Reviews of SS Sicamous Heritage Park (Travel Agency)

BC Valley Guy

Great little heritage park!

yu chen

If you go to Penticton, you must visit the SS Sicamous Marine Museum. Only then will you get the full history of the lake and of course Penticton. This is a wonderfully done museum, and it is meticulously well kept. If you are a model railroad fan, there is a huge HO gauge railroad in the luggage/freight area in the middle of the ship from a local club. The Ship is all still there, and you can climb all over it, and there is a lot of info here, and people around that can answer questions for you. Next to the Sicamous are some other ships too which you will surely find interesting.

M e

You have to stop and do some educational stuff while a tourist. Check out the SS Sicamous for the history of the local area.

Sandra Krauer

The Maratime Museum is a must see for locals and tourists alike. Due to a hard working crew of volunteers, there are changes every year. This is fun for the seniors and children in our family. Seniors recall stories of yesteryear to share with younger family members. Great rainy day activity.

Rob McDowell

Great historic vessel that was important for the development of the valley

Gillian Evans

Daughter and son in law had their wedding reception their recently and could not have chosen a better location. The staff were great and being a parent I was reassured that their were staff and security on hand all evening. So happy to also contribute to the up keep of the ship. Thanks to all and do not believe there is a better wedding location that is so rich in history and so elegant in the whole of the Okanagan. We used the crockery available from the boat and added flowers in small antique vases we later donated to the boat so not a lot of effort to create a great vintage effect.

David Sebelius (Davsvidfan02)

Great place to learn the history of the south Okanagan and Penticton. It is reallh interesting as I am a bit of a history buff. I walked here from and back to my place on the south end of Penticton on the canal. The whole walk took me e hrs and 15 min. A great workout.

Brian Kent

This old boat is great. Its fantastic that its still looked after. Too bad there's no sailings anymore

Alexandre Oliveira

Great history! Nice details.

Rita Montgomery

Although Covid has made it impossible to go on the Sicamous right now, I always enjoy walking past this charming landmark on the Penticton, Okanagan Lake waterfront. I appreciate that it is so well maintained by their historical society and seeing it lit up at night is also very attractive.

Kym Radbourne

This is a great historical lesson in how the Okanagan grew up..it's a beautiful site for young and old...I recommend you visit if you are in Penticton.

Jean Page

This is a beautiful place. Take a tour of the SS Sicamos and drop a few dollars in their donation bin to keep this wonderful exhibit of our history around for all to enjoy.

A Palmer

A piece of local history a definite must go if you're interested in that era!

Tracey Savage

Great wedding venue Heritage theme with excellent photo spots . Little self serve bar niche . Can set up to suit your needs ..like dance floor etc I was really surprised it was such a nice spot

Jrocmagoo

neat price of history, lots to check out!

Cegin Paul

Beautiful beach

Marcel Pierre

Go into the ship! The museum inside has some cool photos of days of yore and great views of the beach! Plus try a crêpe from the trailer below: DÉLICIEUX!

Julianne Bergeron

Awesome. Play the sicamous bingo. It was fun.

Valencia Curken

After years of meaning to stop by this museum I finally did and what a wonderful surprise! The Kettle Valley Railway miniature train model is really superb and one of the people maintaining it gave us a game to play which made me examine the whole thing even closer - very cool! It's just missing a mini Sasquatch in the Hope area forests... And the SS Sicamous boat was equally interesting and beautifully maintained. A fantastic glimpse into our Okanagan history!

Jan Timmers (VE7JBT)

We're currently here for a private function. Brought my ipod full of Christmas music and they have a portable sound system which I've plugged into - so we're sitting at a long table in the old dance floor, enjoying fantastic food and wine and great company. Absolutely fantastic place to do what we're doing. Just about to tuck into a fabulous dessert ???? Thanks for the great time

Irina Johnson

Beautiful place to visit for take a nice pictures how inside of the ship as and around.Also, there is an interesting museum and a good restaurant on the ship

The Rodger

Very well done restoration, an interesting tour.

Bev Clark

I have worked with the staff on the SS Sicamous and would recommend it with a five star rating. We loved it so much we are booking our daughters upcoming wedding there. They are very detailed and concise and let you know exactly what you need and what is expected so it is clear what we need to do or not do which is making planning so much easier! Thank you!

