Mississauga’s Adamson Estate opens its doors for the first time in 40 years for a moving fall exhibit

Exciting news! After more than 40 years, Adamson Estate is opening its doors to the community to host a new Museums exhibit: A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada.

To kick off the exhibit, there will be an opening reception on October 4 at Adamson Estate, hosted by the Museums of Mississauga and Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dasko.

What:

A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada – exhibit and opening reception

When:

Opening reception: October 4, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Exhibit runs from October 4 to December 28, 2025; public hours take place Thursdays to Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m.

Where:

Adamson Estate
850 Enola Ave., Mississauga

Parking notice: due to limited onsite parking, attendees are encouraged to carpool, take MiWay or park in designated lots.

This travelling exhibit was created by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 with guest curator Dr. Afua Cooper in partnership with the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia.

This groundbreaking exhibition will spend the next four years touring across Canada – Mississauga will be its only stop in the GTA.

Canada’s connection to enslavement is not just the Underground Railroad — enslavement played a significant role in the early settlement of Canada and its legacy can be seen today. Discover the experiences of enslaved Black people in Canada through individual biographies and archival records, learn how enslavement came to be in Canada, and find out who Canada’s enslavers were.

About Adamson Estate

Located along the shoreline of Lake Ontario in the Lakeview neighbourhood, Adamson Estate sits on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, part of Treaty 14 lands. It was originally part of a Crown grant given to Joseph Cawthra in the early 1800s. In 1876, Joseph’s grandson, John Cawthra II, built a summer home on the land which came to be known as Grove Farm. In 1899, John’s daughter, Mabel Cawthra, received the estate as a wedding gift when she married Agar Adamson. The couple replaced Grove Farm with the current Adamson House, constructed in 1919. Together, they transformed the estate into a landmark that reflected their heritage and shared vision.

2025 marks the first time the Adamson Estate will be continuously open to the public in 40 years. Starting October 4, the Museums of Mississauga will be presenting meaningful, high-quality exhibitions about our heritage at the Adamson Estate, beginning with A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada.

Additional information can be found on the webpage.