The museums of the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast are known for their sizeable, often eclectic, collections of gold rush, pioneer and cowboy artifacts. Make sure to visit Barkerville Historic Town – it's one of BC's premiere attractions. Its large townsite and costumed interpreters create a feel for what life was like during the 1800's gold rush.
Learn about legendary bronco-riding cowboys at the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin. Or discover Lillooet's history of First Nations, pioneers, prospectors and ranchers.
The Quesnel Museum and Archives explores farming, logging and mining, while the Wells Museum recalls the second Cariboo gold rush.
Visitor Centres have information on local museums and historic sites. Check the hours of operation for museums, as they may vary by season.
Barkerville Historic Town
Historic Barkerville near Wells is a fully immersive living museum that recreates a gold rush boomtown. It has more than 130 buildings, costumed interpreters, theatre, shops and many hands-on activities. Pan for gold (and keep what's found), see a blacksmith at work, watch Judge Begbie at a "live" courthouse session, or try a Chinese feast at a historic restaurant.
Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin
The Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin in Williams Lake preserves BC's ranching and rodeo heritage. Discover what ranch life was like along the gold rush trail, and what ranching is like today. The museum also houses the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Lillooet Museum
Lillooet's museum offers ample gold rush-era relics, as well as First Nations artifacts – some are thousands of years old. See the original printing equipment of Lillooet's famous publishers, George and Ma Murray, and the largest mounted Rocky Mountain elk head ever registered in BC.
Quesnel Museum & Archives
One of the top community museums in BC, Quesnel Museum and Archives has more than 30,415 artifacts and archival items. Learn about farming, logging, mining and First Nations history. Also see one of the most significant collections of rare Chinese artifacts in North America, and meet "Mandy" – a haunted doll!
Wells Museum
The Wells Museum has a diverse collection of artifacts from the second Cariboo gold rush (1930 to 1967). Interesting items include a giant chess set made from drill bits, and two vaults once used for gold and money.
Bella Coola Museum and Tallheo Cannery
The Bella Coola Museum, housed in a 1892 heritage building, tells the story of the industrious settlers in the Bella Coola Valley. Displays include photos depicting the building of the famous "Freedom Highway," and the museum also offers historic tours of Bella Coola.
While in Bella Coola, take a guided tour (which includes a short boat ride) to the Tallheo Cannery. Abandoned since the late 1940's, the cannery is a fascinating place to explore remnants of a once thriving commercial fishing industry: deserted offices, cannery equipment and derelict fishing vessels.
83 Mile House Farm Equipment Museum
Located near 100 Mile House, this comprehensive collection features antiques and farming equipment from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Wander among pioneer houses and outbuildings, each one stuffed with quirky items: old milking machines, vintage dentist chairs, saws, uniforms, lanterns, horse-drawn farm tools and much (much) more.
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