• All visitors must sanitize their hands upon entering the museum.
• Please help us maintain our one-directional flow and use the alternate exit pointed out by our volunteer when leaving the museum.
• Visitors will be reminded to maintain physical distance of 2 m or 6 ft. (about the length of our grand piano).
• Floor markings and wall signs identify the direction of flow through the museum.
• A regular cleaning and disinfecting schedule is maintained.

Our Living Languages: First Peoples' Voices in BC

About 60 per cent of Canada's Indigenous languages are spoken in British Columbia - 203 First Nations communities speak 34 distinct languages.

Find out more about the efforts being made by 13 BC First Nations communities to preserve and revitalize their languages for future generations in this travelling exhibit on loan from the Royal BC Museum.

The Penticton display also features an exclusive display from the En'owkin Centre, location of the nsyilxcn indigenous language school, which celebrates some of the community's language champions.

On display until September 30, 2021.

This exhibit will showcase Penticton’s distinctive heritage properties and how they contributed to our city’s unique history and character.

On display  Fall and Winter 2021

On permanent display at the Museum is the exhibit “Penticton: The Shaping of Place” which invites you to step back in time and explore the forces that shaped Penticton through its history. As you walk through the exhibit you will journey through a series of landscapes that stand as milestones in the development of the area.

• Geo-scape describes the geological formation of the Okanagan Valley through volcanic and glacial action over the course of millennia. View our collection of minerals from around the world and discover how the site of our city was created as the glaciers retreated after the last ice age.
• Nature-scape is devoted to the explanation of the local natural history and the many unique ecosystems that exist within the Okanagan Valley. 
• Syilx-scape focuses on the first people to inhabit the Penticton area, the Syilx or Okanagan First Nation. See a model of a traditional village, and learn more about a culture and way of life thousands of years old.
• Settler-scape begins with the arrival of the first European fur traders and settlers in the South Okanagan in the 19th century. Learn what life was like for the early settlers as you visit our replica pioneer home and KVR train station. View displays on the lake boats, railway, and early industries such as mining, ranching, and orcharding.
• Town-scape tells the story of Penticton's first forty years as a town, starting with its incorporation in 1908. Walk down our replica Main Street and explore a period doctor's office, general store, and the lobby of the Hotel Incola.

The Penticton Museum now has an interactive learning space where kids, parents, and caregivers can explore together how science and history connect. Explore the how and why of human and natural histories by:

• Discovering how airplanes fly
• Finding a forest fire
• Watching a model steam engine work
• Building an earthquake-proof building and much more...

The Bill Pickerill Military Gallery features permanent exhibits about local military history, with a special focus on local involvement in the First and Second World Wars. The gallery is named in honour of Bill Pickerill, a long-time RCMP officer and WWII veteran who was a dedicated volunteer at the Penticton Museum for two decades.

• The First World War exhibit includes displays on trench art and war souvenirs, a biographical feature about local WWI veterans, and a shrine containing an important Canadian army battle flag.
• The Second World War exhibit contains displays about local members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Pacific Coast Militia Rangers, and the Royal Canadian Navy. Also featured are a large collection of military medals, shoulder patches, cap badges, and other insignia.

Hours of Operation

Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(Closed Statutory Holidays)

Please note: Some Thursday and Friday mornings the museum will be closed for exclusive school group visits. Please contact us in advance to confirm the museum is open and/or if you would like to book a program for your class.

Archive Hours: Available by phone (250-490-2453) or email Wednesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Outside of these hours, please send an email.

Admission

By donation (Suggested donation: $2 for adults, $1 for children)