Shawnigan Lake Museum

Shawnigan Lake Museum

Shawnigan Lake Museum
5
Speciality & Gift ShopsSpeciality MuseumsHistory Museums
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed
About
Visit this 'big' museum in the small village of Shawnigan Lake - it's guaranteed to surprise you. For over forty years, the museum has celebrated the history and the people of Shawnigan Lake (and surrounding area). Drop in for extensive information on the spectacular Kinsol Trestle; renowned Canadian artist EJ Hughes; the true Canadian Last Spike and many other significant history-bites.
Duration: < 1 hour
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Reach out directly

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles39 reviews
Excellent
34
Very good
5
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Lisa R
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
My 6-year-old son and I had a fascinating and highly informative tour of the Shawnigan Lake Museum with Lori Trealor, the Executive Director. She showed us old photos and models of the Kinsol Trestle and local artifacts from around the Shawnigan Lake area. Some of the local artifacts included a butter churner, hotel switchboard, typewriter, organ, boat motors, equipment for cutting trees (axes, chainsaws, etc.) grocery store items and farming equipment. There is so much to see! At the end of our tour, we were treated to some films in the little movie theatre about waterskiing and fishing. Lori really made the museum artifacts come alive during our visit. We had a new perspective on the Shawnigan Lake area and felt inspired to visit the Kinsol Trestle after our visit to the museum. All in all, we would highly recommend visiting this museum! It is a real treasure.
Written June 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
Love this little museum.
This museum has a wonderful collection of Shawnigan history including Kinsol Trestle (there's a scale model on site) and EJ Hughes. We really enjoyed the mini history lesson we received from Lori & Grant who are both a wealth of knowledge about all things Shawnigan. Thank you for offering this museum to locals and visitors alike
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bernd B
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
A must stop museum with very engaging and knowledgable staff. I learned a lot about the local railroad, logging and early tourism industry in the area. If you're a history buff, this is the place to go in the area.
Lots of artefacts on display. Discover the odd piece, like the "Rain Train Traveling Sprinkler Tractor" or a first generation EVINRUDE outboarder.
Written August 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you again soon!
Written September 2, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Shawniguy
Shawnigan Lake, Canada89 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2014 • Friends
The Shawnigan Lake museum is a little gem, well run, well organized, giving a wonderful look into the personal and business activities of the area. It is full of artifacts drawn from all walks of life, most vaguely familiar but a number that would present a puzzle if not for the excellent descriptions and notes.
Written July 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sheila W
Shawnigan Lake, Canada20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2013 • Family
Curators and volunteers do an amazing job at this museum. It has a small theatre and the "Gordon Hughes " room and all of the people helping there enjoy sharing their knowledge
Written September 5, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tiga_22
Victoria, Canada95 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2012 • Friends
Good for a quick visit before visiting the Kinsol Trestle. Lots of useful information on background and recent changes to the trestle.
Written September 28, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Debbie_Michael
Shawnigan Lake, Canada13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Couples
A lovely museum with lots to look at. The interactive screen is amazing. The tour person really knew her stuff.
Written September 5, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Canadianchick003
Canada37 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2013 • Friends
I love the little Shawnigan Lake Museum, which is well organized and full of history and memorablia. From the heritage kitchen, to the logging memorablia, to the E.J. Hughes dedication, this excellent museum is a "must see!"
Written March 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Barb S
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada71 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Family
Liked everything; disliked nothing. Great photos and greater displays of Shawnigan Lake pioneers and industry. Highly recommend this museum to visitors.
Written September 4, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nick J
Shawnigan Lake, Canada10 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2012
It is a small, rural museum. Filled with informative history and pieces, that show off the Signifcance of the Shawnigan Lake area. A very knowledgable staff are ready to answer all your questions
Written December 24, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 39
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

SHAWNIGAN LAKE MUSEUM (2025) - All You MUST Know Before You Go

All things to do in Shawnigan Lake
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars