Reviews of Museum At Campbell River (Zoo)

Brian Graham

This is "the little museum that could"… The cost of admission should keep you amused for at least an hour with displays covering local native history, logging, fishing, pioneer life and some fantastic short films in a small scaled down movie theatre. The exhibits are reflective of the area and are well presented and the staff are unobtrusive and yet helpful. Plenty of free parking and not too hard to find.

Mars Bar

Reminded me of a scaled down version of the Royal British Museum in Victoria. Nicely done

Ashleigh Cummer

Really interesting and bigger than it looks! Great first nations exhibit.

Mary Schwartz

Worth going to. It has informative and interesting exhibits. Good for kids.

SUSANA FIGUEROA JAQUE

Beautiful First Nation Exhibition

Carmie Dixon

Excellent place to visit. Love the history.

ewan quirk

No visit to the area should miss this opportunity for learning, either the history of colonialism meeting the First Nations or the storytelling of those people. Well worth the time for people who wish to know more.

Christine Trauttmansdorff

Exceptionally good museum - a nice surprise.

Nehemiah

It is what it is. The content is fishing and logging related. But the short film on the Ripple Rock explosion us kind of cool

Andrew Leroux

People there are awesome...pround of their history...rich in details loved it

R&R Porter

Great Place

Aaron Tam

One of the best Museums in Canada. Wonderfully interactive exhibits.

Jacqueline

Awesome

Chris Lewis

Interesting to get an understanding of cr early days and really enjoyed film about ripple rock

Dorle

Very informative, nice art pieces from First Nation Families

Stine Dahlfelt

Exciting to see the movie about how they blew a "hole" in the river. Very nice and authentic exhibition.

Rebekah Spring

Always a great experience, I probably go at least once a year and I live it everytime!

Cliff Parker

Excellent exhibits

Denise Lawrence

Awesome

Jacobus

Very well done exhibits and displays. Of particular interest is the ripple rock and indigenous storytelling displays.

Jessica Pitstra

Very well done small city museum. They have some amazing and creative displays. Doesn't take long to go through but definitely worth a look.

Corbin Tomkinson

Dedicated, passionate volunteers working to preserve our RCAF heritage. Must visit.

Andrea Brennan

Beautifully curated museum. Awesome gift shop. Great value for money.

Rob Hammerling

Fantastic place. Lady at the front counter with name starting with Lo went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. She has a gift. Place was well organized and informative. Will be back.

k k

Finally went to.the Museum and I recommend all locals to go check it out. It happened to be National Museum Day and they were doing tours of the archives and storage downstairs. All the exhibits were beautifully done and the special exhibit waa about Anne Haig Brown. There was a virtual tour of the house were they resided. .It was extremely realistic and interesting to walk around and look at the rooms as they were at the time. The gift shop was also well stocked with lots of choices at reasonable prices.

Bill Crowder

Fine museum of local history. A good way to spend a couple of hours.

jt Tremblay

Great place visit

MaryAnn Hernandez

This is one of the best museums for learning about indigenous people in North America. It is amazing that a town the size of Campbell River would have such an outstanding collection of artifacts. Some were on loan from Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria. My only complaint is that it was very dark- low lighting which made it difficult for one of the people in our party who is visually impaired. We spent close to 3 hours here. So much to read and learn.

Braedon Van Gorkom

This is truely an amazing museum for such a small town. Passionate staff, quality artifacts, and plenty of interesting and interactive exhibits. I would highly recomend this place to anyone visiting Campbell.

Owen Cook

Beautiful museum space with a great selection of exhibits. Excellent value at $8. Will be sure to visit again.

KD Pirahna

Surprisingly one of the most interesting museums I have been too. I liked it more than the museum in Victoria.

Jegook Lee

Interesting!

Julian Worker

What a wonderful museum this is with its array of exhibits pertaining to the locality. There is something for everyone both inside and outside. The First Nations treasures are still used by the local band at special events. Do not miss the Japanese gate across the road by the sea. The interiors of the log cabin and of the Willows Hotel are both excellent.

eric stabler

Simply amazing you must see it

Mike G

Very interesting, informative, and beautiful exhibits. Admission price isn't expensive and well worth what you do pay. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Highly recommended.

Yolande Steenkamp

One of the best museums I've visited.

adam guthridge

A MUST DO WHEN VISITING CAMPBELL RIVER AND VANCOUVER ISLAND!!! It gives a great insight into the history of the region and covers all the things that make it great. The native history is very special along with the logging and fishing industry.

