Matthews Heritage Museum

"Matthews Heritage Museum provides educational and engaging interactive experiences for all ages. The museum strives to nurture a healthy respect for the forward thinking of the early settlers and help guests reflect on the business environment, lifestyles and cultures of those early Matthews townspeople."

“Widgets and Thing-a-ma-Jigs, Part Three: An Exhibit of the Mostly Forgotten”

The Matthews Heritage Museum iis opening its next exhibit on Saturday, June 2 on Widgets and Thing-a-ma-Jigs, Part Three: An Exhibit of the Mostly Forgotten. It will be on display until October 6, 2018. Have you ever come across an object and didn’t know what it was? A tool from another time, no longer used by the general public? The Museum this time is displaying things that we have used in our lifetime that have basically become obsolete. Sometimes it doesn’t take long to change the way we do things. The Matthews Heritage Museum has a whole exhibit of items that may bring back memories.

The items will be on display without benefit of a label in order to challenge your knowledge. However, a key with a description of each item and how it was used will be provided for those interested. Come see how technology has changed in our lifetime!

Read more about current Display

FIRST Paranormal Experience at the Matthews Heritage Museum 2 Sessions per Evening
$15 per person per session
For more information 704-661-7984

Print flyer

Come see what the museum has to offer!
See our new Massey-Clark Panel
Learn about Matthews History

Find information about Girl Scout badge on our "Students" page.

The Matthews Heritage Museum was voted the Best Local Museum in the 2018 Charlotte Media Group Contest, run in the South Charlotte Weekly, Union County Weekly and Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly. The Museum won in 2016 and 2017, making this our third year to receive the award!

The Historic Landmarks Commission has developed a video explaining the significance of the Outen Pottery and its potential for Matthews's future.

View the video featuring Dan Morrill.

Pick up a free copy of Foundations, the Matthews Historical Foundation newsletter, at the museum.

Read the Fall 2018 issue of Foundations, MHF newsletter.
PDF reader needed to view newsletter. Link to Adobe Reader.

The Matthews Heritage Museum is pleased to announce that Erin Barrett (2nd from left) is the recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award for 2017 - 2018. Erin has been with us since the winter of 2013, being a member of the second training class. Erin has faithfully given a tour every other Saturday since joining. She started when she had a part time job, and despite in recent years working both a full time and part time job, she has not given up her volunteer service for which we are most grateful.

The Museum celebrated its 5th birthday in June. Our dedicated team of docents and volunteers add greatly to the success of the Matthews Herit-age Museum. They catalog artifacts, greet guests, and conduct tours for numerous groups including schools, scouts, seniors, churches, civic and other organizations. We would be happy to have your club or group tour the museum. Reservations must be made in advance. Please call the Museum office 704-708-4996 to schedule a tour.

Docent Luncheon Attendees

The Board of the Matthews Historical Foundation extends its sincere and well deserved “Thank You” to all the docents and volunteers for their generous gifts of time and talent. It is much appreciated by the Foundation Board of Directors, Matthews, and all who visit the Museum.

Erin Barrett, docent of the year, represented the Matthews Heritage Museum in this year's annual Matthews Alive Parade - September 2018.

The Matthews Heritage Museum is pleased to announce that it has added a new feature. The Museum has put up a “Little Free Library” in front of the museum. Like other library’s it’s a “take a book, return a book” gathering place where neighbors share their favorite literature and stories. In its most basic form, a Little Free Library is a box full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book to share.

In the beginning—2009–Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one-room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, a former school teacher who loved reading. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it. He built several more and gave them away. Each one had a sign that said FREE BOOKS. The Museum is hoping to feature books based on history, though we will allow any book to be placed there.

Our “Library” was built by Jason Surface, son of one of our volunteers. It is a miniature version of the Massey Clark House, 1880, which is the home of the Matthews Heritage Museum.

The Matthews Heritage Museum is open Thursday – Saturday from 10 – 4:30. Guided tours are available to the visiting public. Schools can schedule a guided tour by calling 704-708-4996. Admission is $4 per person, $2 for young people 11-17, children 10 and under are free. Parking is available on the street and behind the museum.

Matthews Heritage Museum, Matthews North Carolina