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Britannia Mine National Historic Site

Britannia Mine Museum

A former copper mine located halfway between Vancouver and Squamish, the Britannia Mine Museum is a National Historic Site that’s well worth visiting.

For the attraction’s official website, visit britanniaminemuseum.ca.

Upcoming events at the museum include Mini Mud Monsters during Spring Break (on Sundays to Thursdays from March 18th to 28th) and Easter at the Mine on the Easter Long Weekend of March 29th to April 1st.

 

Mini Mud Monsters at Britannia Mine

 


This article contains information about the following topics:

Museum Location | Times & Dates | Admission Rates | Things to Do & See | Celebrating 100 Years Exhibit | BOOM! | Museum Video | About the Mine | Special Events | Tips & Advice | Other Information

Click any of the above links to jump to specific information, or continue reading to learn all about the attraction.


 

Easter at Britannia Mine

 

Britannia Mine Museum Near Squamish

The Britannia Mine Museum is a National Historic Site at what used to be the largest copper mine in the British Empire. At its peak the mine produced 7,000 tons of ore per day and over 60,000 people lived and worked on site. It was a massive operation!

The Britannia Mine Museum Society has preserved the mine facility. As a result, today, visitors can explore some of its original buildings, learn about its history and even go on a tour underground. Each year over 70,000 people visit the attraction.

It’s a popular place to visit that scores about 4.5 out of 5 with TripAdvisor and Facebook (so it’s highly rated).

 


For the attraction’s official website, visit britanniaminemuseum.ca.


 

Britannia Mine Historic Site
Britannia Mine at Britannia Beach

 

Mine Museum Location

Britannia Mine is located at 150 Copper Drive in Britannia Beach which is about 45 minutes north of Vancouver and 10 minutes south of Squamish along the Sea to Sky Highway.

Directions: Head north from Horseshoe Bay along the Sea to Sky Highway. The mine is to the right just five minutes past the Furry Creek Golf Resort. If coming from Whistler, the mine is to your left, 10 minutes south of Squamish (and not far past the Stawamus Chief – the giant granite cliff of a mountain which you’re unlikely to miss and is a popular mountain to climb).

 

Hour and Dates

The museum is open most days throughout the year. It is closed, however, on December 25th, January 1st and a few days for annual maintenance (e.g., on January 8th to 10th in 2024).

As of early 2024, the place is open seven days a week. Winter hours are 9:00 am until 4:30 pm daily, with check-in for the final tour of the day at 2:30 pm. Hours of operation in the summer and at other times of the year are different.

For the most up-to-date hours of operation, see the Britannia Mine website.

 

Admission to the Museum

The attraction is open almost every day of the year. The only days it’s closed most years are Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, plus maybe a few more days for annual maintenance.

Admission prices to the museum as of January 2024 are the following (plus GST). Also, parking is free.

  • Adults (ages 18+) – $41.95
  • Seniors (ages 65+) and Students – $36.95
  • Youth (ages 13 to 17) – $31.95
  • Children (ages 5 to 12) – $23.95
  • Little Folks (ages 4 & under) – free
  • Families (two adults and three children/youth) – $147.00

The museum usually operates seven days a week between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm. The last tour of the underground part of the mine each day is typically at 3:00 pm with check-in for that at 2:30 pm.

 

Britannia Mine Museum

 

Annual Membership at Britannia Mine

Annual passes are also available. They are a really good deal if you plan to attend more than twice in a year including on special events like Member only Mornings, Easter, the Copper & Fire Arts Festival in September, the Spoo-ook-tacular Halloween attraction in October and Christmas events in December.

The following are the rates for annual passes (excluding GST) as of January 2024:

  • Adults (ages 18+) – $98.00
  • Seniors (ages 65+) and Students – $75.00
  • Youth (ages 13 to 17) and  Children (ages 5 to 12) – $70.00
  • Little Folks (ages 4 & under) – free
  • Families (two adults and three children/youth) – $210.00

In addition to 12 months of access to the museum, benefits of annual membership usually include things like 15% discounts at select events, for accompanying guests on regular days, and purchases in the gift shop and snack bar. If you visit the museum multiple times the savings can be considerable!

 


Visit britanniaminemuseum.ca for full details about the attractions.


 

Mill No. 3 at Britannia Mine
Inside Mill No. 3 at Britannia Mine

 

Things to Do and See

The Britannia Mine Museum has a number of exhibits, buildings and things of interest to see and do. In addition to its “Company Store” gift shop and Chatterbox Cafe, there is the Mineral Gallery, a gold-panning pavilion, the Britannia A to Z Historical Exhibits and a kids’ play area. There is also a film about mining, Mill No. 3, other historical buildings and a visitor centre with interactive displays.

At the attraction there is also a 45-minute underground tour where you get to wear a miner’s hard hat and ride the mining train into the side of the mountain. Since the summer of 2019, there is also the multi-sensory BOOM! exhibit.

Expect to spend a couple of hours at the museum, between the underground tour and browsing the various exhibits.

