About | Tours | Membership | Education | Gift Shop
What’s Happening
The Dionne Quints Museum is OPEN for the season!
The Museum is open to the public from the long weekend in May to Thanksgiving in October, but also provides research access and community / educational programming year round. Enter into the world of the Great Depression and find out how the birth of these five little girls changes the lives of people from around the world. The Dionne Quints Museum features original artifacts, pictures and memorabilia to help tell this fascinating story. Click on the links in the menu above to find out more about the museum, group tours, events, and membership. Call Kimberley Lyon, Museum Director, for more information at 705-472-8480 or toll free at 1-888-249-8998, or for information concerning membership, continue to Membership section below.
Exhibits and Displays
Come and see our new exhibits and display cases. These new features are housed in beautiful new display cases. These cases were built with the support of NECO Community Futures Development Corp and two very diligent volunteers: Max Toms and Terry Honour.
Please call 705-472-8480 for further information on upcoming events.
Images from the Dionne Quints Museum Collection are used with the expressed permission of Annette and Cecile Dionne. Not for unauthorized reproduction or use.
About the Museum
The Dionne Quintuplets Story
The Quints attracted 3 million visitors to North Bay and area during the peak of the depression. A whole new Quint industry sprang up and provided employment for thousands. The Quints helped millions of people feel happy during the depression and forget the hunger and unemployment for a moment.
Over seventy years ago, the world was amazed by the birth of the Dionne Quintuplets on May 28, 1934, in nearby Corbeil. This amazement quickly turned to love for the five identical tiny girls, born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne. The Quint’s combined weight at birth was only 13lbs. 6ozs. and they had to be kept in incubators for the first month of their lives. Their lungs were so small that diluted doses of rum were required daily to help the Quints breathe properly. It was a one in 57 million chance of giving birth to identical quintuplets and even less chance of them surviving, but the Dionne Quints did.
The Museum
The Dionne Quints Museum is a not for profit institution, operated by the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, with the co-operation of Annette and Cecile Dionne. Housed in the original Dionne homestead, the museum contains many artifacts from the Quint’s early days and their growing years. The museum is located in North Bay at Hwys. 11 & 17 at Seymour Street. Inside, visitors can travel back more than seventy years to marvel at this miraculous event.
Hours of Operation
Mid May to Mid October
Monday to Friday – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday – 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
July and August – Extended hours – 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Museum Rates
Adult: $3.75
Senior(60+)/Student(Ages 13 to 18): $3.25
Children(Ages 5 to 12): $2.25
Family (2 adults and dependent children): $11.00
Please see the Group Tours section for details on our group rates.
Museum Members receive free museum admission.
Additional Services & Information
Located at Highways 11 & 17
1375 Seymour Street
- Travel Information
- Picnic Areas
- Public Washrooms
- Bus Parking
- Free Dumping Station (to be completed in spring 2013)
- Playground (to be completed in spring 2013)
- Wheelchair Accessible
For more information contact Kimberley:
Toll Free: 1-888-249-8998
Fax: 1-705-472-8027
Phone: 1-705-472-8480
1375 Seymour Street
North Bay, ON P1B 9V6
Canada
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Dionne Museum Group Tours
Click here to view Dionne Quints Museum Group Tour Brochure
Five Star Attraction
Visit the original home and birthplace of the world famous Dionne Quintuplets.
Tours can be scheduled outside of regular operating hours for your convenience.
Note: A $20.00 deposit is required for tours operating outside of normal business hours.
Mid May to June 30: 9:00am – 4:00pm
July & August: 9:00am – 7:00pm
September to Mid October: 9:00am – 4:00pm
French Tours available with advance notice.
Group Rates
Group Rates apply for 20 or more persons
Adults/Seniors: $2.75
Children (5-12): $1.75
(Children Under 5 Free)
Complimentary Pass for Escort and Driver
Group tours can be tailored to your needs, but often include a tour of the homestead, as well as video presentation within the main building.
School Group Rates
Group Rates apply for 20 or more students
Children (5-12): $1.75
Complimentary Pass for teachers and chaperones
School tours can be tailored to your needs, but often include a tour of the homestead, as well as video presentation within the main building and activity booklets for the students. Students will learn about the history of the Great Depression, the Dionne Quintuplets and the impact of their birth on the community.