John Poon

Too many signs, especially one huge info sign right in front of the boat ruins the view, where tourist should be able to take photos of the entire boat for keep-sake and share

Jeremy Waugh

If you're interested in old boats and technology, then this will be of interest. We took our three-year-old, and if it wasn't for the giant train set inside, it would be a bust. Beautiful old boat however.

Roderick Rose

A grand old ship that worked Okanagan Lake many years ago. A must see

Jennette Boucher

Luv how unique this place is!! Have never seen anything like it before or since!! So near and different!

The Remi's

Excellent venue for various activities. Love love love the model train, sad we cant blow the whistle anymore.

Mike Wiltshire

Very nice boat

Cody Keus

Not a lot of things to see and do here, but the view is spectacular

Vaibhav Sharma

Went with family and kids. It’s really a very nice place to go.

Dawid Spamer

Beautiful area for personal events including weddings. The SS Sicamous is a true Canadian beauty herself with lots of history.

Allan Sutherland

Wonderful! Well worth the admission. Make sure to take a loonie for the train!

Vovan G

Great museum. Well maintained and has a great mini-railroad :)

Ryan Wilde

Always a nice place to walk and enjoy the views.

Mark Morrison

Great little museum in Penticton. Had a lot of interesting artifacts and information about Penticton and the boat companies that were so important to the Okanagan for a long time. Reasonably priced and a great learning experience.

Elena Stratford

Great little museum. It was pleasant to walk around with my family and not too many people. I loved the personal items on display as well - it was like stepping back in time. Definitely worth the the small entry fee.

Paul Cooper

Wow a lot of work has gone into this museum since I last visited 8+ years ago. It's a first class exhibit that will take you back in time. Stick a toonie in the train and have the kids try to follow it around the BC based map. Good fun. Figure 30+ minutes to go around and enjoy the atmosphere, longer if you enjoy reading about the history. Don't miss getting to the pilot room on the very top of the ship. Great views from up there.

Jason Pharis

While it was closed, still awesome to walk the grounds and see the other boats in the park too.

Vernon Tschiedel

Amazing place for a wedding. Very hot though as the boat has no A.C. It is a very old paddle boat made of wood so there is no smoking permitted. Absolutely beautiful though and the staff was very helpful and supportive.

Rob Ewanuk

Great historic learning of how boats like this were used to move good up and down the Okanagan Lake and how important the Kettle Valley Railway was too the economy of the Okanagan Valley.

Gerhard Jacobs

Close to beach Crepes from the food truck was pricey but amazing

Ankit Mitra

A very well maintained cruise ship. The originality has been kept maintained. The model of the city built and displayed in the ship is very well done.

Judith Ritcey

This is a beautiful location for a wedding. Also a great tourist attraction. A must see if you come to Penticton.

Luke Trenholm

The Mini train model they have of the KVR is Amazing so much detail.

Christina Villeneuve

A beautiful part of Canadian history. Lots to explore and a great train set to explore. Hosts are friendly and helpful.

Shayde Russell

Great to touch up and see a part of history. Friendly staff. Great place for weddings as well.

Kenneth Fung (Kenneth Fung)

Nice. GREAT picture location.

kingxl10

Friendly and knowledgeable staff, reasonable prices and great views of the area from the top of the boat. All the different areas of the boat are cool to see and theirs a large model train exhibit in the middle of the boat as well. …

A J Jerry Flaman

Super Paddlewheeler Museum. Great time stamped exhibits.

Gr8t outdoors

Stopped by even after the big dump of snow and saw the ships as Sicamous, Naramarta and CN tug and was great and also met one of the fellows who donates his time to help restore these ships. He shared some Knowledge made it even better. Even though the museum is closed a worthwhile stops.

Pax Elle

Friendly staff amazing boat to tour. Nice grounds. It would be perfect for your wedding or event.

Desi Princess

Very nice beach. Clean and well kept. Great place for the family. Don't forget your floaty! Has a few restaurants to choice from to have a great meal

Kathleen Hamel

This well know Penticton landmark is a favorite with tourists and locals alike. Well run and beautifully maintained, the SS Sicamous is a large and luxurious paddle wheeler from days gone by. It houses a museum featuring the boats that worked on the waterways in the Interior of British Columbia. It is largely staffed by volunteers. Local events, such as musical events and artistic competitions, are often featured on board the vessel. The boat is a perfect setting for weddings and private functions, too.