Below is information about the Beaty Lundin Visitor Centre, The Mineral Gallery, Gold Panning Pavilion, Britannia A to Z Historical Exhibits, Underground Tour, Mill No. 3, and The BOOM! Attraction. First though, we provide a bit of information about “Celebrating 100 Years of Mill No. 3” which was a new temporary exhibit at the museum in 2023.

 

Britannia Mine Movie
Watching the Groundbreaking Film

 

Celebrating 100 Years of Mill No. 3

The largest, most impressive and significant building at Britannia Mine is Mill No. 3. It’s the giant 20-storey structure built into the side of the mountain. Further below we describe this building in more detail. Here though, we provide information about the museum’s most recent exhibit, Celebrating 100 Years of Mill No. 3.

2023 marked the 100th anniversary of Mill No. 3. It was completed in 1923. To celebrate, the museum had a new temporary exhibit called, very appropriately, “Celebrating 100 Years of Mill No. 3.” The new exhibit was in the Machine House which is the burgundy-coloured building in the middle of the museum’s property.

Celebrating 100 Years of Mill No. 3 described and illustrated how the mill was at the core of the local community, its history and the mine’s technological innovations. The exhibit featured displays with pictures and written information as well as artifacts, models, a film, and contraptions you could touch. The exhibit ran from May 20th until November 5th in 2023.

The following video shows a few scenes of the property outside at the museum. It also shows what the new Celebrating 100 Years of Mill No. 3 exhibit looks like.

 

 

Beaty Lundin Visitor Centre

Near the entrance to the Britannia Mine Museum is the visitor centre which provides an introduction to the site. There you will find touchscreen displays and interactive exhibits. Also near the start of your self-guided tour you’ll find the film Groundbreaking which is educational, light and highly recommended.

 

The Mineral Gallery

Britannia Mine was an active mine for many years. Copper was the main product, but other minerals extracted included zinc, lead, cadmium, silver and gold. In the Mineral Gallery visitors can see samples of the various metals and learn about what they are used for.

 

Gold Panning Pavilion

A favourite hands-on activity for many visitors is the gold panning. It takes place in a covered area and you can hang out there for as long as you want. Don’t expect to get rich finding real gold, but it’s fun to use the pans and spot the glittering bits in the sand. When we’ve taken kids to Britannia Mine, this has always been one of their favourite things to do.

What sparkling treasures will you find while panning for gold? Mostly quartz and iron pyrite (a.k.a. fool’s gold). If you’re lucky you might even find a few tiny flakes of real gold (but don’t count on it or expect to get rich).

 

Gold Panning at Britannia Mine
Gold Panning at Britannia Mine

 

Britannia A to Z Historical Exhibits

The Britannia A to Z Historical Exhibits is a building where you’ll find informational displays describing the history of the museum. You’ll see photos, stories describing life at the mine and a small number of artifacts. If you enjoy history, you’ll find the exhibits very interesting.

 

Underground Mine Tour

One of the highlights of Britannia Mine Museum for us is the tour through the underground mine. It’s pretty cool (in more ways than one)!

Tours run at set times throughout the day. Through the summer months pre-booking online is recommended. See the Britannia Mine website for the most up to date schedule, or check at the information desk for times on the date of your visit.

The underground tour of the mine begins with a hike up close to 50 steps. At the mine’s entrance you’ll meet your guide, receive a hard hat, get instructions and then climb aboard the mine railway (which is a lot like a miniature train). Kids will love it (unless they’re afraid of the dark)!

Once everyone is ready and on board, the railway locomotive and cars set off down into the tunnel of the mine. It’s dark inside, and the journey is fun. Part way down the shaft the train stops, people get out and you get to walk around a bit in a semi-lit area.

In total the underground tour takes around 45 minutes including the introduction and handing out of hard hats at the beginning. The tours are fascinating, fun and highly recommended.

 

Underground Mine Tour at Britannia Mine
Inside the Mine

 

Tips about the Tours

Below are a few good things to know about the underground tours.

TIP #1: During tours they fire up a machine or two and sound the end-of-shift whistle. These demonstrations are very loud. You’ll be warned when to cover your ears. If needed, adults can also ask for ear plugs (which will free up their hands so they can help cover the ears of little folk in their group).

TIP #2: Tours of the underground mine depart at set times. Pre-booking online or by calling is recommended. Online reservations are only available until up to 12 hours before a tour. For day of bookings you need to call. Guests arriving without a reservation will be put on the next available tour.

TIP #3: Unless you have made a reservation, don’t wait until the last tour of the day (just in case it’s full).

TIP #4: Unless you really don’t like dark places, or have mobility issues (as you have to climb steps to get there), the underground tour is something you won’t want to miss. It’s really cool!

 

Underground Mine Tour
The Underground Mine Tour

 

Mill No. 3 at Britannia Mine

Over its 70 years of operations Britannia Mine had three main mills. Mill No. 1 operated from 1905 to 1914, Mill No. 2 from 1914 to 1921, and Mill No. 3 from 1923 to 1974. The massive 20-storey building you can see from the highway at the historic site today is Mill No. 3.

