Museums on Vancouver Island celebrate Aboriginal culture, maritime exploration, forestry, beachcombing and even fossils.
The U’mista Cultural Centre (in Alert Bay) is home to a significant First Nations potlatch collection, while the Quw’ustun’ Cultural Centre (in Duncan) brings history to life with traditional dancing demonstrations.
Learn about industries such as logging, fishing and the railway at the BC Forest Discovery Centre (in Duncan), Alberni Maritime Museum (in Port Alberni) and the Museum at Campbell River.
Prefer something that’s off the beaten path? Billy’s Museum at Echo Bay is home to a collection of random objects that have washed ashore.
Visitor Centres have information on local museums and historic sites. Check the hours of operation for museums, as they may vary by season.
Victoria Museums
Victoria is home to the huge Royal BC Museum, which details the history of the province, while the Maritime Museum of BC chronicles exploration on the Pacific Coast.
Aboriginal Museums
At Quw’ustun Cultural Centre in Duncan, Cowichan and Coast Salish First Nations cultures come to life. Watch traditional dances, then dig into freshly barbequed salmon along the banks of the Cowichan River.
Spend hours at the U’Mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay. Tour a stunning display of potlatch items – baskets, masks and copper implements – that were banned by the government in the 1800s and have since been reclaimed. Traditional ceremonies performed in full regalia demonstrate the living culture of the Kwakwakaʼwakw First Nations.
Maritime Museums
Amble down a wooden boardwalk to the Alberni Maritime Museum, housed in a coastal lighthouse. Pictorial exhibits and artifacts tell the history of shipping on this part of the island.
For a unique (and skeletal) look at marine mammals, stop by the Whale Interpretive Centre in Telegraph Cove. Get up close and personal with the massive suspended skeleton of a fin whale, and handle bones while interpreters discuss the process of putting together a skeleton.
Forestry and Aviation Museums
At the Museum at Campbell River, take the helm of a boat wheel in the Fishing Gallery and see dramatically lit Aboriginal masks and totems. Walk through a replica of a wooden floathouse – often used by coastal fishermen.
At the BC Forest Discovery Centre in Duncan, learn about forests and logging from sign posts set along an outdoor path. Scramble up to the lookout tower for a panoramic view, then hop on a historic train as it chugs along 3km/1.8mi of track and over a wooden trestle.
The Comox Air Force Museum is a reminder of a once bustling airpark. Investigate aviation artifacts, including an antique propeller and a rocket. Read about Squadron 409 (stationed here during World War II), and inspect large, aluminum aircraft.
Unique Museums
See Vancouver Island as it was 90 million years ago at the Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre. The muddy banks of the waters surrounding Vancouver Island were home to – and eventually preserved – pre-historic creatures, some of which are on display in the museum. Book ahead to join a fossil tour and hunt for the next big discovery.
Billy’s Museum (in Echo Bay) may be a little out of the way, but it's well worth the visit. Dispay items consist of “random junk” that has washed ashore over 70 years: peer through antique translucent bottles, admire early European trading beads and glance over yellowed newspapers from the 1930s. Access to the museum is via boat or plane from Port McNeill.
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