With its life-size replica of an elasmosaur (a prehistoric marine reptile first discovered in the area), this excellent small museum also houses pioneer and First Nations exhibits. Pick up a dino-themed chocolate bar from the gift shop: the perfect edible souvenir.
Courtenay and District Museum & Palaeontology Centre
Vancouver Island
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.66 MILES
Featuring a greatest hits of wilderness attractions as well as Vancouver Island's highest mountain, Mt Golden Hinde (2200m), Strathcona is the poster…
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5.27 MILES
A wonderfully quirky museum located on a row of false-fronted buildings that looks like a Dodge City movie set, with evocative exhibits on the area's…
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27.25 MILES
This small but nature-packed provincial park was given fresh impetus for visitors with the building of a new centerpiece, a 60m-long suspension bridge…
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24.73 MILES
This fascinating museum is worth an hour of anyone's time. Its diverse collection showcases indigenous masks, an 1890s pioneer cabin and video footage of…
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23.67 MILES
Canada's oldest continually operating movie house, this 1928 landmark (the second edition of an original constructed in 1913) still serves up first-run,…
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Horne Lake Caves & Outdoor Centre
26.47 MILES
BC's best spelunking, a 45-minute drive from Parksville. Some caves are open to the public for self-exploration, though the excellent guided tours are…
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25.04 MILES
A labor of love for the local Rotary Club, this small museum anchored by a restored Seine fishing boat stands as a testament to Campbell River’s salmon…
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25.07 MILES
Wet your line off the downtown Discovery Pier (rental rods available) or just stroll along with the crowds and see what everyone else has caught in the…
Nearby Vancouver Island attractions
5.27 MILES
A wonderfully quirky museum located on a row of false-fronted buildings that looks like a Dodge City movie set, with evocative exhibits on the area's…
23.54 MILES
The history of Powell River is illuminated at this local-focused little museum near Willingdon Beach. But it's not all about logging, pioneer days and the…
23.67 MILES
Canada's oldest continually operating movie house, this 1928 landmark (the second edition of an original constructed in 1913) still serves up first-run,…
4. Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre
24.24 MILES
On Quadra Island in the Northern Gulf Islands. Provides fascinating insights into local First Nations communities.
24.73 MILES
This fascinating museum is worth an hour of anyone's time. Its diverse collection showcases indigenous masks, an 1890s pioneer cabin and video footage of…
25.04 MILES
A labor of love for the local Rotary Club, this small museum anchored by a restored Seine fishing boat stands as a testament to Campbell River’s salmon…
25.07 MILES
Wet your line off the downtown Discovery Pier (rental rods available) or just stroll along with the crowds and see what everyone else has caught in the…
25.07 MILES
This smashing little marine-critter attraction can be found at the entrance to the Discovery Pier, where it's repurposed the old blue shed aquarium that…