The Greenwood Centre For Living history is a true hidden gem just off the West Island of Montreal.
With a diverse history full of surprises and stories, this nearly 300 year old house will have something for everyone. Though it’s currently a non-profit volunteer run organization, Greenwood was first built as a homestead, then over the years had the pleasure of acting as a general store, a post office, a summer home, and finally, a heritage house for all to enjoy!
It’s a must-see for history buffs, tea lovers, or anyone looking for a fun afternoon activity away from the city. You definitely have to visit the Greenwood Centre For Living History in Hudson Québec!
Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!
Where Is Greenwood? Welcome To Hudson Québec
Greenwood Centre For Living History is in Hudson Québec – an off-island suburb of Montreal, it’s a part of the greater Montreal area in Vaudreuil-Soulanges region. From downtown, it will take you about 45 minutes by car…
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So How Do You Get To Hudson?
The only way to get to Hudson is unfortunately with a car. If you don’t have a car, you can rent one; I recommend Enterprise here.
There is a very convenient train station just off of Main Street, but the train only departs from there once a day (at 7:00 A.M.)… and it doesn’t run on the weekends. You can see the updated schedule here, in case it’s changed since I last checked…
If it runs more often, the train takes about an hour and 20 minutes and leaves from Lucien L’allier station downtown (near the Bell Centre).
Welcome To Greenwood Centre for Living History
The Greenwood Centre For Living History is all about Greenwood house, which as I said, is almost 300 year old… well part of it anyway! Greenwood house has grown over the years to accommodate different ventures and families.
It used to be a quarter of the size, back in 1732 when it was built as the Sabourin homestead. At one point, it was home to a family of 12!
It stayed in the family for nearly 100 years until 1821 when it was sold to the Delesderniers family. They added a general store and post office to the house (both of which were the first in the area!). Paddle boats would stop here on their way from Montreal to Ottawa.
The house expanded one more over the years when it was converted into a family summer home. Heating was never installed so it was too cold to stay throughout the nasty Québec winters. (P.S. visiting in the winter? Here’s what to pack!).
It stayed in the family until 1994 when it was left to “The Canadian Heritage of Québec” by Phoebe Nobbs Hyde. She was the last owner of the house and absolutely loved Greenwood. Her hope was to preserve and share all the intricate history of the house with others.
There’s SO much more to learn about Greenwood, but I don’t want to give away too much… you’ll just have to take the tour (or you can read more here!).
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Spend A Day At Greenwood House
Greenwood Centre For Living History is so much more than most Montreal Museums of a heritage house.
Of course, you’ll want to tour the house and the thousands of preserved artifacts. But there’s a bit more in store for you when you visit Greenwood…
Montreal Museums: Guided Tour Of Greenwood
The home really is the main attraction at Greenwood. Like I said, part of it is 300 years old… that’s worth discovering on it’s own! The Canadian Heritage of Québec has turned the home itself into a museum open to the public.
But on top of that there are preserved artifacts… and some are original to the OG house (from 1732, remember?)! Inside the home, you’ll see original woodwork, paintings, and different heirlooms.
This is one of the most unique Montreal Museums I’ve visited. The historical house is extremely well documented. Phoebe managed to write detailed postcards describing most of these artifacts before she passed away. On top of that, every year there are new discoveries brought forward by descendants of past Greenwood residents.
Greenwood heritage house is also very family oriented – making it a perfect afternoon family activity. You’re actually encouraged to pick items up for a closer look… I was still too scared! But it just shows you how much Greenwood is a place for discovery!
P.S. Can You Find My Favourite Artifacts At Greenwood Centre For Living History!?
I can’t stress enough how much there is to discover at Greenwood House. You can spend hours lost in history. But, there are a few items that I love at the house, can you find them!?
- Original Child Toilet & Seat (hint: find a cat in the room!)
- Swan Salt Dish
- Papier Mâché Tea Caddy
- Mary Cecilia’s Wedding Dress & Bonnet
- Nobbs Family Garden Monument (Percy Nobb’s 25th wedding anniversary gift to his wife Cecil!)
