Top Things to do in British Columbia
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Top 10 Historic Sites in British Columbia, British Columbia
Discover the best top things to do in British Columbia, British Columbia including Burgess Shale, Fort St. James National Historic Site, U'mista Cultural Centre, Nels Nelsen Historic Ski Jump, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Craigdarroch Castle, Barkerville Historic Town & Park, Steveston Heritage Fishing Village, Fort Steele Heritage Town, Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site.
Restaurants in British Columbia
1. Burgess Shale
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 46 reviews
The famous Burgess Shale is located in the magnificent Canadian Rockies of southeastern British Columbia. The site is on a ridge between two mountaintops, near the town of Field. Ninety kilometres east, across the Continental Divide, lies the resort town of Banff. To get to the Walcott quarry, you hike a scenic trail a distance of about 10km, taking about 3 hours. All around you is the spectacular scenery of Yoho National Park, including Takakkaw Falls, Emerald Lake, numerous glaciers, and high mountains.
2. Fort St. James National Historic Site
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 115 reviews
This completely restored Hudson’s Bay Company post, located on the shores of Stuart Lake, was an economic powerhouse of trade and commerce in the 19th Century. It is the largest group of original wooden buildings depicting the fur trade in Canada and portrays the relationship between the fur traders and the Carrier First Nation. Costumed interpreters provide a first hand look at how people lived, ate, worked and died more than a century ago.
Reviewed By lynloco - Edmonton, Canada
Absolutely fantastic stop. We we're a bit worried this stop would be fairly dull due to covid, but Jim made our experience in the fort a highlight of our camping trip. He gave us loads of interesting facts and history about the fort, showed us the animals, and recommended the Cafe for a bite to eat. It was closed the day we were there, but we made a separate trip back the next day to try their pulled rabbit sandwiches and gingerade. Was totally worth it! 10/10 would come back. Would be a great day out for families.
3. U'mista Cultural Centre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 224 reviews
Due to Covid19 U'mista will be open for reduced hours and occupancy and no public washroom available at this time. U'mista Cultural Centre is one of the longest-operating and most successful First Nations cultural facilities in BC, founded in 1980 as a ground breaking project to house potlatch artifacts which had been seized by government during an earlier period of cultural repression. The return of the potlatch artifacts not only provided U'mista's name ('the return of something important'), and sparked a general trend toward repatriation of First Nations and cultural artifacts, it caused the creation of a physical facility and human resources infrastructure which have been successfully operated for over two decades.U'mista now operates a modern museum and cultural education facility in Alert Bay. Their operations include the museum, an extensive art gallery and gift shop, group tours, and presentations by dance troupes.
Reviewed By Roadlestravelled13
Do not visit alert bay without a trip to the cultural centre. Wonderful displays in a user friendly atmosphere. The long house room and video really put you in the centre of a potlatch situation. Many masks and native Indian artifacts are all well documented in an interesting format. The gift shop has a large assortment of First Nations souvenirs. A good way to support the community. Within walking distance to the largest totem pole. This is a must see attraction!
4. Nels Nelsen Historic Ski Jump
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By CanuckAlberta
Super cool step back in time, crazy to think not only how they built this jump over a hundred years ago but what type of person would actually jump off it. Great piece of Revy history and you get a bit of a work out climbing up the mountain as the trail is quite steep.
5. Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,095 reviews
Welcome to the Parliament Buildings. Home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, visitors are welcome for free guided tours year-round. Please note, the buildings are currently closed to the public due to the ongoing health crisis.
Reviewed By l0lee123 - Vancouver, Canada
Adrienne was a wonderful tour guide on our free one-hour tour. We went during the COVID-19 pandemic so the tour only covered the outside of the building. We were also lucky in that only the two of us signed up for that time so we basically had a private tour! Adrienne was bubbly, knowledgeable - and really loves the history of not just the Legislative Building, but also other areas of Victoria too. Her passion and enthusiasm rubs off and she's a wonderful storyteller. Highly recommend this free tour of the Legislative Building - it'll add some interesting facts, stories, and context to your visit.
6. Craigdarroch Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,294 reviews
Completed in 1890, Craigdarroch is a stately home built by the pioneering couple Robert and Joan Dunsmuir, who at the time of its construction were the wealthiest people in British Columbia. Called a 'castle' due to its imposing exterior, the luxurious interior has been restored to look as though the visitor is a guest of Mrs. Dunsmuir during the 1890s. It features beautiful woodwork, unique Victorian artifacts, and an impressive collection of original stained glass, all within a pleasant walk from downtown Victoria.
