Visit
1. Hosking General Store
This village store was once a family run business selling everything from a needle to an anchor. Browse the shop for local wares, mail a postcard or grab a Coke and chat with the storekeeper just as patrons did before.
2. Little Harbour Schoolhouse
Can you hear the bell ringing? In the 1940s, students of all ages attended one-room schoolhouses to learn their ABCs. Choose a book to read or practice your longhand on the blackboard. There’s a swing outside—and a two-seater outhouse if nature calls!
3. Clam Harbour United Church
Births, deaths, and everything in-between: churches like this were once the heart of community life. Step inside for a closer look at the stained-glass windows and well-worn pews. Feeling nimble? Play a tune on the organ or climb the steps and ring the bell.
4. Coastal Garden
Stop by the garden to see what’s growing! In the 1940s, plots like this provided just enough food to feed a family. Sample a gooseberry or visit the Cookhouse for a taste of the harvest. There’s always weeding to do if you want to help out.
5. Family Barn
Head to the barn for some quality time with Memory Lane’s kittens, where chickens and sheep also run free. Climb on the tractor seat, check the coop for eggs or take the wheelbarrow for a spin. Tools and equipment are ready for work, so take care when exploring.
6. The Webber House
By the 1940s electricity began making its way down the Eastern Shore, transforming family homes like this one. Can you spot the modern amenities? Listen to the parlour radio, see what’s cooking in the kitchen or give the wringer washer a whirl.
7. Icehouse
Before refrigeration food was preserved using lake ice, cut by hand and stored here between layers of sawdust. Blocks were moved to the kitchen icebox using big, scissor-like tongs—go ahead and give it a try!
8. Wood & Metal Workshop
Everyday repairs were once made in local workshops like this. Visit the forge to see what’s heating up and give the bellows a crank. Watch a carver at the lathe or try planning a piece of pine.
9. Shingle Mill
Ever wonder how a shingle is made? This shingle mill operated until 1949, and was restored by volunteers in 2005. Stop by to see the giant blade churn out wooden shingles, and take one home if you’re lucky.
10. Eastern Shore Archives
Once used for dances and socials, this community hall is now a modern archives that preserves the heritage of Eastern Shore communities from Lawrencetown to Ecum Secum. Drop in when the doors are open or book a visit to dig deeper into local history.
11. Prospector’s Cabin
Gold was first discovered in Nova Scotia in 1861 at Tangier, only 15 kilometres east of Memory Lane. After that, mines popped up all along the Eastern Shore in search of this precious metal. All good prospectors need a cabin near their operation— imagine this is yours.
12. Assay Office
Most gold mines have an assay office, where ore samples are tested to determine their quality. Look into the microscope for traces of gold or split a rock using a feather and wedge. Think you found something valuable?
13. Gold Mine Ball Mill
Hear the rumble and feel the floorboards shake! Here, a tumbling steel ball pulverizes rock into a fine gravel slurry to sift out gold. Pick up a sledgehammer, give the cart a push or hunt for minerals in the rock pile outside.
14. Norm Hutt Boat Shop
Norm Hutt was a respected wooden boatbuilder with a skilled hand. Visit his shop and check out the steam box to see how wood bends or try a tool at the workbench. The vessel inside is a work-in-progress replica of a 1940s inshore fishing boat.
15. Fisherman’s Storehouse
Inshore fishermen kept buildings like this to store gear, make repairs, and process their catch. Peer inside an eel pot, practice your knots or help a fisherman make a lobster trap. Why not sit for awhile and swap a story or two?
16. Clam Factory
Constructed in 2005, this building is modelled after a typical 1940s clam factory—once bustling with workers canning clams, lobsters, and herring. Today it hosts special events like concerts, workshops, weddings, and exhibitions. Check our website to see what’s on next!
17. The Cookhouse
Sawmills, mines, and other rural operations often built cookhouses like this to feed their workers. Homemade baked beans, soups, bread, and sweets are served today as they were then, so get a chow ticket from the Store for a 1940s meal you won’t forget.
18. Village Garage
After the war, local entrepreneurs opened small garages that sold gas, patched tires, and ordered parts for a growing number of motorists. Sit inside the 1928 Ford Model A or pose for a photo by the restored 1948 International pickup.