VISIT | THINGS TO KNOW

Regular Season

The 235 ton Super Truck

At your own pace you will discover and explore the industrial site of the historic Britannia Beach mill and mine operations. Included in your visit are displays, hands on activities, the 235 ton Super Truck, Gold Panning (our troughs are "salted" with real gold and garnets and you keep what you find), and videos.

After you have completed your own self guided tour, proceed to the underground train where a guide will meet you. The meeting area will be highlighted on the Site Map when you pay admission.

Most days the underground train leaves every 40 minutes on regularly scheduled times. Be at the tunnel entrance 5-7 minutes before the scheduled time. The train does not wait for latecomers, and if you miss the last train of the day due to your involvement with gold panning or other activities and displays there will be no refund.

Most visits take approximately 1 1/2 hours. The admission price is for the entire Museum visit, not just the train ride.

Seating on the train is general seating. Approximately 30 adults fill a train.

The underground temperature is 12 C/54 F year round.

It is recommended that people wear comfortable closed toed shoes and have a sweater. Even on warm days the sea breeze can be chilly.

The Museum is a historic industrial mine site and the posted safety rules must be followed. BC's Mine Act governs access into the tunnel and the historic Mill. Hard hats must be worn by EVERYONE (even small children and babies). No exceptions.

The entire Site is not wheelchair accessible. To visit our historic displays in the Mining House and to catch the underground train you will be climbing more than 60 stairs. Sometimes pre-arrangements can be made to accommodate wheelchairs. Phone first as this is dependant on staff availability.

Permanent Exhibits

Train Ride into the Mine

The Museum's permanent exhibits include all the buildings contained on the historic site and the mine tour experience. The entrance to the Museum is in the heart of the village of Britannia Beach where several of the buildings used in surface operations at the Mine have been conserved. It is the ongoing goal of the Britannia Beach Historical society, which operates the BC Museum of Mining, to make every effort to preserve them and interpret their importance to the public.

Come to the museum and discover mining: its past, present and future with the following exhibits and displays:

The Mining House exhibit featuring: Mining in BC, ARD Water Pollution: an Unwanted Legacy, and the Britannia Story.
Diamond Drilling
Haul Truck
Mineral Activities
Assay Lab
Gold Panning
Historic Machine Shop
Mining equipment, on Site and in the tunnel
Mill #3 or the Concentrator

We at the museum are proud to have our Mill #3 (the Concentrator) as part of the National Historic Site Family. Canada’s National Historic Sites represent thousands of years of human history imprinted on the landscape of the country. These special places demonstrate not only this country’s diversity of geography and cultures over the course of its history, but also express elements of our national identity and illustrate key aspects of our collective past. Each place contributes an important thread to the Canadian tapestry. Every one has been recognized as being significant to the nation. In awarding this honour, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada recognized that the Britannia Mines had made a substantial contribution to the Canadian economy in producing vast quantities of copper ore for almost seventy years.

As we are a National Historic Site, the many historic buildings that are in the care of the Society are considered artifacts. The PDF “Britannia as a National Heritage Site”will give you an excellent overview of Britannia and our collections