Reviewed By 970wandak - Kelowna, Canada
The history of this house is fascinating, full of luxury, opulence and wealth. The Dunsmuir family was very wealthy from coal finds in Nanaimo, and James Dunsmuir wanted to flaunt his wealth and importance to Victoria and the world, by building the most luxurious mansion on the highest point of the city. The family was full of relationship drama, Dad died before the house was finished and Mom moved in with her 5 daughters, one of the girls was issued a "Certificate of Lunancy", Alexander died of Alcoholism, son James who became lieutenant governor of BC was sued by Mom for money and left out of her will entirely. The mansion transformed itself into a military hospital, a college, a music conservatory, and school district office before finally being a historical treasure for all to enjoy. It is mostly restored but still a work in progress, Well worth a tour!
7. Barkerville Historic Town & Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 476 reviews
Billy Barker’s legendary gold strike on Williams Creek triggered a multi-billion dollar industrial revolution that literally built a province. Today, the extraordinary historic town of Barkerville stands as a living testament to BC’s golden beginnings. With its unique street scape of more than 125 heritage buildings, period displays, satellite museums, restaurants and shops there is still so much to explore.
Reviewed By PookyCake - Victoria, Canada
Growing up, and when I attended school, there was always something intriguing to me about pioneer life and the gold rush. The history textbooks would write about the exploits and adventures of Simon Fraser as he navigated the canyon that now bears his name; the difficulties people experienced while building the Cariboo Wagon Road were elucidated in much detail; the efforts of Chinese and First Nations railroad workers was noted; and the routes taken by gold prospectors as they navigated north of the 49th parallel and into the Cariboo region was highlighted as the beginning of BC’s industrial boom. Indeed, the descriptors, adjectives and images we were exposed to painted a rosy – albeit very sanitized – picture of BC’s early gold rush beginnings. Because our view of the gold rush town is so sanitized and romanticized, you can understand my excitement the first couple of times I visited Barkerville in the early and mid-1990s. Back then, my textbook understanding of what a gold rush town is and should be was still firmly in place. I was coming to Barkerville, I thought, to strike it rich! Well, okay . . . maybe not; however, I DID have it in my mind that I was going to find some gold to take home . . . and get rich! I wasn’t totally wrong on this, but more on that in a moment. For now, I’ll just say that my early visits to Barkerville were a lot of fun. I didn’t pay much attention to the history or interpretive displays at the time; however, I did take note of the buildings and period actors. After we paid our entrance fee and entered the Barkerville Historic Town and Park site, I couldn’t help but be wowed by what was spread out before me: Over 100 original buildings; 21 reconstructed buildings; and a literal living history: Here I was . . . in Barkerville . . . transported back in time to the height of the Cariboo gold rush circa 1860s. Mind blown. During these early visits, the family and I had a lot of fun and spent the better part of a whole day on site. I remember walking or running to various buildings and being totally surprised at how people lived or worked at the time. Being of school age, the Williams Creek Schoolhouse caught my attention for both its compact size and limited teaching resources (a few books and a chalkboard); the dental office was both horrifying and funny – horrifying because of the questionable dental tools and funny because of the mannequin display; the Waterwheel show was intriguing and slightly humorous, thanks to the character actors, as they told a tale and demonstrated how to operate the vintage Cornish Waterwheel and flume; and, of course, the blacksmith shop captivated the whole family’s attention as we absorbed the tools of the trade during the Victorian era in BC’s gold rush capital. Being in a historic gold rush town, though, the inevitable highlight for me was the opportunity to pan for gold. Would I actually get some? Would I strike it rich? Such questions went through my mind as we approached the gold pan set up, received our tutorial and began actually panning for gold. And wouldn’t you know it! By happy coincidence, I did manage to get a few tiny flakes of gold, which were nicely put into a small bottle for me to keep. Little did I know, of course, that the gold panning was all staged: Everybody would get at least a couple of thin flakes in their pans to take home. Still, for young kids, it’s an exhilarating and fun experience. You just won’t strike it rich like Billy Barker did in 1862. Barkerville, as a town, has a lot of depth (literally and figuratively). Founded in 1862 and named after Billy Barker, whose Williams Creek gold strike triggered the Cariboo gold rush, it functioned as the epicentre of BC’s gold rush boom. At its zenith, in the mid-1860s, it’s reported to have had a population of about 5,000 people. As such, Barkerville was recognized for a brief period as being the largest town north of San Francisco. Even today that fact amazes me. Unfortunately, like most boom towns centered on a single resource, the population