Historic & Heritage Sites

Through the prosperous 1920s and into the lean years of the '30s, the Sicamous was part of the fabric of Okanagan life. But hard times forced extensive remodeling in 1935 and a year later she was taken out of service and left to rot.

Half a century on, concerned citizens rescued the derelict boat and since 1988 the SS Sicamous Restoration Society has continued restoration and operates the museum.

Start the self-guided tour on the cargo deck where her 7m/23ft-long boiler gobbled 17 tons of coal a day to maintain a cruising speed of 15 knots. On the same deck, learn about another great achievement of the age of steam. A scale model display, constructed by the Kettle Valley Model Railway Club, depicts the KVR line from Midway to Hope. A highlight is the representation of Penticton in the 1930s showing the Sicamous and the tug, Naramata at dock.

During July and August, take in a performance of the SS Sicamous Follies musical theatre in the ship's dining room.

Kettle Valley Railway

The Kettle Valley Railway, completed in 1916, traversed nearly 500km/311mi of some of the toughest terrain conquered during the age of steam. The last passenger train pulled into Penticton in 1964, and except for a small section of track in Summerland, the rails are all gone. These days the KVR lives on as a popular hiking trail that provides easy access to the wilderness and countryside along with insight into the region's history. To get the most of both, take a cycle tour with a guide like Ed Kruger of Monashee Adventure Tours.

Riding the section from Chute Lake to Penticton, see the beehive shaped rock ovens built by railway stonemasons to bake bread. Learn how others tried warming frozen nitro glycerin (used to blast the hard rock) in a frying pan over an open fire. Results were predictably disastrous. But somehow they managed to complete the 489m/1604ft Adra spiral tunnel. It's now too unsafe for more than a peek into the entrance, but riders and hikers can go through 49m/161ft Little Tunnel, the line's shortest.

Penticton Museum

The Penticton Museum is located in a compact space, but the displays are organized to maximize coverage of the area's heritage highlights. Learn about local wildlife through the significant collection of stuffed specimens including endangered migratory birds of the South Okanagan and have a look at another endangered critter, the spadefoot toad. This one's alive and living in a terrarium.

Exhibits featuring artifacts of the Okanagan First Nations illustrate their close relationship with the land and animals and the dramatic change to their way of life brought about by European settlement.

Follow the development of Penticton society from the days of the cattle barons through the transformation of the landscape to fruit orchards and learn how both these activities made Penticton a transportation centre, first for sternwheelers and later for steam trains. The museum is open year round.

Check at the Penticton Visitor Centre, on the corner of Eckhardt Avenue and Highway 97, for directions to Penticton historic and heritage sites and details on hours of operation.

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