Zak Toews

Fantastic for a small town museum. Great exhibits. Nice diversity. Something for everyone

J C

8$ admissions fee，not many visitors which is great for the current time. Always good to check the local museum .

Sarah Swithin

Beautiful museum. Excellent exhibits.

lizz demill

Lots of cool stuff to look at

Fraser Porter

Unbelievable! Incredible! Fantastic visit. Will be back.

J. H

A wonderful window into the past!

Josh Fry

Decent museum showing history of Campbell River. Can rent rooms for parties. Prices are a bit higher than you'd like to see. Some gift shop items have insultingly high prices.

Jill Banting

Extensive archives and collections

Sharon Farmer

They house. Frist Nation artifacts and priceless items..And charge First Nations entrance fees..offer no tax off in their stores.What They do have is worth the time to go and see..No pictures are permitted in the Nations section..

Matthew E

Absolutely horrendous service. My beautiful Fiancée and I stopped in to purchase several hundreds of dollars’ worth of NW Vancouver island authentic native art. We really wanted to support the local tribes and bring home several wonderful pieces of art. However upon arrival the staff did not ask to assist us and instead left it up to us to retrieve the pieces ourselves. I removed a piece from the wall for a closer inspection and this hideous old battle axe of a woman immediately stood behind me informing me that if i broke the piece I would have to pay for it. Obviously this was a gift shop and not the museum displays; of course I was well prepared to pay for the piece. For the next several minutes she hovered around me breathing across my shoulder still not asking if she could help me. Needless to say her horrible attitude and self-righteous behaviour left a very bitter taste in my mouth. We decided not to support the establishment and decided not to view the museum. Upon exiting we ran across another couple who shared a very similar experience. This couple did see the displays in the museum and said they were not worth the high admission price as most of the displays were quite derelict and un-informative. They also found the old woman at the gift shop to have an unpleasent attitude as she was rude and abrubt with them. I would highly recommend anyone considering visiting this museum or gift shop to reconsider. The chance of running into the bitter old hag that works at the gift shop is not worth it. It will ruin your vacation and change your view of Vancouver Island and its people.

Trev Friesen

Worth the stop .....the big old truck is cool

Andrew McBride

Best museum in Campbell River. Excellent history and displays. Great gift shop. Well worth the visit!

Andrew Cripps

This is a museum not to miss. The First Nations masks are outstanding and the displays help paint a picture of the richness of the culture and the industry of the settlers. There’s a recreation of the lobby of the first hotel - Willows Hotel, and the logging and fishing exhibits have lots of photos and good explanations.

Bailey Adams

Its sad that they started charging locals. Ive lived here my whole life. Nice place to learn if you've never been before though, I wouldn't pay to see it twice.

Kim Stubblefield

Outstanding small museum well worth the visit.

Lynette Meek

Great museum! The exhibits are varied and well interpreted. This museum prides itself on being an active part of the community and that can be seen in the varied activities they put on! We took our grandson to the model train exhibition last weekend and he was thrilled!

Eddy Wallace

Excellent display. Highly recommended

Melanie Cej

It's a small museum but so worth a visit. Lovely layout, even my three year old managed a pleasant hour there.

Aaron Arsenault

Awesome little museum

Steve Sakamoto

The museum is wonderfully curated - tons of local treasures, and featuring a breathtaking array of First Nations artifacts and art. There's a poignant but factually-presented section focused on the residential schools, and Canada's incredibly dark history. It's an important story to tell, but it wasn't the only story highlighted; the theatre featured a beautifully narrated traditional story, accented by a gorgeous collection of masks. Definitely a must-see, particularly considering the low admission price. At that price, even just enjoying the air conditioning would have been worth it, but really - the museum is an absolute gem.

Rocco Bellosta

Very interesting place to learn about local history!

James Traynor

It was fabulous

Hans Jørgen Marker

(Translated) Nice collection (Original) Fin samling

Tom Luszcz

So much to see and learn about. The hosts were excellent and very polite!

Arnold Alksne

Very interesting place!

Jennifer Ivan

Wow! Lived in courtenay for 6 years and just had my first visit, I was missing out! It's not a giant or a tiny museum. Good sized and the exhibits are very professionally done. Big museum quality, little museum love. Really amazing and will go again

Pam Taylor

Fantastic staff and presentations

Vincent van Harteveld

(Translated) Very interesting. (Original) Erg interessant.

