When The Seagram Museum closed in 1997 and its collections dispersed, the City of Waterloo stepped in and acquired artifacts of local importance. The city's collection of over 6,000 Seagram artifacts, along with the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University, primarily relates to the Seagram family and its role in the early industrial development of Waterloo through the Seagram Distillery and Canada Barrels and Kegs (CANBAR). Artifacts in this collection also provide insight into the daily work of former employees of the Seagram plant highlighting the four key working areas of the distillery: production, maturation and warehousing, bottling, and administration. Along with the Seagram Collection, the City received a number of significant special collections including historic glassware, ceramic vessels, scientific instruments and technological equipment relating to the production, storage and service of beverage alcohol. The Seagram Collection compliments the City's collection of municipal history artifacts including portraits of former mayors, sports memorabilia, souvenir ware as well as photographs of City facilities.
A new heritage resource being developed by the City is the Elam Martin Farmstead, a sixth generation Mennonite family farm. The Martin Farm is located on 11.8 acres of land within the heart of RIM Park, a 500-acre multi-use park located in Northeast Waterloo.
The City of Waterloo's Heritage Collection is managed by staff of the Department of Recreation and Leisure Services. Artifacts from the collection are displayed on a rotating basis at various sites throughout the Region.