In the Thompson Okanagan, large cities like Kelowna and Kamloops have an impressive selection of museums. The real history of the Okanagan, though, is found in small, local museums that capture the charm and pioneer spirit of the land and people.
Explore the grandeur of a restored Lake Okanagan sternwheeler in Penticton, or delve into the lives of early gold miners at the Mascot Gold Mine. Look to Princeton's museum for a world-class fossil display or to Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park for First Nations history.
Visitor Centres have information on local museums and historic sites. Check the hours of operation for museums, as they may vary by season.
Pioneer Museums
The Boundary Museum in Grand Forks features many pioneer artifacts that are a testament to the ingenuity of early settlers. First Nations, miners, orchards and Doukhobors are all represented here.
One of the finest small-town museums in the Okanagan is in Greenwood. The Greenwood Museum has extensive exhibits on the town's history as an internment camp for Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War. Greenwood's buildings are also remarkably well preserved from its mining boomtown years of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The R.J. Haney Heritage Village & Museum in Salmon Arm is more than just a museum. Stroll the expansive grounds, view historic buildings, and relax in the tea room with some homemade rhubarb crisp. Its museum/archive has more than 6,000 photos and 36,000 artifacts.
Kelowna Museums
Kelowna has four museums located in the heart of the city's cultural district. History buffs should visit the Okanagan Military Museum, which features regalia and artifacts from battles such as the Boer and Korean wars.
Discover what's behind growing apples and crushing grapes at the BC Orchard Industry Museum and the BC Wine Museum, both located in a restored historic fruit packinghouse.
The Okanagan Heritage Museum displays a fine collection of First Nations artifacts and local historical exhibits, such as a pioneer Chinese grocery store and an 1860's trading post.
Unique Museums and Attractions
Visit the Deep Creek Tool Museum, near Enderby, to see the world's largest reel lawnmower and an extensive line of unique, handmade tools demonstrating some real human ingenuity.
Explore early mining history at the Mascot Gold Mine near Princeton. Take a dizzying descent down nearly 600 stairs to the head of the mine, which seems to be perched on the edge of a cliff.
The Vernon Museum has a large display on noted Canadian naturalist and wildlife illustrator Allan Brooks, and Peachland's museum (located in a 100 year-old, eight-sided former church) houses a scale model of the 1955 Kettle Valley Railway.
The Princeton Museum has a fine collection of artifacts that includes a 1900's stagecoach and the Joe Pollard rock collection – a must see for aspiring rockhounds.
Maritime Museum
Built in 1914, the SS Sicamous is Canada's largest remaining steel-hulled sternwheeler and is now docked on the shores of Lake Okanagan in Penticton as a permanent museum.
Aboriginal Museums
Visit the Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park in Kamloops to learn about the history of the Secwepemc First Nation. See the remains of a 2,000 year-old pit house, a reconstructed summer village, and an ethnobotanical garden with plants that were used in everyday life.
In nearby Hedley, the Snaza'ist Discovery Centre provides a hands-on experience of the Similkameen First Nation as well as early gold mining.
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