Britannia Mine Museum

While Britannia Mine used to be a far-flung camp accessible only by boat, its prime location on the Sea-to-Sky Highway means this family-friendly museum is now easy to reach from Vancouver, Squamish, or Whistler. The Britannia Mine Museum includes a train ride into a hauling tunnel, open-air exhibits on mining’s environmental impact, gold-panning troughs, a mill, a century-old machine shop, and play areas for kids. Purchase tickets online to save time, or join a group or private tour of sights along the Sea to Sky route.

• The Britannia Mine Museum is great for families with kids; the mine train and gold panning exhibits are especially popular with children.

• If you’re joining a tour of the museum, arrive 20 minutes early.

• Temperatures in the mining tunnel can be chilly; bring an extra layer—even when the weather is warm.

• Some exhibits are outdoors, but there are enough inside activities to make this a good rainy-day destination.

• The visitor center, exhibit hall, gold-panning pavilion, and store are all wheelchair accessible, but the underground areas and historic buildings are not.

Located on the eastern side of Highway 99 (the Sea-to-Sky Highway), the Britannia Mine Museum is roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Vancouver and 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) south of Squamish, with ample parking available on-site. Public transit options are limited, but some tours of the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway stop at the Britannia Mine Museum on the way from Vancouver to Whistler or Pemberton.

The museum is open to the public year-round, with hours from 9:30am to 4:30pm daily. Plan to spend a few hours exploring the exhibits.

With a dramatic location near the head of Howe Sound, the Britannia Mine Museum is a short distance from some of British Columbia’s top attractions. Nearby highlights include Shannon Falls, the Sea to Sky Gondola, and Squamish’s picturesque downtown.