Ontario's museum lives in the old City Hall

Ontario’s museum gives the city a compact way to hold its own memory. The Ontario Museum of History and Art is not tucked away in a random building. It sits in the city’s former City Hall on tree-lined Euclid Avenue.

That building matters. The former City Hall is a historical landmark funded by the Works Progress Administration. It originally served as Ontario’s second City Hall, so the museum is inside a civic building that already belongs to the city’s story.

The museum itself was founded in 1979. Its work focuses on regional history, art, collections, exhibits, public programs, and cultural events. That mix fits Ontario well. The city has Model Colony planning, agriculture, Euclid Avenue, airport growth, Route 66, rail and road layers, and a growing downtown arts district. A local museum gives those pieces a place to gather.

It also gives visitors a softer first stop than a busy corridor or airport road. You can start with the old City Hall, then connect the museum to Euclid Avenue, older downtown blocks, Graber Olive House, and the broader Chaffey-era story.

Look at the current hours before going. Small museums can be some of the best local stops, but they work best when you plan around their open days.