Enjoy Montreal Tea On The Porch
Not interested in a history lesson? No problem! The Greenwood Centre for Living History also offers a delightful tea on their back porch. So you can skip right to the desserts if you prefer!
The Greenwood house back porch is covered and screened in – giving you the opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of sitting outside without any of the headache! No bugs! No sun burns! Just incredible views, some good company (hopefully), and delicious desserts made with love.
It’s a simple afternoon tea with a pot of English style and some desserts. The desserts are baked by volunteers in the community though, just adds that extra touch you won’t find at any other afternoon tea. I was able to taste incredible homemade butter tarts, blondies, and date squares!
I swear I could sit here sipping tea all day long. And I probably could have, there’s no rush to leave once you arrive at Greenwood. Which also brings me to the next activity…
Taste Tea Where You Are!
Taste tea on the go with my pocket size tea tasting log book on Etsy.
This printable digital download tea tasting journal also comes with a tea tasting guide inside.
Stroll Through (Or Relax In) The Greenwood Gardens
The gardens are spectacular at Greenwood! Although the land was always part of the property, it was Phoebe’s father, Percy Erskine Nobbs, who created the beauty you see today (he was in fact the Dean of Architecture at McGill after all!).
During your visit, you are encouraged to stroll through the gardens. There isn’t a guided tour of the gardens but you aren’t left without information. They have notes set up throughout the gardens for you to read at your own pace. For example, you may just be able to find out why it’s called Greenwood House.
Or why not sit under the Gazebo to watch the sailboats go by? Even better, bring your favourite book to read surrounded by the gardens!
Some Logistics
Tour: $10/ Person
Tea: $5 / Person
Membership: $35 – $50 / year (more on that in a bit!)
Shop For Some Antiques – Hidden Gem Montreal
Before you leave, make sure to check out the gift shop! This isn’t just any gift shop, of course, but an antique shop where you never know what you might find!
All the items in the shop are donated from locals and the profits go directly to supporting Greenwood House.
You might also be interested in reading…
Events At Greenwood House
Just to impress you even more – Greenwood also hosts a variety of events and activities during the summer and fall.
A favourite activity enjoyed by locals is the weekly Painting in the Gardens. The whole family is invited! You don’t even need to bring anything – just yourselves! No seriously, they provide everything you’ll need to paint in the gardens. So you can focus on spending time with your family, relaxing, and unlocking your imagination.
Every fall into October, Greenwood hosts StoryFest – a literary festival where they invite Canadian authors to speak. Some authors they’ve had in the past include Margaret Atwood (The Handmaids Tale) and Lawrence Hill (The Book of Negroes). The 2022 fall lineup is here! Check it out!
They also host Theatre on the Lawn where they invite the Hudson Player’s Club (a group started by Phoebe herself) to perform dramatic readings, full plays, and various excerpts each summer season.
You can see a list of the events here.
Closed For The Winter…
I know, this was all sounding too good to be true. Here’s the one negative about the Greenwood Centre For Living History…
It’s not open year round, but only in in the summer and sometimes into the fall. Remember, Greenwood hasn’t been lived in during the winter for quite some time, and has only ever really been used as a summer home. A proper heating system was never installed.
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Become A Member
If you’re already in love with what Greenwood has to offer, you might want to consider becoming a member. You’ll get free house tours, a free tea, discount on events, and some other benefits.
A membership is $35/ per person or $50/per household.
Find out more information and updated prices for becoming a member here.
P.S. You’ll Want To Come Back Every Year!
Just because you’ve visited one year, doesn’t mean you can’t go on a tour the following year (and every year after that!).
Every year, Greenwood house likes to freshen it up with an annual theme for the tours. For example, when we visited, it was all about the Ladies of Greenwood. Every room had an exposé about a different lady that had lived in the house. It was a wonderful piece that adds some new information to your visit every year!
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