check out the garden. We did ask a lot of questions on the tour though. The extra modern 3D art section was very cool! They have a water cooler here to refill your bottles! Great idea! They have washrooms on site.

Store: It is exceptional for a house of this size. They sell quilts, old fashioned toys, honey, soap, etc. I purchased homemade cooked strawberry jam made by a local Mennonite (an inspected processing facility).

History: The tour is about a relatively well off Mennonite family that lived here with 9 kids in the 1800s. You see their life and even touch a hay filled mattress. You find out why they slept in a different position than we do today and so much more. Guides are fairly knowledgeable.

Parking: saw none, but maybe if you take Queen Street there may be some. You can definitely park on David Street or at Victoria Park and walk up Iron Horse Trail (orange sign) after crossing David Street from Roland Street, and you will find Schneider Haus.

Admission: If you have a Waterloo Regional Museum membership, then this place is free and you get 10% off of items in their store.

Kids: I wouldn't recommend very young kids coming here (maybe if it was a special activity day though). Kids ages 7 and up happily enjoy their day though. My kids were a bit frustrated making the exfoliating soaps (7-12). It seemed harder to make than at first glance, but they were pleased with their work when they got home. My tween said the place was interesting.

Nearby local activities for kids: Victoria Park has a splash pad (moderate size but not super exciting), a nice playground, and walking trails.

*See my pics for more info.

Went with my 2 kiddos aged 8 and 5 on Saturday of family day. The kids had an absolute blast! They had several activities set up outside for the kids to do. So fun! There is a new indoor play area for kids with endless crafts and stuff to play with. The staff were excellent and very welcoming. We toured the house as well, which was very cool to see. We'll be back again! Thanks for creating a special family day memory for my family!

Excellent place, that show how people Canadian lives 150 years ago.how it begin that modern citizens learn to keep its houses, streets, towns in well maintained pisition

We hosted a birthday party for my three-year-old at Schneider Haus and it exceeded my expectations! Highly recommend for this type of event!

Went here with my preschooler. After The initial shock of no toys or electricity he had a great time and can't wait to go back especially since they are opening a play area for kids. I learned a lot and had a wonderful conversation with Sherri. We can't wait to try all the other wonderful things they have to offer!

Staff were very warm friendly. We took the guided tour and it was very informative

Our daughter had her 7th birthday party here. We picked the pizza theme. The kids made their own pizza with the guidance of the staff.

They decorated the place well before we arrived for our supposed 30 minute prep time. The staff and volunteers went above and beyond in making our daughter's birthday special.

If you are looking for a venue for your child's birthday party i would recommend this place.

In addition, they have great programs for kids depending on the month and season. Our daughter has been coming here since she was 2 years old.

I've been coming here since I was a child, and have made the Schneider Haus part of my children's childhood as well. We were last here 2 days ago for the Wintry Candlelit Stroll event; we had a great time with the displays and numerous activities. The staff members/volunteers are always so kind, friendly and patient, especially with children. Thank you for helping us to create lasting family memories!

Great education of history , especially during Christmas! The wintertime candle walk was amazing and we are grateful for the experience!!!

This was so interesting. We had a wonderful guide, who explained everything to us and showed how the different tools had been used and for what. My elderly parents enjoyed it so much and so did I!

Interesting place. Well maintained. Amazing guides. But quiet small

Visited during Easter weekend. Thankfully, this historic spot was open and well staffed. Very knowledgeable interpretive guides, with answers to all of our questions about the property.

Delicious samples of the hot cross buns, fun crafts for the kids, and a very cool local first nation's exhibit.

I went to an evening Halloween haunted tour and it was excellent! So well organized, there was a tour guide on every floor to talk about the history of the house and share spooky stories. A tarot card reader gave each guest a short reading. And they offered cookies and punch. I've been on the usual tour and it's also very fun, but this special event really went above and beyond

Perfect place for the birthday parties in summer.
Their beautiful property and magnificent customer service will leave you awestruck.
i had the pleasure of celebrating my son's 5th birthday here and it was so relaxing, mindful and so well organized.
we only got the food from outside , rest all was taken care claire and meghan, our educators. they were so engaging with kids, and everyone, including the parents of kids enjoyed it so much.
We had a small scavenger hunt outdoors which was full of fun and kids got the chance to run around in bright sunny day surrounded by nature.
My best of luck to everyone in their team and request to check this place out for any future parties , its awesome for kids age 5-6 years.

The staff was very hapy and knowledgable. The house was beautiful. Id go back for sure. Location is downtown Kitchener.