Autumn Vickers

So amazing inside! It is like a trip back in time

Jason Wingert

This is a great spot. The old river boat and the model train is fun and interesting.

Emily Steele

The area by the boat by the beach and water needs to be raked free of goose poop!

Gee

Fun place! Beautiful interior, fun train track, great price!

Richard St-Aubin

Nice romantic place. I feel like I was back in time 100 years ago.

Christopher Taylor

Good place to go. Inside there is a working model railway of the KVR. Much memorabilia of the vessel in its glory days of the 1920's. Well worth a visit. Caution: check the days it opens prior to travel as it can close due to lack of volunteers to man it.

MrDEVESHNAIK

Excellent for ship history lovers. Could be managed better if they stopped reservation for weddings. Tourists come from distant places sometimes to find this place locked for a wedding. Suggest checking their calendar online in detail before planning anything on a weekend.

Christopher Thompson

Very tastefully appointed. Best model railway layout.

Gerry Del Frari

A tour thru the SS Sicamous is an excellent addition to any walk by Lake Okanagan. Beautifully kept up inside, but the model Kettle Valley Railroad is mind blowing.

Shayne

Website literally has a calendar of their hours each day posted.... and it’s not open when it says. ????????

Kim Dingler

We visited here for a small family wedding. The ship is beautifully restored and maintained. Staff is friendly and efficient. Food was really good. As this is a heritage site, there is no air conditioning. Thankfully it was a really windy day, so it cooled off eventually. I'm not sure if it was a bride thing or a boat thing, but we had folding fans on every chair. They were a lifesaver. I would recommend this venue for functions, but maybe not in the dead of summer!

Linda Sankey

Beautiful heritage location with a small scale railroad inside the ship! Well worth a visit. They have recently added a new deck to the side on the ship, improving access for many visitors.

Karen Holman

It was enlightening to see the various vessels + structures in this park area! Having been raised in the Okanagan, viewing the lovingly-restored memories of my childhood was awesome. Alot of thought has gone into providing this link to our Valley history, + I salute the volunteers who do this amazing work! THANK YOU!

WAYNE PACEY

Great original stern wheeler... visit and view.. very nice

Altaf Mascati

Great way to learn some of the history of settlement and development of businesses and transport in the region. A good history lesson for the kids.

Jim Bennett

Neat location for special events. Unique part of B.C. history. Great location and visible from 97 highway. Parking can be a challenge

Courteney Young

We were unable to go in but it sure is stunning.

Jay Dingler

This was a neat venue for a wedding we attended there. Staff were really what makes this place enjoyable. They are awesome! An old boat with multiple levels which appeared quite clean overall. It became very windy the night we were there which was welcomed to cool the place down. No AC on board.

Darcelle Henry Pearson

Really interesting! Worth a visit for sure.

Krista Chisholm

I had my wedding on the SS Sicamous on Sept 3rd 2016. Jesse was my contact for the majority of the planning process and she was easy to work with and accommodating. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the staff members who were working during our wedding reception. The security guard (who worked for the ship) thought it was a good idea to interrupt the groom as he sat down to eat his dinner to get the liquor license out of the car. In addition to that, he didn't even wait at the door for him (since it was a private function the doors of the ship automatically lock when closed to keep the public from entering) so Eric was locked out of his own wedding for about a half an hour. That resulted in Eric completely missing his dinner and going hungry on his wedding day. I later learned the liquor license was supposed to be posted the day before while we were decorating, and the ship staff "forgot" to post it. We were also late on our speeches because of this delay, resulting in the entire night being an hour behind schedule. Also the staff member (not security guard) shut the entire party down at 11:30 even though we were supposed to be allowed to have liquor going till 12 and we paid to have the ship till 1am (as long as the music wasn't too loud). Since the Security Guard made the entire event an hour behind, I was very upset that now the ship worker wanted to shut down the party an hour and a half prior to the agreed upon time. We turned the music down so that we could continue to dance and clean till one in the morning. She made me announce last call at 11:15 (which was fine) but when people promptly went to get their last call beverage the bar tender had already been told to stop serving drinks by the ship worker. I am assuming she has no idea what "last call" means... I couldn't believe the ship worker decided she wanted EVERYTHING shut down by 11:30pm (did she just want to go home?) and completely tarnished the end of our night. From the beginning of our reception to the end, the staff at the ship stressed us (and our families) out and had zero empathy. It was unfortunate because Jesse had done such a great job helping us out for the past year. I was excited to give great reviews about the ship since I thought it was so beautiful, and the beach ceremony was amazing, but now I cannot do that. Our caterer (Okanagan Vintage Catering - Ken)and Photo Booth (Okanagan Photobooth) completely made up for the ships workers, I will give them good reviews, and I would recommend them. I am writing this for future brides and grooms looking to have their weddings at the SS Sicamous. Do not let the ship workers push you around, it is your night and you deserve AT LEAST what you paid for and signed for in the contract... NOTICE IN THE RESPONSE: denying the truth is not helpful for future brides. I am 100% sure the staff ended alcohol service at 11:15 instead of midnight because everyone was gone by midnight. I apologise your staff are clearly lying to cover their own butts. It makes it hard for you to know when you need to re-train your staff. I spoke with the bar tender THAT NIGHT and she informed me she would have been happy to serve till midnight but your workers told her to stop a half hour before that. Also, saying the doorbell rang when Eric went out and came back in - and that someone would have heard is frankly ignorant. Do you really think anyone at a wedding would be listening in for a doorbell? With 100 people talking amongst themselves there would be no way that would happen! I am shocked that your response was just to deny everything. Even more reason not to have your wedding here, they cannot even be honest about their own actions. As a marketing professional I feel strongly that customer service is important, and I can say this is some terrible customer service. Jesse, I thought you were better than the response you gave.

