Backwoods Players is an award-winning volunteer theatre company with a membership of over 150 people of all ages, specializing in period productions. Theatrical styles range from improvisation and comedy to the high drama of "A Spirit Walk".  Most productions are staged onsite at the Pickering Museum Village, either outdoors, or in 19th century buildings.

Backwoods Players is an open company offering a wide variety of opportunities for creative people who want to act, or help with productions. Apply to become a member, and receive audition and crew calls.

As we come out of Covid-19 we are slowly returning to productions. Watch here for audition notices for Backwoods Players plays!  To check out the line-up for the year go to the museum's event page.

The Bloomers & Britches is made up of a hardy band of gardeners who work in the gardens of the museum village Tuesday and Thursday mornings, from May until September. As well as hands-on gardening, the club researches, plans, and plants the heritage gardens. We begin in early May to "Turn-over" the gardens and "Turn-under" the gardens in late September.

Bloomers and Britches welcomes new members of all ages and skill sets. 

If you enjoyed dressing dolls as a child, imagine the fun you'll have costuming real people, in styles ranging from the era of Jane Austen to WWI. We rely on the talents of those creative individuals who can wield scissors, a needle and thread, and perhaps even a (modern) sewing machine!

This committee meets every Tuesday morning through the winter to work on mending, costume construction, and collection inventory. Periodically, sewing "bees" are held to work on projects for a whole day.

This is not a “learn to sew” program but your skills will improve as you volunteer alongside experienced seamstresses and needle workers. New volunteers welcome!

Love history, enjoy sharing it? We exist to tell Pickering's stories, and we need you to do it! From life in a log house, to interpreting the goods in the 1910 General Store, our costumed interpreters share the museum's artifacts and the stories behind them. As with all volunteer opportunities at the museum village, we will give you the training to successfully interpret and demonstrate heritage skills. And what's more, you get to dress up!

The purpose of this arm's length fundraising board is to support large conservation and building restoration projects at the museum village.  Since 1996, the foundation has partnered with businesses, community groups and volunteers on heritage projects large and small at the museum village and have funded and supported a number of City initiatives.

Please visit the foundation website for more information, or to provide financial support for this organization's objectives. 

Do you like to cook or bake? Our food ways group, Vintage Victuals (pronounced "vittles"), are responsible for all of the food programming that takes place in the village. These volunteers handle everything food-related at the museum village: baking the cookies, cakes, puddings and other samples offered during Christmastime; heritage cooking and baking demonstrations at events and onsite programs; presenting public workshops; snack bar food service; making preserves for our Gift Shop.  In short, they are our "chief cooks and bottle-washers".

Some opportunities are in costume and require interpretation skills for which we will fully train you if you're interested. Novice cooks and bakers welcomed.

Do old woodworking tools and techniques spark an interest? If so, step back into the 19th century when most things were made of wood; your home, furniture, your vehicle, toys, and even the tools you used around the farm!

The Woodwrights' Guild focuses on building exhibit and programming furniture, including activity stations and games for new exhibits, creating reconstructed items that are used in heritage kitchens, during events, or public programs and creating objects for the Gift Shop.

If you have a hankering for the smell of fresh-cut wood, come and join in the fun!  Woodwrights meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Don't see what you can offer?  There are many ways.  We need your computer skills, or interest in history that may not include wearing a costume or interpreting machinery, gardens, or cooking! 

We are currently seeking volunteers willing to help out in the following areas:

• hands-on help delivering children's programs such as Izzy's Mystery Adventure, Garden Gnomes and Fairy Homes, What's the Scoop?, Junior Carriage Painter and more... (must be available in the summer, youth preferred)
• Or… make us an offer - we're always open to creative thinking!
• program support, including crafting and creating the fanciful décor used in various programs, such as the fairy houses, doors, and toadstools for our Fairy Tour.