Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin
Take a journey back in time and see the Cariboo Chilcotin region through the eyes of a pioneer cowboy. Guests will get a taste of life before Williams Lake became an official city. They’ll learn about the area’s earliest inhabitants, including local First Nations tribes, fur trappers, pioneers, ranchers, railroad workers and more. The Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin houses more than 8,000 artifacts, each telling its own story of its role in the Cariboo-Chilcotin’s history. The Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin is even home to the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame. Be sure to cap off your visit with a stop in the museum’s gift shop. Here visitors will find a collection of books, many of which tell some of the stories of Williams Lake’s past to commemorate the visit. Group and school tours of the museum are available.
The Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin is a member of the Canadian Museum Association, the British Columbia Museums Association, the BC Cowboy Heritage Society and the British Columbia Heritage Association.
Meet The Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin team
Meet The Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin team
The Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin was the result of the vision of a passionate group of local citizens who wanted to see local history preserved and displayed for the public. The group formed the Williams Lake Museum and Historical Society which was officially incorporated in 1987 as a non-profit society. A few years of hard work by these and other volunteers, which included fundraising, remodelling space in the old health unit building and collecting artifacts, led to the museum's grand opening in 1991 on a seasonal basis. In 1995 the museum became a year-round attraction.
Today the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin is still governed by a board of volunteers, all of whom are local citizens and business people. The museum staff and board are proud to be able to represent Williams Lake to hundreds of annual visitors as well as to be able to preserve the history of the Cariboo Chilcotin in a way that is visual and meaningful.
Williams Lake, BC V2G 2W4
Hours
Contact for up-to-date hours of operation
