Greater Vancouver, BC Tourism Guide with hotels, events and attraction in the historic city of New Westminster.
Step Back In Time at Local Museums
New Westminster has one of the finest collections of museums to be found anywhere in a community of its size. Seven facilities offer unique collections about local history, our military past and sports legacy.
Irving House Historic Centre302 Royal Avenue In April 1865 the British Columbian newspaper described the new home built by Captain William Irving as "The handsomest, the best and most home-like house of which British Columbia can yet boast.". Today you can revisit the splendour and grace of those pioneer days. Step through the front door and enter the 19th Century. Appreciate the glow of original wallpaper in the parlours. Imagine getting dressed before a coal heater in the bedroom. Envision cooking a meal using the gleaming wood stove in the kitchen. Be sure to visit during December, when the house is transformed for a Victorian Christmas. |
Historical Picture Gallery & New Westminster Museum and Archives302 Royal Avenue Remember days gone by, when irons didn't steam, toasters didn't pop and cameras didn't zoom! Directly behind Irving House, the New Westminster Museum brings alive the history of Western Canada's oldest city. See items brought by the Royal Engineers who founded New Westminster in 1859...from bayonets to china teacups, they came prepared. Learn about New Westminster's historic May Day celebration, still held each May and about the Great Fire of 1898 that destroyed the city's downtown. Search out family history or research your home in the Archives. |
New Westminster Police Museum555 Columbia Street Pop in to the Federal Building on 6th and Columbia and take in photographs and artefacts of over 125 years of policing history. The brainchild of Detective Constable Ted Usher, this museum honours one of the oldest provincial police departments with a great collection, including a 1958 Harley Davidson motorcycle. Kids can have their picture taken in "jail" making this stop fun for the whole family. |
Samson V Maritime Museum604.527.4640 or 604.522.6894 All Aboard! The Samson V was the last steam-powered paddlewheeler to operate on the Fraser River. Built in 1937 for the Federal Government, it spent its life on the Fraser River as a snagpuller, keeping the river clear of stray logs and other navigational hazards. Retired in 1980, it features photographic displays on its history and that of its predecessors, plus exhibits on early paddlewheeler captains and their vessels, fishing, lumbering, crossing the Fraser, and other aspects of our maritime heritage. In addition to the displays, it is a treat to see the Samson itself. The galley, mess and cabins have remained basically unchanged, and give a good idea of life on a working paddlewheeler. |
Fraser River Discovery CentreWestminster Quay The Fraser River is recognized as one of the great rivers of the world, and has played an important role in the development of not only New Westminster, but also British Columbia as a whole. The Fraser River Discovery Centre is an interpretive museum, focusing on the economic, environmental, cultural and historical importance of the Fraser River. |
Museum of the Royal Westminster Regiment530 Queens Avenue New Westminster has had a long and illustrious military history, well documented at the Museum of the Royal Westminster Regiment. Housed in the old gun room of the historic Armoury, the museum traces the history of the Regiment back to the Royal Engineers, who laid out the City of New Westminster, and through the First and Second World Wars, where the Regiment saw active duty overseas. |
Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame65 E. 6th Avenue Lacrosse is Canada's National Summer Sport, and New Westminster can proudly boast to be the location of the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame — representing the sport across Canada. Located in the Community Centre, the Hall of Fame features photographs and information on its inductees, plus trophies, jerseys, equipment and other displays on this exciting sport, justifiably known as "the fastest game on two feet". |