declined quite sharply in the 1890s as the gold rush waned. There was a brief resurgence in Barkerville come the 1930s – thanks to a surge in gold prices – but that didn’t last long. Barkerville was subsequently recognized as a “Historic town” in 1958 by the Provincial Government and turned into the major tourist attraction it is today. Barkerville’s last full-time resident passed away in 1979. The history of Barkerville, and its significance to the early development of BC’s economy is beautifully told in book publications available at the Park’s admissions building as well as on interpretive plaques placed throughout the site. On recent visits to Barkerville (i.e.: 2019), my focus was much more on the history of the town rather than the actors and their interpretive dance. The historic buildings and their accompanying information plaques thus took center stage. As I ambled about town, I couldn’t help but notice that fewer buildings were open to explore versus my visit a few years earlier and, especially, in the 1990s. I’m not sure why this was the case, but it was a little disappointing. Nevertheless, I did enjoy exploring the likes of St. Saviour’s Anglican Church (built 1870), the whore house (haha) and Barkerville’s historic China Town. The Chee Kung Tong building is itself a National Historic Site of Canada, concomitant with the delicious Lung Duck Tong Restaurant, give a good sense and overview of what gold rush life was like. Additionally, if you’re feeling a bit adventurous, I’d also recommend walking off-site about 15-minutes towards the Barkerville cemetery. The “roadway” from Barkerville to the cemetery is actually an original part of the old Cariboo Wagon Road. How’s that for cool? Of course, a bit of nostalgia played into my recent visit as well. It was nice to have my grandparents on site, just as they’d been some 25 years earlier. They moved a bit slower, but still had an enjoyable time walking along Barkerville’s main street, seeing the period actors, stagecoach, and then enjoying a quick bite at the Wake-Up Jake. In short, Barkerville is a wildly dynamic site and very much a form of “living history” as I’ve said elsewhere. Whether you’re young or old, there’s something here for you to see and enjoy. With its impressive set of historic buildings, period costumes, live performances and pleasant staff, Barkerville truly is an “authentic, unique, world-class heritage experience.” At minimum, one should devote at least a full day to explore the area; however, I’d argue that two would be more appropriate to take it all in. One final recommendation: While all of the restaurants in Barkerville are pretty decent, I must strongly recommend a visit to the House Hotel and Saloon. The hotdogs served here are worth their weight in gold ;)
8. Steveston Heritage Fishing Village
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,314 reviews
A 19th-century frontier seaport is reborn more than 100 years later into a picturesque working fishing village.
Reviewed By 6vivian - Vancouver, Canada
We went to Steveston Fishing Village for dinner at Pajo’s Fish and Chips, after a great time at Terra Nova Park playground In Richmond. Both are a great place to walk about. The Cannery Museum is an historically significant site, once one of the many salmon canneries on the BC Coast. Park on the north side of the Cannery Museum. You can’t park near Pajo’s as that is for folks who live nearby on their fish boats. In Fall there are the great pumpkin gardens and corn mazes to run in just East of highway 99 intersection with Steveston Highway.
9. Fort Steele Heritage Town
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 297 reviews
This restored 19th-century "Wild West" town features live performances as well as horse-drawn carriage rides.
Reviewed By avidtravellerscanada - Vancouver, Canada
My fiancé and I spent 4 hours walking around the town. The admission is so reasonable and there was a lot to see. The people working there dress in period clothing and there are actors reenacting things in the town. It gives you a great idea of what it was like to live in the 1890s with everything from livestock, soldiers barracks and officers quarters, bakery, dentist, sweet shop etc. some of the stores sell goods and prices are super reasonable. We paid $4 for a double scoop ice cream in a waffle cone and bought a wool hat for $65. Oh and you get to ride a steam train with the price of admission. Seriously go! You won't be disappointed.????????
10. Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 455 reviews
Built in 1894 in the historic fishing village of Steveston, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site is one of B.C.'s few historically intact canneries. The Parks Canada site commemorates the history and the contributions of the diverse communities and cultures of Canada's west coast fishing industry. Enjoy exhibits, films, programs and events at the historic cannery. Take some to explore the scenic village of Steveston's many heritage sites, shops, and restaurants during your visit.
Reviewed By 834davidi - Brisbane, Australia
This museum is fascinating and really well presented. Part of the Cannary is still operational (the only full time cannery now in BC). We took the guided tour and, being the only 2 on the tour that day, we were given a great insight to the history of the cannery and that of Steveston. Good gift shop. A very good experience
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