Outreach Programs
$30.00 per class or location
Outreach program visits can be tailored to your needs, but often include a PowerPoint presentation, short video presentation, activity booklets for the students and an interactive look at some artifacts.
Step On Guide Service
The Dionne Quints Museum can meet your Step On Guide needs while visiting North Bay & Area. We can provide you with friendly knowledgeable guides and a custom planned tour of the area.
Our service includes one guide, customized tour planning of North Bay and area.
Please contact Kimberley at museum@northbaychamber.com for more information.
Continental Breakfast/Coffee Break Service
*Available with advance notice only
Long travel times and limited services in Northern Ontario often make tour planning difficult. Let the Dionne Quints Museum help. We now offer a continental breakfast to early morning tours and can arrange mid-morning and mid-afternoon coffee breaks.
Cost: $4.50 per person
(complimentary for escort and driver)
Choice of: Coffee, Tea, Juice and assorted pastries.
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Museum Membership
Become a member and help preserve a part of our history.
Click here to apply for membership today!
In 1985, the City of North Bay, with the support of the Dionne Patron Foundation, purchased the original Dionne Farm House. The building and contents were moved into North Bay, and the Chamber of Commerce was contracted to oversee the operation of the Dionne Quints Museum. Since opening in 1986, the Museum has worked to preserve this important part of history with co-operation from the Dionne sisters, Annette and Cecile.
The Museum is open to the public from the long weekend in May to Thanksgiving in October, but also provides research access and community / educational programming year round.
This is all done without the benefit of government support.
One of the largest responsibilities the Museum faces is the care and preservation of the artifacts entrusted to our care. This care often requires special supplies and services which can be very costly. In order to help defray these costs, the Dionne Quints Museum Membership Program was developed. Membership is $17.00 CAD per year ($ 17.00 US).
Each member receives…
- a personal membership card
- museum newsletters with museum event information, past events and Quint information!
- 10% discount on gift shop purchases – online and in the store!
- free museum admission – it can’t get better than that!
- and our mail order catalog sent directly to you upon request!
Thank you to our Museum Members for their continuing support.
Click here to apply for membership today!
Museum Education Programming
The Dionne Quints Museum has a number of programs and packages for educators! Our educational programs are available through the museum year-round. These programs are great for the young and the young-at-heart alike. Our programs are versatile, and are great for in the classroom, assembly room, and for here at the museum. For more information, please contact Kimberley Lyon, Museum Director, at 705-472-8480, or toll free at 1-888-249-8998.
Dionne Quints in the classroom
The Dionne Quints Museum offers a great addition to your curriculum with our Museum To-Go! Great for classes from Kindergarten to Grade 8, this education kit can be reserved with 24 hour notice and kept for up to three days.
Curriculum guides are included for reference, and we include adaptable mini-workbooks that your students can keep as well as the following items (to be returned each time):
- Documentary clips
- Laminated photos
- News clippings
- Match Game
- Various activities like word seeks, quizzes and other fun
We also have many research tools available here and at the North Bay Public Library for advanced and secondary school classes. Feel free to call or email for printing, questions, or further information on how Museum To-Go can be adapted to fit your class!
Community History students can take advantage of the learning tools we have available – and remember, there are videos available for viewing in our interperative centre so feel free to visit or call anytime.
Armchair Tours
To round out our education programming, and to enhance our guided tours, we offer armchair tours for those unable or uninterested in walking in the heat and the cold! Pictures, stories and news articles bring the Quints’ story to life. We come to you – be it in a classroom, living room or conference hall. This is a great activity for group homes, retirement or assisted centres and classrooms.
All of our programs are adaptable, so if you have any suggestions or special needs please call or stop in to the museum to see what we can do for you! Check out the Group Tour link for more information on out Outreach programs, and school visit pricing.
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Gift Shop
Please browse through our Souvenir Catalogue to see our Dionne Quints merchandise. Print out the Gift Shop Order form and fill it out as instructed on the form. We will call to confirm your order, cost, and method of payment, so please don’t forget to enclose your phone number. Don’t forget that museum members receive 10% off! All prices are in Canadian funds and taxes & shipping are extra.
You may send your order via email to:
museum@northbaychamber.com;
By fax : 1-705-472-8027;
Or mail to:
Dionne Quints Museum
1375 Seymour St
North Bay,ON
P1B 9V6
