Historic O'Keefe Ranch — Attraction in Spallumcheen

We visited O'Keefe Ranch on a Saturday during a camping trip to the Vernon area and had a lot of fun. The buildings are really cool and well-preserved (we especially enjoyed the old wallpapers) and the model railway was top-notch. Some of the members of the model railway society were on site that day working on the models and they were so knowledgeable and down-to-earth; we had a great time talking to them and I know we weren't the only ones.

The petting zoo was also a big hit. My four year-old has been raving about the billy goat for days, and despite growing up in sheep country, I've never seen sheep with four horns before. The grounds were really nice and shady, and buying candy in the general store was a lot of fun. Because of time restrictions, we weren't able to do the tour of the house, but when we come back to Vernon, it's definitely on the list to do.

Unfortunately, I do have a few frustrations with the museum which just felt lacking in information. There where there was some information given but it left you wanting to know more and there just wasn't more given. For instance, I liked the case of artifacts from indigenous cowboys, but none of the farm records lying in that case were transcribed and they were really hard to read through the glass, so instead of giving more information about the day-to-day ranch operations, so they were just there. It would have been more interesting if a portion of the page had been transcribed so visitors could get an idea what they say. One of the pages of farm records was also covering one of the (very few) photographs in the case.

The exhibit of artifacts dug up on the ranch was really, really good, and had a lot of descriptive information in it. I loved that exhibit! I wish others were more like it. Next to the archaeological case was an exhibit of clothes, but out of the approx. seven garments in the exhibit, only one of them had an information plaque. Who wore the other clothes? What eras are they from? Are they from the O'Keefe family or elsewhere in the Okanagan? The saddle that's also in that exhibit is really cool, but out of place. It looks like it's just squished into that exhibit.

And my one last quibble is the antique dress that's currently sitting in the corner of the gift shop, exposed to sunlight, improperly mounted, and not protected from people touching it. There's a sign that asks people not to touch and says it was donated to O'Keefe Ranch in 2020, but it does not say by whom, which is the bare minimum any museum owes to the people who trust them to care for their rare antiques.

Overall, O'Keefe Ranch has a really good core. I want to come back and see some of the stuff I missed! I love living history. Preserving interactive bits of the past is a huge passion of mine. I was excited to visit, and I'm excited to visit again. I don't want to be too hard on them because I'm sure they're underfunded and doing the best they can. I just would like a little more meat to the exhibits and better care for some of the artifacts they have. And maybe on other days, there are more interpreters around who can answer more questions and we just had an off...

O’Keefe Ranch is a pristine historical site mixed with the rustic fun of present day farm life. It’s an excellent tourist destination and a wonderful place to have some family fun. There are historic buildings kept in excellent condition for those who love a walk through history. An old schoolhouse, a barn, a covered waggon and an old farmhouse make up some of the lovely buildings one can view on their visit. There are some friendly farm animals and a few more “unique” animals that would interest any animal lover. (To my surprise the bull was quite friendly having been bottle raised from birth!) There is also a Cornmaze that doubles as family fun and a terrifying treat during Halloween season “Field of screams”nights. To add to all this there are also campsites on the grounds and special events that are posted frequently. I was there for the purpose of filming and can honestly say it would make a lovely spot for any photography as well. Overall I was very impressed with O’Keefe and would love to take my own...

Very nice attraction just off the highway. We stopped by out of curiosity and were glad that we did. Entry is by donation, they suggest $10 per person. It’s a time capsule back to a long-forgotten era where a white colonizer established a ranch on the unceded territory of the indigenous peoples. He hired them to be cowboys, doing gruelling labour as ranchers and sleeping in squalid, basic conditions while he spent his days in a lavish mansion with his 3 wives, one of which was an indigenous woman. He was given hundreds of acres of land for free by the BC government at the time. It’s an utterly depressing story, but I give full points for the preservation of these relics. It’s an important reminder of BC’s dark roots and provides a glimpse into the truly horrifying history of the country. There are people dressed up in full garb and are fully in character. There’s even a postmaster who might have a letter for you when you drop by the general store! A lot of original items and artifacts 100+ years old....