mackenzie printery & newspaper museum

wanderweggeist

The printery offers an interesting and thorough tour ... we found the information fascinating, and the tour guide had humor as well. It is not a short tour, though, so be prepared.

W3392JJjims

My first job 75 years ago was in a print shop. This remarkable museum has all the stuff I used back then, and the docent knows her what she is talking about. You won't find an exhibit like this very often. Well worth a visit.

GMB54

If you get a chance to visit this historic printery, it’s worth a look! The building is located in the historic village of Queenston, which is along the Niagara Parkway between Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. The museum is housed in the 1800’s former home of publisher William Lyon Mackenzie.Here you’ll find old printing equipment that has been lovingly restored, and in working condition. The Louis Roy press is found here, which is one of the few wooden printing presses still left in the world. According to information at the museum, this is the oldest printing press in all of Canada.Watch an antique printing press churn out a flyer just for you! We had an enjoyable and educational family visit. This is one of those places where children don’t realize they’re learning because they’re also having fun!

CrystalJ_12

For such a small museum it sure packs a lot of information and hands-on experiences. The staff is very informative goes through with you and one-on-one explains everything you see and how it works.

tammypalumbo

A fantastic place to visit with children. Not wheelchair/stroller accessible, but worth the trek up the stairs. Take homes and staff were awesome - both knowledgeable and patient.

DariusG537

An historic building with enthusiastic staff. The exhibits were hands on and you even get to keep a printed souvenir you make yourself! Definitely worth a drop-by!

865SteveR

For a tiny museum, we sure learned a lot in just 30 minutes. Our guide was Marley and she was superb. She shared with us with great insight and enthusiasm the history of the house, the history of Mackenzie, history of the printing press and newspaper. Our 2 kids enjoyed setting print type and taking part in printing a few items. Great find!

RafflesT

Our guide was Heather and she was excellent. No sooner had we walked in the door and she met us, taking our passes. Then announced she was out tour guide, just for the 2 of us. Her knowledge is excellent and she kept us interested for well over an hour. Would never have thought we would spend almost 2 hours in a print museum.She walks you through the entire house, explains the history and the function of each piece of equipment. You even get to type-set your name and she prints a sheet.

clearingbreeze

Free parking and located close to other interesting places, this is a must-see place if you are visiting! The gardens are pretty, and the house takes you back in time!I highly recommend strolling through Queenston to take in the charm and stop by the different places of note. One is a gorgeous old church (see photos) that is dedicated to Sir Isaac Brock and overlooks the Niagara River. There is a path down to the waterfront trail as well, and you can gawk at Willow Mansion, go to the Laura Secord Gift shop, and take in the Laura Secord Museum, then head over (by car) to the Brock Monument. It is a really charming and interesting place!

SusanS415

I don't think I would have stopped here if it weren't for the TripAdvisor reviews I had read about things to do in the Niagara-on-the-Lake area. The museum received such high marks I thought I'd better check it out. I'm so glad I did! This really was a fun and interesting stop. Covering 100s of years of printing technology it was really amazing not only to see how far we've come, but even more to see the genius behind the early printing methods. I really learned a lot and it was fun to get hands on and set type and watch it get printed. Our guide Mark was informative and friendly and helped to make it an exceptional tour. Interesting for young and old.

bprophet

The staff, Mark & Trevor in particular, are very knowledgable about the history and the significant collection of printing presses, associated objects & tools. This museum is also a functioning print shop. The visitors are guided through the process of making a print on a press similar to what Mackenzie would have used. The interactive experience was engaging and entertaining. The painstaking attention to detail in a pre-electricity world for the sake of the written word and its dissemination is an indication of the dedication early newspaper communicators like William Lyon Mackenzie possessed, a prime example of his tenacity.

RayR652

I visited in July 2014 with my rather large family. Never would've found it except that it was part of the Niagara Heritage trail pass.Unless you're already a seasoned newspaper veteran (we were not), you'll be amazed by just how complicated a printing machine could be quite a long time ago.The tour is very family-friendly - my four kids all got to make out their name on printing blocks and take back a souvenir print. The guides love questions... even from younger kids.Don't worry - your children won't be bored getting a little bit of history. Neither will you.

SherlockTheBeagle

Our guide, Trevor, gave us an enthusiastic personal tour of the history of printing, from 16th century wooden presses right up to the linotype machines that powered the daily newspapers of the 20th century.I was skeptical at first (a printing museum?), but it was interesting, and the guide's ability to weave the story of the rebel newspapermen, William Lyon MacKenzie (who built the building), and his grandson the Prime Minister into the history of printing was very entertaining.

BudM753

Interesting and informative. Really neat to be able to see old printing presses and even use 2 of them. Part of the Heritage Trail Pass.

citypins

On 19th of July 2014, we continued our heritage trail by visiting the MacKenzie Printery. The information we received about the old style printers was very good. I found myself a little bored, not as interesting as the other three heritage sights. The demonstrations were very good though! I've been, it was informative, but I won't return.Don't miss visiting this historic sight, it just wasn't for me!