Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre — Attraction in Whistler Resort Municipality

Gem of a place, deserves some more publicity!

My wife found this place, and I was completely unaware of its existence, as I presume Whistler is better known for its abundant outdoor activities. We had a pleasant and informative visit here. While the overall area and exhibits are relatively small, the space is bright and comfortable, populated with a mixture of historic artefacts as well as more recent locally-crafted items. What truly stands out to me here is the dedication to preservation and continuation of the beautiful cultures of the Squamish and Lil'wat nations. When we visited, there were some youths outside of the main entrance, in the process of carving a brand-new totem pole. How cool is it to witness that?

We also want to shout out to our museum tour guide (Dayson? Sorry if we got it wrong - you were wearing William's name tag!). It was his first time leading a tour on his own and was nervous, but still helpful and endearing. So lovable

We were so looking forward to this museum, unfortunately it was very disappointing. We said at reception that we would like a tour and paid for it. It started with a musical performance and a 15 minute film. That was it. We stood outside the hall after the film, 3 staff members stood there but no one said anything or approached us. So after about 5 minutes we went a bit further, looked at the canoes etc.. Even then nobody came back, so we thought that was it. We were still on the upper floor and by chance we saw that there was an outside area. We were outside and wanted to go back in to have a look at the shop. The door was closed, it was half past four, so we left the museum disappointed. We are very interested in the culture and history and would have loved to find out more. Unfortunately, it didn't come across to us as if the staff were particularly motivated. I later read what else the tour would have included, which was a shame. To deepen our knowledge, it would be better to read Wikipedia than to visit this museum. The musical performance, the film, the totem poles and the few exhibits were nice. I would like to add that there wasn't much going on, not even 10 guests. They would have had plenty of time. If we had been late, we could...

I was REALLY looking forward to this museum, absolutely beautiful building and I want to deepen my understanding of the first nation cultures. It was COVID measures, so the outside longhouse and a couple other exhibits closed. Understandable. The theatre also wasn't working, so missed the movie. And there weren't any guides at the time to ask questions or get more information. Maybe check the status of these before you pay. The exhibits themselves were beautiful and high quality, but the content felt like high-school social class. Canoe building, garments, importance of nature. All amazing, but it felt like it was fully missing the major societal pieces of the residential schools, colonialism, issues and opportunities that exist today. Maybe the movie covered this? It was missing details on language as well, I was hoping to walk away being able to say, read or express a few words and expressions. I don't think I'd recommend a family - everything is very 'do not touch' and fragile. Text heavy and low-interaction displays. I know they are valuable, but being able to sit in a cedar long-canoe or touch a bear pelt would add great sensory value... So much potential, I hope to be back to see the movie and talk with guides...