Perth County Welcome Centre
Visit the Perth County Welcome Centre & Artisan Marketplace
Operated by the Perth County Visitors’ Association, the centre provides a whole wealth of information about the county; from the best places to eat and stay to the most exciting things to see and do. Help yourself to the many brochures, guides, maps, menus and more. The knowledgeable and friendly staff can tell you everything you need to know about the area; and if they don’t know, they’ll sure try to find out! Check out the event boards to read up on local events. Two computer kiosks allow visitors to access visitperth.ca for even more information on Perth County.
At the Artisan Marketplace, you’ll find dolls, photography, jewellery, clothing, candles, tea, home decor, soaps, fur-coat Teddy bears, reclaimed wood products, Amish quilts and much more. All of the talented artisans featured in the Market are from Perth County. Savour some of our delicious local treats as well, including a variety of maple products, jams, honey and Mapleton’s Organic Ice Cream – there’s something to suit everyone’s taste!
While you’re here make sure to browse our racks of brochures and flyers of local attractions and activities and ask our friendly, knowledgable staff for suggestions on exploring Perth County.
The Perth County Welcome Centre is located at:
Shakespeare, ON
(Beside The Best Little Pork Shoppe)
HOURS:
Jun - Aug 10am to 6pm
May, Sep - Nov: 10am to 5pmCLICK HERE to learn more about the Artisan Marketplace.
Other Perth County tourist information can be found at:
Perth County Public Washrooms map
- Stratford
Visitors Centre, , across from City Hall
York Street Visitors kiosk - near the Cenotaph - Mitchell
Information center, Lions Park, Ontario Road and Williams St. - Listowel
North Perth Chamber of Commerce office, 580 Main Street W - St. Marys
Visitor Information booth, 5 James St. N
What our visitors say...
Here are some comments that visitors to the Perth County Welcome Centre have left for us on Trip Advisor. Read more comments
What an amazing place to visit. Not only is it a great place to get information on the County of Perth but also they have a great selection of unique treasures from local artisan's. I truly had a wonderful experience and the staff where great teaching me about all the different things to do in the County, that I had never heard about. I truly came to the realization that there is a tone of festivals and events in the County, and I want to come back. I recommend that if you plan on traveling to the area first stop at the Perth County Welcome Centre and Artisan Market get all of your information and travel into the county. You can also plan your trip before hand by going on their website visitperth.ca.
– Candy Apples - Toronto, August 20, 2009
While shopping at the Best Little Pork Shoppe in Shakespeare I was encouraged to go next door to investigate the Perth County Welcome Center and Artisan Marketplace. I'm a local resident and felt that I knew all there was to know about my county. I was wrong! The Welcome Center astounded me with local events and attractions that are right here in Perth County that I was unaware of. I picked up a “Buy Local Buy Fresh” map. This map is a guide to local vendors with fresh locally grown and produced food. I was pleasantly surprised by the array of local talent displayed in the Artisan Marketplace. There is something for everyone; hemp products, candles, art and photography, rustic wood creations, stuffed dolls and bears, jewellery and alpaca fleece products. I will definitely be returning to purchase Christmas presents. I’m so thankful that I dropped into the center; it’s for more than just visitors!
– Chubbyv1, Monkton, August 18, 2009
I am from Toronto and on a summer trip to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival we stopped at the Perth County Welcome Centre and we are glad we did. This barn really highlights the rural life in the local area showing crafts and the pleasant atmosphere that most friendly small towns have. The staff gave us lots of information on the area, tourism information as well as ideas for places to stay and great places to eat. With the eclectic treasures and unique gifts made directly in the area, the artisan marketplace really made way to some great gifts for the family. Another fascinating thing about the Welcome Centre is that this August it has been holding Artisan Weekends where we had the chance to see some of the artists who's work are featured at the marketplace – make candles and hand out their art and show us how it is made. And with the live music and a barbeque that were provided made our stop so enjoyable. The Perth County Welcome Centre is a treasure to their area and should be everyone's first stop in Perth County. Make sure to bring a few dollars to buy some organic ice cream while you visit too.
– The Eatre Family, Toronto, August 18, 2009
I was shocked when I walked through the door of this former barn to find a beautiful, country style store! What a wonderful idea to make a welcome centre that doesn't only provide all of the information a person could ever need when visiting Perth County, but also to highlight some of the unique artists who come from Perth County. I also throughly enjoyed the delicious maple treats they sell. The staff was very friendly and helped me find everything I needed to make my trip to Perth County the best one yet!
– funmommaof2, Kitchener, August 18, 2009
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