Mill No. 3 is an impressive landmark structure that you get to go inside. It’s also where you watch the BOOM! Show. From the inside the building looks like something you might see in a science fiction movie. (Actually, a number of movies and TV shows have been filmed at Britannia Mine including the X-Files, Scooby-Doo 2, Travellers, Supernatural and The Flash. Some have been filmed in the mine tunnels themselves while others in Mill No. 3 and other buildings.)

Along with the underground tour, Mill No. 3 has always been one of our favourite elements at the museum. It’s an impressive-looking building.

 

Britannia Mine

 

The BOOM! Attraction

An award-winning attraction at the Britannia Mine Museum is BOOM! Debuting in the summer of 2019, it’s a show-style experience in the historic Mill No. 3 building. A film and special effects make the structure come alive with sounds and sights from days long ago.

BOOM! involves a show-style presentation featuring a couple of screens, more than 30 speakers and a variety of special effects. It explains the history behind Mill No. 3 and is a tremendous new addition to the already very interesting museum.

The new attraction is a show that’s both educational and entertaining. See our article about BOOM! for more information.

 

Britannia Mine Boom Theatre Area
BOOM! in the Mill No. 3 Building

 

Britannia Mine Museum Video

To give you a really good idea of what to expect at the museum, check out the following video.

The video below was filmed in December of 2021 (so when COVID was still an issue and while people still had to wear masks indoors). In the video you’ll see an exhibit room in one of the buildings. You’ll also see the underground train, the underground tour inside the mine, the Mill No. 3 building, the BOOM! Exhibit, and the gold panning station.

There is so much to see at the Britannia Mine Museum, and this video doesn’t show it all! There are a few more buildings to explore, a film and other exhibits. It’s a very interesting place!

 

 

About the Historic Mine

You’ll learn a lot about the mining industry and history of Britannia Mine on your visit to the museum. You’ll learn that minerals were discovered at the site in 1888, so a decade or so before the Klondike gold rush.

The mine itself started up in 1904 and operations continued until 1974. Over those 70 years more than 50 million tons of ore were extracted including some 650,000 tons of copper, 137,000 tons of zinc, 188 tons of silver and over 15 tons of gold, among other valuable minerals.

As you’ll learn from the BOOM! presentation, 1.3 billion pounds of copper were produced at the mine over its history (and that’s equal in weight to 43,000 school buses)! Also, as you might learn during your underground guided tour of the mine, if made into a one-inch-thick cable, that’s enough copper wire to go around the world eight times!

Other interesting trivia you’ll learn are the fact that the mine’s tunnels extended over 200 kilometres and as deep as 650 metres below sea level. Sadly, close to 100 people died over the years while working underground at the mine.

At the museum you’ll also learn about life at the mine, the role of labour and the mine’s impact on the environment.

 

Britannia Mine Museum Buildings
Britannia Mine Museum

 

Special Events at the Museum

Britannia Mine Museum is open all year. In addition to days with regular admission, the attraction offers a number of days featuring special events. These include the following:

  • Family Day – residents of BC can get 50% off admission on the Family Day long weekend most years, including in 2024.
  • Mini Mud Monsters – special programming at the museum’s Terra Lab during the Spring Break school holidays. In 2024 the event runs on Sundays to Thursdays between March 18th and 28th.
  • Easter Activities – a day with kid-friendly Easter-themed activities on the Easter Long Weekend. In 2024 there’s a scavenger hunt with a mining theme from March 29th to April 1st.
  • Old Town, New Queens Pride Night – a 2SLGBTQIA+-themed evening of drag performances in June.
  • Copper & Fire Arts Event – a one-day event in mid-September featuring artists and the creations they make using mined materials. Art you’ll see on the day includes metal sculptures, paintings and jewellery.
  • Spoo-ook-tacular Halloween – family-friendly Halloween activities and decorations on the last weekend or two of October.
  • Britannia Mine at Christmas – Christmas activities, decorations and photo opportunities with Santa on a couple of weekends in December.

 

Mine Railway Train
Britannia Mine Railway (at Halloween)

 

Tips & Advice

Below are some additional tips and suggestions to help you make the most of your visit to the Britannia Mine Museum.

TIP #1: Be sure to do the guided underground tour of the mine and check out the new BOOM! experience. For us, they are our two favourite parts of the attraction.

TIP #2: Take a sweater as it is cool both underground in the mine and in the Mill No. 3 building.

TIP #3: Most but not all areas of the museum are wheelchair accessible. Accessibility is an issue, for example, with the underground guided tour which requires going up four dozen steps to access.

TIP #4: About two-thirds or even more of the site is indoors. Most of the attractions are inside or under shelter, so it’s a good place to visit on rainy days. You do need to walk from one building or structure to another, however, so take an umbrella or other rain gear if it’s wet.

TIP #5: Consider visiting other places nearby while you’re in the area. Porteau Cove can be a nice place for a picnic, as are Alice Lake and Shannon Falls. Interested in a serious hike too? Then check out Stawamus Chief (but the back route, not the cliff at the front – unless you’re extremely serious!). If you like trains, then check out the West Coast Railway Heritage Park.

 

Other Information

For more information about the attraction see the Britannia Mine Museum website.

For a list of other top attractions in the area, click Squamish or Sea to Sky Region.

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