Visitors of interest

Brubacher House is visited by hundreds of tourists and travellers in any given year. Local residents who may not be familiar with the museum also stop by to inquire about it. Dozens of hooks line each room of the museum and if you are able to find a place to put your hat then you are welcome to stay. Brubacher House hosts reflected on their most memorable visitors, as well as some of the questions they were asked during some other visits.

Celebrities and Brubacher family descendants

“Seniors who had the time (and generally the most interest) to engage questions and conversation deeply. Some came in tour groups. Some were Elderhostel groups (through Grebel).

"But we must also say that many persons dropped in hoping to see a 'Mennonite.' When we acknowledged ourselves as such, it either created great disappointment or further curiosity. On occasion, we unexpectedly received visitors who had a personal history with the House - e.g. grew up in it as a child (post-Brubachers), a descendant of the Brubachers, etc. These were rich conversations - enlightening and engaging.”
- Arlyn and Judith Friesen Epp (1994-2000)

“One of our favourite visits was from the children of William and Caroline Schmidt. Their family was the last to own the house before the University of Waterloo purchased it in the 1950s. They never lived in it, as their parents had rented it out while continuing to farm the land, but they lived over by Herrle’s and would walk over regularly to do farm work. They regaled us with stories of their childhood, and their memories of the house before it became a museum. They seemed to remember that the location of the rooms had been reversed, with the kitchen and sitting room originally being on the south side of the house, and the pantry and master bedroom on the north side. They also remembered how inexpensive it had been for their parents to buy the house and rent it out. They said that the house was also very cold in winter, and a family that lived there had moved elsewhere temporarily when they had a baby, just to keep warm.”
- Laura and Joshua Enns (2017-present)

“We hosted a busload of German tourists, none of which spoke English! It depended on our non-verbal communication skills and limited German language skills but we got through the tour. It would be interesting to hear their side of things!"

"It was also fun whenever friends would visit for the first time and we would give them the free tour, including our apartment. We always let them ring the bell!”
- Chris Steingart and Jillian Burkhardt (2004-2006)

“On occasion, we unexpectedly received visitors who had a personal history with the House - e.g. grew up in it as a child (post-Brubachers), a descendant of the Brubachers, etc. These were rich conversations - enlightening and engaging.”
- Arlyn and Judith Friesen Epp (1994-2000)

“Laura...really enjoyed giving tours to groups from Renison University College’s English Language Institute. Students came from all over the world, and engaged with the house from diverse perspectives. Some students, like those from Mexico or Chile, were familiar with Mennonite groups from their home contexts, but others from countries like Japan and China were not. They always asked great questions, and one of her favourite memories was surprising a group with a maple sugaring demonstration at the maple tree out back! Everyone enjoyed tasting maple sap straight from the tree. Another interesting tour was with a group of Old Order Mennonites. Laura learned so much from them, because they were familiar with so many of the artifacts from their own experience. They basically gave her the tour!”
- Laura and Joshua Enns (2017-present)

The Hunsbergers hosted a tea party in recognition of donors and Reg Good’s book on the Brubachers. The guest list included Dorothy Elliot and invitations to 12 other Brubacher descendants.

"'Can I see a Mennonite?' People narrowly understood Mennonites to all be 'Old Order.' They were usually surprised to learn that we were Mennonites as well. It was often important to contextualize the Brubachers of the 19th century - all other residents, at the time, also stooked their harvest, drove horse-and-buggy, etc. The Old Order split of the 1890s post-dated the early decades of BH."

"'What is the difference between Old Order Mennonite and Old Order Amish?'"

"Re the House: 'Is this the university president's residence? Is it open to visitors? How thick are the walls? How were the large stones lifted to the top of the house?'"