The Nanaimo Museum is located in downtown Nanaimo, British Columbia. With over 50 years of growth, the museum is a vibrant part of the community.
In 2008, the museum relocated to the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. At the time, it expanded the size and diversity of its permanent exhibits.
Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits
My favorite exhibit was of the Great International World Championship Bathtub Race. Having spent a decade on snowmobile ice oval race tracks, the whole idea of a July event on water that isn’t frozen sounds like a lot of fun!
So how did a bathtub race get started? The first bathtub race ran as part of the City of Nanaimo’s Centennial events in July of 1967, celebrating Canada’s 100th birthday.
How many participants do you think were in the first bathtub race?
The first bathtub race had 200+ tubber competitors. They ran a 36-mile course across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver’s Fisherman’s Cove. Forty-seven tubbers completed the race!
What’s in the Nanaimo Museum?
The Nanaimo Museum curates the history of the local peoples and area, their pursuits, lifestyles, celebrations, and tragedies.
Fast Fact: Nanaimo's history begins with Snunéymuxw peoples, taking us through the centuries before Europeans arrived.
With a 16,000 square ft. facility, there’s lots of room for its permanent exhibitions. These include:
- Snunéymuxw exhibit portraying life in a traditional longhouse
- The Harbour for its transportation and trade
- The Bastion era with the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC)
- The Coal Mine from the early HBC era onwards
- Timber! exploring the forestry industry
- Hub City commercial developments
- Educating Nanaimo – step into a mid-1920s school room
- Lifestyles
A Variety of the Exhibits
The museum if full of fascinating stories. Chinatown is one that’s significant to the area, since the museum has some donated rare artifacts. They survived the 1960 fire that burned Chinatown to the ground.
Going back in time, the performing arts got a great start in Nanaimo, with the Nanaimo Opera opening in 1889. Performances were held in a 600-seat theatre featuring imported (from Chicago) gaslights and painted scenery.
In terms of community celebrations there’s a great one for Victoria Day.
A display shows May 24th holidays from the 1940s with First Nations canoe races, parades, dances, crowning of the May Queen, and fireworks.
Fast Fact: Nanaimo has hosted the Commonwealth's oldest continuous Empire Day Celebration, first observed in May 1863.
And of course, when you’re a harbour city, there’s lots of history in everything from sailing to scuba diving. The museum pulls these all together with artifacts and information boards.
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
I arrived in Nanaimo via the Star Princess cruise ship along with my friend, Neilia. Nanaimo was a perfect stop, as everything I wanted to see was within walking distance from the port.
My favorite stops were at the historic site of the oldest building in Nanaimo, the Bastion, and the Vancouver Island Military Museum. However, we loved wandering the streets and stopping in the many shops — especially those on the Nanaimo Bar Trail.
Who Should Visit the Nanaimo Museum?
The Nanaimo Museum is the perfect place to get an understanding of the history and character of this small Canadian city. A popular tourist destination, there’s a lot to see and do here.
All of the museum’s exhibits are readily accessible since it’s part of the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. A full visit would take 3-4 hours. However, the museum also has featured exhibits, so there’s always something new. Many of these are from the vault and tell more of the museum collection’s stories.
How Do You Visit the Nanaimo Museum?
The most common way to get to Vancouver Island is to take the BC Ferries service. Or, if you’re lucky, Nanaimo will be a stop on your cruise ship itinerary as mine was.
Check out hours and admission costs at the Nanaimo Museum
Check out the Nanaimo Museum YouTube channel.
Learn about what’s happening on the Nanaimo Museum Facebook page.
Plan your visit to the Nanaimo Museum with Google Maps.
Reference(s)
Bathtubbing.com. (2023). The first race. https://www.bathtubbing.com/championship-race/history/first-race/
guide2museums.com 