In the 1950s Halton’s "museum" consisted of a few antiques in a display case in the Halton County Administration Building. As the number of these items increased discussion turned to the possibility of creating a county museum. The Halton County Museum Association was formed and charged with investigating potential sites.

The former Alexander Farmstead  on land that had been purchased by the Sixteen Mile Creek Conservation Authority proved to be a significant site.

• The site was settled in 1836 by Scottish immigrant Adam Alexander 1 and his family and farmed  by four generations of Alexanders.
• In 1898 the innovative Adam Alexander III designed and installed a water power system on the farm, powering farm machinery including feed choppers, grain elevators, fanning mills and circular saws saving human labour and bringing prosperity to the family.
• Adam III later installed a dynamo to generate electricity. This invention made the Alexander Farmstead quite unique for its time; not only in Halton but the country.

The Alexander Family Farmstead site was chosen as Halton’s museum. 

• Read the Alexander Family Story. 1.36MB
• Learn more about the Alexanders.
• View archival photos (it's the 2nd bullet, titled "The Alexander Family").

Here’s a brief timeline:

• August 22, 1961: Halton County Council passed By-law No. 1961-20 establishing the Halton County Museum. Following negotiations with the Conservation Authority the farm buildings, (with the exception of the Drive Shed) and 5.1 acres were leased to the Halton County Museum Association for 99 years.
• July 15, 1962: an initial opening was held for a section on the lower floor of the Barn. Eventually the Museum grew to occupy the remainder of the barn.
• 1967-1968: in celebration of Canada’s Centennial, Halton initiated the construction project of the Carriage House, now the Visitor Centre. The building was opened in 1968 with a much publicized “Carriage House Ball”.
• 1960s and 1970s: the Halton County Museum became well known for its annual events including the Christmas Tea and Spring Festival. Volunteers, members of the “Friends of the Museum” contributed greatly to these events.
  Halton Region Museum
  with gardens in 1975
  
• 1970 to 1973: a log cabin was discovered in the Currie Reforestation Tract. It was dismantled and then moved to the Museum site where it was resurrected and reopened – entirely by volunteers.
• 1975: with the advent of regional government, Halton County Museum became the Halton Region Museum.
• 1980s: a feasibility study examining the merit of moving the museum to another site and creating a Halton Heritage Centre and Central Curatorial Services Facility was considered.
• 1988: the decision was made to move the artifact collections storage offsite as the Barn did not offer adequate environmental controls to ensure preservation.
• 1998: another feasibility study was undertaken which outlined the future of the Museum remaining on the Alexander site.
  Alexander Barn Exterior
  Renovations in 2001
  
  
• 2000 to 2002: as a result of the 1998 study, Halton Region  funded renovations to the Alexander Barn and Visitor Centre. These included the installation of new water and septic systems, increasing the depth of the pond for fire protection purposes, the installation of a new parking lot, an additional floor in the Barn and Visitor Centre, and the addition of two meeting rooms.
• 2002: the Museum reopened its doors.  New exhibitions, education programs, events and activities have been developed and the meeting facilities assist in supporting ongoing improvements, event and program development.
• 2011: The Museum continues to develop exciting plans for the site and buildings which include the Piggery (former Craft House), the Alexander Farmhouse, and the Drive Shed, which the Museum acquired with the assistance of the Halton Museum Foundation in 2009.