Lorenzo Federico

Very immersing displays.

From Summit to Sea

So much to see. The write ups are mostly from a personal perspective but also they have facts, which makes it much easier to read and remember. The displays are well thought out. Although I did find the lighting was kinda dark, but it hasn't stopped me from returning. Also locals are free ( donations are welcomed).

Andrew Rosen

Great history of the region

ChelSea

Interesting

Susan Naude

Beautiful

Hans Roth

(Translated) Very nicely designed museum. Well organized Tells fascinating stories ... (Original) Sehr schön gestaltetes Museum. Gut geordnet Erzählt faszinierende Geschichten...

Angela Kroemer

Went on a day with many school.groups..we paid full price admission but the theatre area was closed to us I felt cheated out of the experience.

Kate Hathaway

It's nice to get to know the history of Campbell River and it's free in Wednesdays to locals.

Carline Calado

Fantastic museum for a small town! We were visiting Campbell River and looking for something to do, this was a great place to go! Very friendly staff, a well planned museum design and great information. Beautiful native masks with a great story. We took 4 kids (under 5) and they were entertained!

Daniel Kendrick

Great place with friendly staff!

Andrew Chernenkoff

It's a very nicely setup museum, and covers the cities life very well and to top it off it has a movie theatre and show at the end. Very nice way to spend the afternoon!

inspiration at work

(Translated) We went here after a rainy day. Small, nice museum for a small price, which was made with great attention to detail. Small gift store with hefty prices. (Original) Nach einen verregneten Tag sind wir hier her gegangen. Kleines nettes Museum zu kleinen Preis, was mit viel Liebe zum Detail zurecht gemacht wurde. Kleiner Gift-store mit saftigen Preisen.

Kate Archer

Richly developed little museum had me captivated for hours

Rita Van Bergen

Great museum for a smallish town! Really nice displays depicting first nations, logging and fishing history of our area.

B.S. L.

Nice

Hanne Dahlfelt

Very nice with a lot of historie from the area. Cheap entry and less for retired people.

Bryan Soder

Very well done museum on the history of CR and area.

Byron E

One of the best municipal museums in the Province.

Sandy Partyka

Went here for the used book sale but discovered a great place to get gifts that are unique to Vancouver Island. Check out the gift shop!

David Cliffe

Went for a walk through tour of history. Great staff and lots to talk about.

Thomas Robson

Well designed and informative exhibits make for a pleasant visit. Provides great insight into the history of Vancouver Island.

Victoria Riquelme

(Translated) It is a very interesting museum, the first nations part is the best and I think eight cad is quite a reasonable price. (Original) Es un museo muy interesante, la parte de las primeras naciones es lo mejor y me parece que ocho cad es un precio bastante razonable.

Vladislav Potapov

Very interesting place for people, who loves history of past ???? and history of first nation ????. Recommend...

Tchadas Leo

Amazing museum and friendly staff. A beautiful must see museum.

Charlie Picken

Really good museum with a good first nations section with history of Campbell river!

Lila Harris

Awesome!!!! Going to go again and again!!

Teak Spiller

I liked the old style theater inside. Ripple Rock video was great.

Valerie Cheston

We stopped in here with some friends, there is so much to see. I love looking at the first nations displays and learnt a lot while there about the local history as well. we watched the little documentary they show and of course spent money in the gift shop which is stocked with all sorts of things. A MUST SEE

Stephanie S

Super helpful at the gift shop and if you are a Riverite free admission on Wednesday

Fred de St. Croix

Excellent presentation of West Coast culture and historical industry.

John Silvester

Fascinating insight into the history of the area. Very well curated, excellent exhibits. Worth at least 2 hours of your time, especially when it's raining.

Ruth Lam

Displays and illustrations are very well organized. Staff are friendly.

Nanette Goodfellow

One of the best museums for local history and artifacts. I found the indigenous displays interesting. I learned much. Definitely a must see and $8 is an amazing price.

Janny Bakker Patisserie

(Translated) Lots of information about the area and culture disappeared .. (Original) Heel veel informatie over dit gebied en verdwenen cultuur..

Nick Savage

Very nice local museum.

paul moore

Well worth the visit!

Dave Nickel

Highly regarded, award winning museum. Great exhibits and an excellent gift shop.

jimmi hendrix

Great place. History and beauty all in one place...

doug richards

Well laid out, interesting and informative

BRADIMUS PRIME

Had a great time here, and the gift shop was amazing!

