Educating Nanaimo
Take a seat in a recreated 1920s classroom! This classroom features many elements of a 1920s Nanaimo classroom, along with historical photographs, textbooks, fountain pens and ink wells. Check...
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HBC Era
The Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) established coal mining operations in 1852 in what is now downtown Nanaimo. A featured story is Joseph William McKay, Métis, an HBC employee who...
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Hub City
Chinatown and General Store exhibits. Today, Nanaimo is known as the Harbour City but in the past it was known as the Hub City, partly inspired by downtown’s distinctive...
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Timber!
Forest industry in Nanaimo. The history logging, sawmills, Harmac Pacific pulp mill and other types of manufacturing are highlighted in the Timber! exhibit. Don’t miss the stories of lumber...
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Snuneymuxw
Explore Snuneymuxw living culture. Hear Snuneymuxw oral traditions in the video From Our Elders’ Elders, created with Snuneymuxw Elders in the 1990s. Learn about Snuneymuxw living culture through stone carvings,...
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The Harbour
Nanaimo is known as the Harbour City. The ocean is an important part of the landscape in Nanaimo. Photographs in the exhibit show how the harbour has changed over...
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Coal Mine
Nanaimo’s coal mine experience. The Coal Mine exhibit is as close to an actual mine as most people will ever visit! Built with help from scenic artists working in...
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Welcome Area
What makes Nanaimo unique? The Welcome Area showcases local firsts and highlights. Start your visit with the large satellite map of Nanaimo to see the ocean, lakes and mountains...
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From “Herring Capital” to Seven Potatoes
Japanese Canadian community in Nanaimo. The exhibit is a collaboration of the Central Vancouver Island Japanese Canadian Society (known as the Seven Potatoes) and the Nanaimo Museum, created to...
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