MacLaren Art Centre

The MacLaren Art Centre is Simcoe County’s regional public art gallery.

The MacLaren Art Centre is the regional public art gallery serving the residents of Barrie, the County of Simcoe and the surrounding area. The Gallery has a permanent collection of 27,408 works of art and presents a year-round programme of contemporary art exhibitions, education activities and special events. Features like free self-guided activities for families, free exhibition tours, gallery guides for adults and children in French and English, and interactive iPads in the galleries that expand on the exhibitions are just a handful of reasons the MacLaren is an ideal tourist destination for all seasons. The MacLaren is housed in an award-winning building in downtown Barrie. This architectural landmark combines a renovated Carnegie library with a contemporary addition designed by Siamak Hariri of Hariri Pontarini Architects. The complex includes multiple galleries, an education centre, a sculpture courtyard, Gallery Café and Gallery Shop. The MacLaren is a visual arts centre that adds to the social, creative and economic fabric of this community; it is a central meeting place, a destination for visitors from across the province, and a catalyst for downtown revitalization, contributing to the success and vitality of Barrie.