Mark & Kristina Davies

a local hidden gem, that although housed in a smaller building, it has lots of very interesting historical artifacts from the region. We went to see the model train display, but the museum admission was included. Well worth the visit!

Steve Morgan

Beautiful small museum highlighting First Nations carving and culture as well as more recent local logging and fishing history. The exhibits are rich and well constructed, the museum seems much larger than it actually is and provides hours of entertainment. My wife and I travel up here from the Comox Valley several times a year and always bring our guests.

Peter Wynn

Very expert and easy explanation of the city's past and recent artifacts by our guide.

Lydia Calder

The best small-town museum I've ever been in.

Peter Charnock

A place of knowledge of Campbell river and it's history. Also a great place to by souvenirs of campbell river

Steve Brecht

Great experience.

Aimée Cho

Amazing collection and guided tour of Kwakwaka'wakw Territory people's legends. Highly recommended.

Jodene Stober

Beautiful place to go visit

Gail Neeley

Amazing small museum. They have an excellent collection of First Nations marks exhibited in a unique setting

Sandy Esworthy

Really nice museum. Well put together and interesting. Very nice and friendly staff . The contentt of the museum was totally relevant to Campbell River.

Rob Sander

If you like history and Mom's definitely the place to check out with the Ripple Rock explosion of the two Pentacles + logging back in the day class A lot of other interesting things definitely check it out

D Gorn

Very beautiful museum. Excellent book sale today!!

June Scown

Well done.

Gerry Johnson

great.had.a.lot.of...fun

Courtney Aycock

I always love visiting this museum. My toddler liked the hands-on sections of the museum. He was too scared to see the First Nations story, with the masks. But that's ok, I've seen it before (and I love it). The views from the entrance are gorgeous. I was a bit disappointed that the theater wasn't working when we visited this last time (a week ago) - didn't get to watch the Ripple Rock video. I know I'll return to the museum next time I'm in town.

Lois Mackinnon

Very friendly service!

trevor rosell

Very educational experience to learn about the native culture in the area

Diane Melen

I have to visit every year - the staff are great and the displays are so well done considering the size of the place and the budget they must have to work with! I always bring visitors.

christa moore

Very interesting place to visit; you will be inspired with everything.

Roslyn Nickel

Fabulous Museum..well worth the visit ! The Gift Shop has a wonderful selection of gifts and books!

Brian Hirsche

For a small town and a small museum it is top notch. The exhibits are well maintained and showcase local and regional history tastefully. Loved the footage they have about the Ripple Rock explosion.

LTRMcrew

Really surprised at this gem in Campbell River! It doesn’t look like much from the outside but it’s quite large inside. Lots of great local history both First Nations and Logging / fishing. Really enjoyed it. Both my kids 8 & 11 enjoyed it as well. Family entrance is $20. Worth it for sure. Took about 2 hours to do all the displays.

Penny Hill

I have now become a member of the museum. The staff are wonderful, helpful, friendly and I have been getting some of my Christmas gifts at the gift shop. I am currently taking a writing course there and it is top notch and challenging. I had no idea how professional it would be. EXCEPTIONAL

Rachid Hanbali

Interesting to see

kathleen riley

I was absolutely amazed at the quality of the displays of this Museum, not to mention the courteous service and magnificent view!! I have visited a few times now, and have been impressed each and every time. I never tire of the artifacts and displays in the main gallery, but have also very much enjoyed the temporary exhibits, which are varied and unique. The staff is always warm, friendly and eager to make sure my experience is a positive one. I know this museum has a group of volunteers who have also provided me excellent service on more than one occasion. I have even stopped in to the museum gift shop when I have needed a gift for a special occasion, and have been pleased with the selection and quality of their wares. I would not hesitate to recommend this Museum!!!

Louanna Piercy

Was an Amazing displays .

Ro tro

So much more than I would have expected! Full sized dioramas of a float home, cabin, hotel, not unlike the RBCM. One of the first logging trucks - so interesting. Great collection of indigenous masks and other artifacts, though interpretation in that area in need of update and expansion. In other areas interpretation concise and digestible. Good use of limited space.

Carrie T

Wonderful displays

michael versluis

Very interesting place to visit . Has a lot of history and lots of information about the area and what it was like many years ago

Omar K

Museum with a large collection of native and local artifacts. Definitely worth a visit to know local history.

Mikayla West

I enjoyed my guided tour!!! I will definitely be returning with my family in the spring!

