Vancouver Island Museums

Alberni Valley Museum
Explore Alberni's heritage and its collections that tell the story of community history, Nuu Chah Nulth art and culture and our industrial roots from logging to fishing and farming and unique folk art. The presents the cultural heritage of this unique Island community through its collections of artifacts and historic photographs.

Alberni Pacific Railway
You can board the train pulled by our completely restored 1929 Baldwin ex-logging locomotive at the 1912 CPR Station and ride out to the McLean Mill National Historic Site. The track winds through the City of Port Alberni and then the surrounding forests for 35 minutes each way. You'll be called by the sound of the steam whistle and clatter of wheels on rails.

BC Forest Discovery Centre
Museum displays featuring artifacts such as Old One-Spot", a forty-five ton, forty-six horse powered steam locomotive built in 1911, transported logs out of remote locations. A 1918 one-ton Maxwell truck with wooden wheels. In its day the biggest logging truck on Vancouver Island was a 1919 five-ton "Republic" truck with solid back tires and pneumatic front tires for logging in the Sooke area.

Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum
The museum exhibits focus on four distinct military groups that have made an impact on Canada's history and left a lasting heritage: The Royal Canadian Navy on the West Coast. The Canadian Women's Army Corps. The Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service. The West Coast Defenses. In addition to exhibits and displays, the museum houses an expanding archive and library that includes thousands of photographs and documents, histories of Canadian naval vessels, navigation charts, biographies of important leaders in the Royal Canadian Navy, and copies of the Navy List, Lloyd's Register of Shipping, and Jane's Fighting Ships.

Comox Air Force Museum
Collections and chronicles the history of 19 Wing Comox and West Coast Canadian Military Aviation. Located at historic and operational 19 Wing Comox, the museum records the history and heritage of all of Canada’s Air Forces, from the short-lived Royal Flying Corps of Canada (1917-1918) and Canadian Air Force (1918-1924) through the glory years of the Royal Canadian Air Force (1924-1968), consolidation of the forces in 1968

Courtenay District Museum & Paleontology Centre
On-site and outdoor programming suitable for all age groups, subjects include fossils, geology, First Nations history, pioneer settlement history, social history of the Comox Valley, logging and lumber history, river way study, marine fossil exhibits, and visit fossil sites.

Cowichan Valley Museum
Duncan's "Heritage Designated" 1912 Railway Station along the E&N Railway. It is located in the center of Duncan, a community of 5000 people in the heart of the Cowichan Valley, also known by its First Nations population as "The Warm Land".

Denman Island Museum (no web site)
History of the settlement and development of Denman Island with an extensive photographic collection depicting early settlers and their homes, schools, churches, logging, fishing, farming, businesses, railways, lighthouses, and ships including ferry service, manuscripts/records including minutes, accounts of community organizations and schools, maps relating to early settlement of the land and to the marine area. PO Box 28, Denman Island, BC V0R 1T0 Phone: (250) 335-0880

Gabriola Museum
The historical collection reflects the main activities of the island's inhabitants, since its settlement in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Most of these activates continue into the present day. Home-making (before and after Hydro), Schooling, Communicating (from mail steamer to modem) Farming, Logging (by hand and by machine)

The Kaatza Station Museum
Located next to Saywell Park on South Shore Road in Lake Cowichan. The museum is housed in a restored Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway station, constructed in 1912. Here you will find varied displays, photos, murals and archival material. Logging and forestry is a big part of Lake Cowichan's history, mining, railroading and early pioneer life are all very well represented.

Malaspina University College Museum
The Vancouver Island Marmot is a unique species that lives only in the mountains of Vancouver Island. Historically, Vancouver Island marmots lived in small colonies scattered throughout the mountains of Vancouver Island. Garry Oaks grow nowhere else in Canada but on Southern Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and two isolated groves on the lower mainland.

Maritime Discovery Centre
Eexperience the rich maritime history of the Alberni Valley, Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound and Vancouver Island's rugged west coast.   Port Alberni's Maritime Discovery Centre is a unique maritime museum, situated on the waterfront adjacent to the city's deep-sea harbour.   Constructed from an actual coastal lighthouse, the museum is dedicated to exhibiting and interpreting our fascinating cultural, environmental and industrial maritime history.

Maritime Museum of British Columbia
Experience the colourful marine history of British Columbia's as illustrated through the various theme galleries from Early Exploration to Captain Cook, Canadian Pacific Steamships and the Royal Navy.

Mayne Island Museum (no web site)
Housed in a jail built in 1896 featuring island artifacts including a items from the oldest wreck in the Gulf Islands Phone: (250) 539-2283

McLean Mill Hertiage Site
The only steam-operated sawmill in Canada. You can experience the excitement of live steam, as the sawmill cuts wood for demonstration and sale. The "Tin Pants Theatre" troupe will entertain you with stage shows at the Nikkei Theatre and show you around the site as if you were just starting work at the mill. You'll see the old original buildings and lots of restored logging equipment around the site including a steam donkey, logging trucks, graders and lumber carriers.

Nanaimo District Museum
Located on the waterfront in the heart of downtown Nanaimo. Early history of coastal living on Vancouver Island, from European, Chinese and First Nations' perspectives. Explore a coal mining exhibit, learn about native life, hands-on exhibits and audio-visual presentations, or stroll the re-created streets of early Nanaimo and Chinatown.

Royal British Columbia Museum
Contains detailed information on all of the province's natural and human history. It includes a collection of over 10 million objects and specimens and millions of significant government documents and records; substantial photographic, audio and video collections; artworks; and an extensive library of publications.

Saanich Historical Artifacts Society (no web site)
One of Western Canada's largest collections of working steam engines, tractors, and agricultural machinery, household and industrial artifacts. 7321 Lochside Drive. Phone: (250) 652-5522

Salt Spring Island Museum (no web site)
Located Bittancourt Heritage house built in 1884. Displays and photographs depicting early settlers and pioneer artifacts relating to the history of Salt Springs. Phone: (250) 537-4895

Sidney Marine Museum
The Sidney Museum invites you to discover the world of the whales. Trace their natural history from evolution to near extinction at the hands of humans.

Sidney Historical Museum
Traces the history of the early lives of Sidney and North Saanich pioneers, portrayed through photographs and artifacts.

Sointula Museum
Featuring a unique educational experience. Its collection includes artifacts, publications, and photographs specific to the development of this community from a Finnish socialist commune to the quiet village of today.

Sooke Regional Museum
Learn about the arrival of the first aboriginal people and how their lives have changed through the ages to the present day. See how change was accelerated with the arrival to our shores of the first Spanish explorers, some 200 years ago, followed by the development of our many natural resources through trapping, farming, logging and fishing. Living exhibits, videos, special events, displays and books .

The Museum at Campbell River
Collection of exhibits representing the unique culture history of Northern Vancouver Island. First Nations Gallery. Logging has evolved from these early days as methods of falling and hauling have been influenced greatly by technology. The sports fishing activity which made Campbell River famous. The floathouse represents a lifestyle that evolved on the British Columbia coast a hundred years ago.