Museum of Surrey

Located in Cloverdale, the Museum of Surrey celebrates the city’s history and people. It has educational exhibits, galleries and programs. Admission is free.

To learn about the Museum of Surrey, either continue reading below or visit the surrey.ca website.

This article contains the following information about the attraction:

The Museum of Surrey (MOS) in Cloverdale

The Museum of Surrey is an excellent museum. Not only are its exhibits and displays very interesting, but admission to the place is free! The museum is a fair size, and it’s full of artifacts and information about the history of Surrey. The place often offers special hands-on activities for children, including on school Pro-D days. The museum also has a permanent room with a large play structure and exhibits designed for kids.

Also in the main building of the museum is the Surrey Stories Gallery, Textile Centre, Indigenous Hall and more. Free programs are often available too. The Museum of Surrey prides itself in celebrating the city in intriguing and educational ways.

The Museum of Surrey is one part of Cloverdale’s interesting Heritage Campus. The main building contains featured exhibits and artifacts, but there are separate heritage buildings to explore as well. Outside the museum itself there are a few heritage buildings of interest. They are the Anderson Cabin from 1872, Town Hall from 1881, and Anniedale School from 1891. Each of these buildings has been preserved and restored for public viewing.

If you like museums and history, we highly recommend the Museum of Surrey. We also highly recommend the place for families with young children. Kids can learn a lot at the museum, but there are also lots of fun, child-friendly activities and things to see. And everything is free!

For full details about the museum, visit the surrey.ca website.

Where is the Museum of Surrey?

The museum is located in Cloverdale at 17710 56a Avenue in Surrey. It’s about five minutes away from the Cloverdale Flea Market (which takes place on Sundays). It’s also close to the Cloverdale Fairgrounds where the Cloverdale Rodeo takes place in the spring.

Outside the museum is a plaza where Remembrance Day ceremonies take place on November 11th each year. On the other side of the square is the Surrey Archives building.

Hours and Admission

The Museum of Surrey is closed on Mondays but open the rest of the week. As of the last time we checked, hours of operation on Tuesdays to Saturdays are from 9:30 am until 5:30 pm. On Sunday it’s from noon until 5:00 pm. The museum is closed most statutory holidays (but it is usually open for at least part of the day on Remembrance Day).

Admission to the Museum of Surrey is free for all ages! Parking is also free.

Note: The museum closes for a few weeks over the winter holiday season including from December 22nd, 2024, until January 17th, 2025.

For full details about the museum, visit the surrey.ca website.

Antique Displays at Surrey Museum — Display Room in the Main Museum

Museum of Surrey Video

To give you a good idea of what the museum looks like, check out the video below. It shows scenes of the main gallery from when we visited in October 2023.

Most of what you’ll see in the video is the permanent exhibition. What you won’t see are the special featured temporary exhibits that change over time (and which make the museum worth visiting again and again). When we went, for example, there was the LEGO exhibition, which was particularly impressive, as well as a couple of other featured exhibits. It’s a really good museum!

(The music in this video is Once in Paris by Ivan Ohanezov from Pixabay.)

Events at the Museum

The Museum of Surrey hosts lots of special events over the course of the year, including ones most years on Family Day, during the Spring Break school holidays, on Remembrance Day and around Christmas (e.g., WinterFest at MOS).

The Children of the Fur Trade event is another event which takes place in April. In partnership with the Surrey Delta Métis Association, the annual event invites visitors to enjoy stories and performances about the rich and diverse Métis culture and heritage. At the event there are arts & crafts activities. There is also live entertainment as well as food and market vendors. Admission is free. For details about the event, see the Museum of Surrey‘s website.

Other Information

To learn more about the venue, see the Museum of Surrey‘s website.

TIP: Did you know that the museum has a special Sensory Room and Sensory Kits? They are great for folks who like fun things, but quieter ones without lots of extra stimulation. The first Sunday of every month is also Sensory Sunday where, from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm, the museum is extra quiet and has reduced lighting. The special sensory-friendly activities are available at those times.

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