New Westminster Museum — Attraction in Downtown

Nestled like a fine pearl inside an absurdly-shaped clam, this museum is a must if you have children and a spare 7 minutes. We thought we would risk a little visit to try to up our family class level (actually, that’s a lie - there was Lego. Very cool replication of parts of the city). With only the five-year-old and the one-year-old in tow, it was great to look at donated artefacts of the city’s history, with only the sound of one wolverine trying to chew its own foot off to get out of the stroller, and the ever-present request to know what else there is to see. Because our three-year-old was at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house today, I thought we may actually get out of the museum without one of the motion-activated noise alarms going off from getting too close to the 100-year-old cars. Alas, a respectful, 65-year-old car enthusiast stood too close, and our oldest went tearing over to see what the alarm was, and got a chance to tell on the perpetrator all the same. A perfect 4...

A free museum in the Anvil Centre, if you're already here to see the New Media Gallery or the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, check it out. The exhibits include memorabilia, artifacts, newspaper reprints and even a 1926 Ford Model T and a New Westminster Police motorcycle.

Interesting history of a part of the world that is new to me so it was interesting to learn a microcosm of Canadian history here as New Westminster grew from before its earliest settlement to the city it is today.

Of course, no Canadian museum is complete without an acknowledgement of the impact of colonialism and New Westminster's exhibits include statements and context that recognize it. There is a display of First Peoples artifacts...

Hidden away museum in a beautiful building on Columbia St. Easy to miss, but if you catch it this little place is a wonderful 15-30 minute self-guided tour of some interesting artifacts, the history of New Westminster, and the origins of British Columbia. It’s also in the same building as the New Westminster archives if looking at old papers is your thing.

Completely free, air conditioned, and public washrooms available (great to stop in for a cool down on these hot summer days!). The lobby also has an abundance of brochures and guides for events and places to visit...