Historic Sites Protection Act – Protected

Village Historique Acadien

New Bandon, New Brunswick

General view from the bridge at the top of the Village Historique Acadien

General view from the bridge at the top of the Village Historique Acadien

Photo: Village Historique Acadien

Built
1973–1976
Recognized
2006
By
Province of New Brunswick

The register’s text, word for word

Description

Village Historique Acadien is a living outdoor museum featuring historic buildings from various parts of New Brunswick. It is located on the marshes of the Rivière du Nord, near Caraquet. The site also includes an "aboiteaux" system on the marshes and a rural landscape.

Heritage value

Village Historique Acadien is designated a Provincial Historic Site for the architectural and heritage value of all of its buildings, as well as for its collections, its geographical location, and the dissemination and interpretation of history.

Village Historique Acadien was originally assembled in 1973-1976. It consists of 38 historic buildings constructed between 1770 and 1939, as well as 9 reproduced buildings. The buildings are from various regions of the province and reflect the residential, cultural and agricultural history of Acadians in New Brunswick.

Village Historique Acadien is recognized for the importance of its collections and for its value as a museum. One of its objectives is to collect and conserve collections relating to Acadian heritage from different areas of the province. The collection consists of furniture, tools, textiles, and buildings that are representative of Acadian material civilization.

Village Historique Acadien is also recognized for the quality of its dissemination and interpretation of history. Interpreters in period costume provide visitors with a look at Acadian history and how the Acadians lived. They present the life of Acadian forebears while demonstrating techniques that were used in a number of trades and daily tasks.

Village Historique Acadien is further recognized for its location on a vast property of more than 2,800 acres on the Rivière du Nord. The marshland along the river is transformed into cultivable land by means of an ingenious drainage system. This "aboiteaux" system, made up of drainage canals, dykes, and sluices, is a unique Acadian technique for cultivating marshland.

SourceDepartment of Wellness, Culture and Sport, Heritage Branch, Site File: Vol.IX-127 and the Village Historique Acadien

Character‑defining elements

The character-defining elements of Village Historique Acadien include the elements associated with the site as a whole and those associated with its buildings and collections.

The character-defining elements that describe the land and the interpretation activities at Village Historique Acadien include:

  • large property on which it is located;
  • marsh transformed into cultivable land by means of "aboiteaux", a traditional drainage system;
  • ongoing visitor access;
  • interpretation of Acadian history and how the Acadians lived;
  • demonstration of various methods of food, wool, and flax processing and other day-to-day activities;
  • demonstration of traditional trades.

The character-defining elements that describe the structures and buildings at Village Historique Acadien include:

  • 38 historic buildings from various parts of the province;
  • 9 reproduced structures or buildings;
  • collection of more than 8,000 Acadian heritage artifacts;
  • "aboiteaux" system on the marshes.

End of the register’s text

Location

Route 11, 14311-2, New Bandon, New Brunswick, E8N, Canada

47.79696° N, 65.10141° W

Get directions (opens in a new tab)

Being on the register doesn’t make a place open to visitors. Many are private homes or businesses; please view them from the street.

Loading map…

Nearby

Similar places

Places whose register descriptions are closest to this one.

From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.