Jennifer Kerr

Fantastic local human history museum. From 1st Nations to the pioneers.

Kathy Chilcott

Love this little museum. Always adding to exhibits and the gift shop is great!

Vicky McNeil

Detailed exhibits, informative and interesting ! Definitely worth a visit.

Alvin Lau

Neat little museum to check out to learn more about the town and area. The gift shop's selection of indigenous art is impressive and reasonably priced. The interactive information signs outside the gallery have many interesting facts.

Lori Potts

Fantastic museum and the staff/volunteers are very knowledgeable

heather dunne

Well done!! Rivals Victoria museum. Great shop too.

Louie Mark

Very nice place. Highly recommend it

Rick Harrison

A very nice museum to learn about early life around Campbell River. I particularly enjoyed watching the video about the demolition of the Ripple Rock peaks.

Jon Cobb

Fantastic visit.

Ernest Thorick

Most of the displays are fake

Elaine

Awesome little museum! Great local exhibits.

Nicole Parkwood

It is a great visitor interacted museum. I spent 1.5 hrs on what is really a small display. I liked that you can "touch" items. Staff was politely informative. Very good! :)

Joanne Hart

Great museum accessible

Maitten Larpin- Chauvy

Very interesting.

Julie MacQuarrie

Very small, quaint, yet very informative museum. The gift shop ladies were super busy but so nice, and great about answering questions.

Andrea Humphreys

Loved the Christmas tree exhibit and the gift shop had really nice local artist items!

Buddenhagen Jeremy

Very nicely done

Cheryl Steidel

History is well laid out and easy to read

Patti BURROWS

Great place to spend some time.Very friendly staff.Interactive and educational

Diane Jackson

Nice place to shop

Jean Campbell

Excellent exhibits that showcase local history. Wonderful for young kids and pretty interactive.

Francine Martineau

I absolutely love this museum, it's expansize in size and you can spend Atleast half a day here (used to be more when the theater portion was open but since covid you can't use it ????) the history they showcase of Campbell River and surrounding areas is amazing, like stepping into the past. I quite enjoy the environment and the staff are always professional and kind. Truly an awesome place! And they have a beautiful gift shop. Definitely worth stopping by while on vacation or if you're a local!

Ben Knapp

Great small town museum

Christine Szaflik

Love the mask theater and movie theater. Well done!

Jim Voth

Very well designed and informative. A great perspective on the history of the Coast.

Travis Gingerich

Dang, this museum is a true gem! Expertly curated journey through the growing up of Campbell River, with well-placed emphasis on the First Nations' long history in the land. The Siwidi story is not to be missed, and the movie of the demolition of Ripple Rock is a great blend of mid-1900s engineering prowess and gratuitous explosions.

Allen Leong

I only went in to get a map of Campbell River, but the helpful lady in the gift shop convinced me to take a look in the museum. I was amazed and surprised at how good it was. The First Nations displays, with many historical artifacts, were especially fascinating to me. All the exhibits give an excellent history of how Campbell River came to be. The only minor quibble I have is that the glue on a few of the signs seem to have separated and the pictures have bubbled up. Some of have curled up edges too.

Tracey

Thought there would be more inside.

Helen de

Small museum but lots of artifacts to look at. Enjoyed the theatre and learning about local history

Heidi Bevington

This is a very interesting museum. Takes about an hour for a fast visit. Worth a visit. Not expensive.

James Drec

Absolutely delightful place to visit, with a great collection and info I didn't know!!!

Chas Hawk

Really a great museum. My wife is a museum junkie, so we go to a lot of them. Low admission fees and many exhibits

Nelson Grihalde

They built this place hoping the cruise ships would dock here, alas those guys never got the memo, there were 8 people visiting in the 2 hours I was here. Interesting collection of native American artifacts, and a selection of films to watch in a small theatre. If you are interested in learning about the history of the area this is a must see. I had no idea they used massive explosives to blast an island to clear a navigation choke point. Watch the ripple rock video, it's a BLAST, literally. Sad to know Canadians used .50 Calibre Browning Machine Guns to kill orca "whales" (dolphins really) once upon a time. Equally sad is how racial minorities were treated here in the early 20th and 19th century. The "iron chink" exhibit and the WW2 Japanese internment exhibit shows stark contrast with today's vibrant multiracial population of BC. How wealthy would First Nations tribes be if they owned the leases to all the buildings in Vancouver. Great exhibit on how they "lost it all".