Stanley Ross

history of the ship is well defined by photos and the workings and pictures of staff and royalty who visited the ship and worked on it excellent. Great restoration job with so many hands on deck to actually do it all well done

George Jian

It is what it is. A part of history, with a good story. Has a great scale train set up inside.

ASHLEY REYNOLDS

Great little museum with a lot of history. We visited while the Christmas market was there. The market was nice but unfortunately we missed out on a lot of the museum as a result because sections were closed off or blocked bu market vendors. Volunteer staff were really friendly and doted on our newborn.

Steve Garrett

Beautifully restored, feels like you are at the docks many years ago.

Ellen Hook

Very nice view! Learned a lot! Enjoyed watching the train.

Michaella Haidenger

I have just finished working at the S.S Sicamous for my third year as a student. This job is diverse and has taught me many valuable life skills. I have learned an incredible amount of history from the boat and learned to appreciate something that was infront of my face all along. The boat itself is a magnificent work of art and wonderful piece of history. Something many take for granted, and in my opinion is something everyone should learn about as it is important part of the Okanagan. Ask a staff member or volunteer and they can chat your ear off. We love when you ask us questions, and these are the people who will make the ship come alive. The team at the S.S Sicamous is exceptional, I may be biased as I worked there but the energy was wonderful. It is a boat load of hard working people, humans trying to make the world a little better. Most being volunteers. I saw and experienced all the hard work these people put into each persons wedding, each fundraiser and every inch of the boat. I could express all the great thing about this place, but I encourage you to find out for yourself, explore the ship or get involved.

Louise Robert

Interesting place to visit. The train display of the area is impressive. The view of the lake from the top deck is beautiful.

Amy G

Staff was friendly and the boat was beautiful. Has lots of information throughout the boat. It’s a good place to take kids and is reasonably priced. The park and rose garden next to the boat were also very nice.

C J

Awesome place for train lovers and boat lovers! And in a beautiful park right on the beach!

Mackenzie Black

Beautiful lake front near lots of great restaurants. Wonderful sunny days from April to October.

Warrant

Lots of great history, a lot of volunteers dedicated a lot of time to keep everything working. Enjoy the huge working miniature train model of the KVR.

Oscar Ruutel

Really cool museum! Great for kids!

Roman Hessel

Great place to see some of the local heritage. Enjoyable, and kid friendly.

Nick Pitts

Fantastic model railway inside the ship! My family really enjoyed the visit!

Diane Maher

Had a newlywed brunch on the SS Sicamous for my son and his wife ... it was fabulous and a perfect ending to a perfect wedding. Chef Roger Planiden, Culinary Adventure, catered a delicious brunch. The staff at the SS Sicamous so efficient and accommodating, made every aspect of my experience with them a pleasure. Roger Planiden was so reassuring, easy to work with and did a terrific job. Everyone enjoyed the brunch!

Marc Adams

Has a really wicked and to scale train set of kettle valley.Lots of historic information and items from when they ran paddle wheel boats up and down Okanagan lake.