Formerly called the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, the Railway Museum of British Columbia features trains and railway artifacts in Squamish.

It’s a fabulous museum! The venue is home to a steam locomotive and special events like the North Pole Express in November and December. Thomas the Train also visits the attraction in May and/or June each year. There is also the Sea to Sky Model Train & Hobby Show which takes place at the museum in March.

For full details about the attraction in Squamish, see the Railway Museum of BC‘s official website. To learn about a related train museum in the City of Vancouver, see our article about the CPR Engine 374 Museum.

This article contains the following information about the Railway Museum:

Railway Museum of BC in Squamish

The Railway Museum of British Columbia includes a real steam locomotive (the Royal Hudson), a 3-km miniature railway, and a collection of cabooses. There are also other train cars and locomotives, plus a number of historic buildings. The museum is where you’ll find the most heritage trains and railway artifacts in Western Canada!

The park is set up to resemble a railway yard from the middle of the last century. It’s a fun place for families and anyone who loves trains. There is a lot to see both indoors and outside.

Train Conductor at West Coast Railway Museum — A North Pole Express Train Conductor

Museum Hours and Rates

The museum is open on Saturdays between May and the first weekend of September. It’s also open on Sundays on long weekends during that time (i.e., on May 19th, June 30th, August 4th and September 1st in 2024). The museum is open for special events (like for Thomas the Train in late spring and the North Pole Express around Christmas) as well as on select Thursdays for tour groups and educational programs.

In the summer, the museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. As of early 2024, general admission costs $25 (plus taxes) for adults and $20 for seniors. It’s also $18 for students (ages 12 to 18), $10 for children (ages 6 to 11) and $75 for families (where members must reside together at the same address). Toddlers under 5 years of age get in for free. Season passes cost double the price of a single day, which means you only have to go twice to pay for it.

There is also a mini railway that visitors can go on when the venue is open. Admission tickets in the summer usually include all rides and activities.

For the museum’s official website, visit wcra.org.

Railway Museum Location

The Railway Museum of British Columbia’s address is 39645 Government Road in Squamish. To find it, either use your GPS or follow the instructions below.

Directions on the museum’s website used to say “Go approximately 2 km past the McDonald’s stop until you come to Industrial Way. There is a traffic light at the intersection. Turn left and go to the stop sign at Queens Way. Turn right and follow the signs. After the BC Rail tracks, you will see our entrance sign on the right.”

Railway Museum Activities

At the museum there are real trains to go inside and a miniature train to ride. There is also a furnished historic home you can go inside, which is very interesting, and a couple of vintage vehicles to admire. It’s a big place with lots to see and do.

Railway Museum Events

The museum hosts a number of events each year including a model train event in the spring, a Day Out with Thomas the Train event around late May, and a North Pole Express event in the lead up to Christmas. See below for details about each of these events.

Model Train & Hobby Show

The Railway Museum of BC hosts the Sea to Sky Model Train & Hobby Show in the spring. In 2024 it happens on March 23rd and 24th (which is in the middle of Spring Break for schools).

Tickets to this event in 2024 range between $8 and $25 depending on your age and when you go. Online tickets for one day cost $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $8 for youth, and $36 for families. For between an extra $3 and $7 per person, you can get a weekend pass that’s good for both days. Tickets purchased on the day at the gate cost about $3 more.

For full details about this event, click Sea to Sky Model Train & Hobby Show.

Thomas the Train Spring Event

Every year in late spring and/or early summer the museum hosts a special Thomas the Train event for children and their families.

The Day Out With Thomas usually takes place on the last couple of weekends in May. On those days, at set times, visitors can take a 20-minute trip on the Thomas the Tank Engine and meet Sir Topham Hatt from the popular children’s book. The event sells out every year so you need to book your tickets early.

In 2024, the Thomas the Train event takes place on May 25th and 26th as well as on June 1st and 2nd.

To learn more about this event, see our article about Day Out with Thomas.

The North Pole Express at Christmas

Each year the museum hosts a North Pole Express event. That’s when children and their families can take a magical 50-minute trip to the North Pole similar to what happens in the animated movie the Polar Express starring Tom Hanks.

Formerly called the Polar Express, the North Pole Express event usually runs on the last weekend in November and first couple of weekends in December. It too is tremendously popular and sells out well in advance.

Click North Pole Express for more information about this event.

For the museum’s official website, visit wcra.org.

Conductor with Souvenir Mug — The Polar Express Conductor

Tips & Advice

Below are some tips to help you make the most of your experience at the attraction.

TIP #1: If hoping to take part in the Thomas the Train or North Pole Express events, reserve your spot early. Tickets sell out months in advance.

TIP #2: Travel between October and March on the Sea to Sky Highway requires vehicles to have tires approved for winter driving.

Other Information

For more information, check out the Railway Museum of British Columbia‘s website.

Note: The same non-profit organization has a museum in Vancouver too, located at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown. It’s also a great museum. It’s much smaller, but has free admission. The Vancouver venue is also where you’ll find the CPR Engine #374. To learn about that venue, click Engine 374 in Vancouver.

For ideas about other things to do in the area, see our articles about Squamish or the Sea to Sky Region.

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