Historic & Heritage Sites
Heritage buildings (Picture BC photo)
Port Alberni and the surrounding area's First Nations, maritime, forestry and railway legacies are appropriately commemorated by the Alberni Valley Heritage Network.
This umbrella organization markets and promotes a group of four first-rate historical attractions.
McLean Mill National Historic Site
Visit the McLean Mill Historic Site, Canada's only steam-operated sawmill by car, bike, or passenger train (see Alberni Pacific Railway below). Founded in 1926 by New Brunswick native Robert McLean and operated by his sons for four decades, this sawmill and lumber camp has been meticulously preserved on a forested tract of land in Beaver Creek west of town.
Tin Pants Theatre Company, a group of young actors, lead tours that bring the mill's history to life with songs, tales, and good humour.
Read More
All the components of a wilderness camp are here, including a bunkhouse, blacksmith shop and millwright's shed. Outings typically end at the vintage sawmill, where raw logs are hauled out of a nearby pond and cut into planks of lumber.
Open daily during the summer and on weekends in the spring and fall. Plan a visit for dinner theatre evenings (Fridays) or on special family (Tuesdays) and senior (Wednesdays) days. A Christmas fair is held in late November.
Alberni Pacific Railway
All aboard for a 35-minute trip to the McLean Mill on a restored 1929 Alberni Pacific Railway logging locomotive turned passenger train. The steam train leaves twice daily, five days a week in the summer from the restored Canadian Pacific station downtown (3100 Kingsway). Take a leisurely tour of the mill and have a meal there, then grab a seat for the return trip. Some trips involve a robbery by a gang of masked bandits. In the fall a "wine train" outing stops at the Chase & Warren Estate Winery to sample the latest vintages.
Alberni Valley Museum
One of the best civic and regional museums in BC, the Alberni Valley Museum is known for its archeological finds, First Nations collection, regional folk art and 19th and 20th century memorabilia. Temporary exhibits and a vast photo archive are also components of a handsome, modern facility. Find it in the Echo Centre (4255 Wallace at Tenth Street).
Maritime Discovery Centre
A short walk from the Harbour Quay downtown, the Maritime Discovery Centre (open during the summer only) encompasses two structures on a waterfront pier. The Hutcheson Gallery features dramatic documentary evidence of the tsunami that struck the region in 1964 along with various temporary exhibits – among them the whimsical model boats built by Nanaimo's Jack Peterson. The Lighthouse, meanwhile, is a wood-sided red-and-white sentinel relocated here from Chrome Island (near Denman Island on a treacherous stretch of Vancouver Island's east coast). Inside the building are displays on the history of regional lighthouses and a playtime area for the kids who gather for Monday afternoon educational programs.
Stop by the Port Alberni Visitor Centre for more information about historic and heritage sites in the area.
Read Less
Show me Historic & Heritage Sites close to:
or
Main Address
Activity/Branch/Terminal
Visitor Centres
1 Historic & Heritage Sites in Port Alberni
1 - 1 of 1 Results
Page:
1
1
3100 Kingsway
Port Alberni, British Columbia
V9Y 3B1
Websitehttp://www.AlberniHeritage.com
Toll-free
Phone250-723-1376
The Alberni Pacific Railway, located in downtown Port Alberni, is one of Vancouver Island's premiere attractions. From the fully-restored 1912 CPR Train Station, guests will board the train pulled by a 1929 Baldwin steam locomotive. The track winds through the City of Port Alberni, past the Chase & Warren Estate Winery, and through the surrounding forest for approximately 10 kms, before arriving at the McLean Mill National Historic Site, the only commercially operating steam sawmill in Canada. The trip takes 35 minutes so you'll have the opportunity to sit back & enjoy the scenery as you're serenaded by the sound of steam whistles & the clatter of steel wheels on steel rails.
More Details