Museums are repositories for knowledge and history. The Rosetown and District Museum is chock-full of both. Located just off of highway 7 East, the Rosetown museum, which started being built in 1994, was officially opened in 2000.


The museum is run by a board of directors with Barry Churchman as its president. Guided tours are given by Mary Lafayette and high school student, Kaitlyn McDonald, who is set to graduate from RCHS this year. Most days will also find Ron Gawletz puttering away in the back or making signs for the museum.


“They gave me a retirement plaque six years ago, but I’m still here,” laughed Gawletz.


‘The Rosetown and District Museum depicts the history of Rosetown and area and includes an extensive collection of buildings including a teacherage, a one-room school house, a fire hall, a jail, a fully operational blacksmith shop and a 1923 two-and-a-half storey catalogue house completely restored with a lower level tea room.’


Pictures of Rosetown’s citizens of the year dating back to 1978 are displayed in the museum. The display of old phones is a favourite for many in this age of cell phones.


McDonald shared, “One of the pieces I think is pretty cool is a copy of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix’s first issue. It’s titled, ‘The Saskatoon Phenix’ and is dated Friday, October 17, 1902.”


Some of the museums oldest pieces are two dresses presumed to be from the 1800’s. One dress is thought to have been a school teachers dress and the other, a black gown, a wedding dress.


The museum’s tea house is open Mondays and Fridays from 2-4 and Wednesdays from 2-4 and 7-9. Enjoy coffee tea, ice-cream, and home made pie in a setting that will take you back to days of old. Often on the menu is rhubarb pie made with rhubarb grown in the museums garden. The tea house is completely volunteer run.


The museum is open for tours from 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday from May to August. A visit is sure to find you a little wiser and more in touch with Rosetown as it was and how it became what it is today.