Staycation {Day 3}: Britannia Mine Museum Experience & Review #CrossFamilyStaycation

Continuing with our staycation trend of discovering local attractions that we wouldn't normally visit, the Britannia Mine Museum was next on our list.  Tucked away in the small community of Britannia Beach in Squamish, BC, the museum features a 45 minute underground tour of the early haulage tunnel, a gold panning pavilion, a number of historic tools, equipment and exhibits, and a family play area.

The beautiful drive to the museum

As soon as we entered the museum, hubby and our older nephew watched a short film on the history of the museum and BC mining while the younger kids had fun exploring the Kids Playce, which featured hands-on exhibits such as trying on gloves to feel for different tools that miners use.

Next up, was gold panning!  Miss S was really looking forward to this and Lil J just loved playing with the sand and making a mess.  I would recommend this activity for older kids unless you bring a change of clothes for the little ones.  Baby Z and I posed for some pictures while the kids panned for gold behind us:

We also checked out the old equipment that early miners would use:

Finally, it was time for the mine train ride into the underground tunnel!  This was definitely the highlight of our visit.  We took a mine car through an underground tunnel and walked on foot to discover the work of the early miners.  Be prepared for loud noises {parents will be provided with ear plugs if you have babies/toddlers - parents are required to wear them while they cover their baby/toddler's ears} and make sure you wear shoes that you don't mind getting dirty and bring a sweater - the tunnels are quite chilly!

Making our way up towards the mine train.

After our underground tour, the kids relaxed in the family play area which is great for younger kids.  You can't go wrong with a little sand, some tractors and dump trucks, and water!

Have you been to the Britannia Mine Museum?  What is your favourite part of the museum?


Disclosure:  The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of the Britannia Mine Museum.  We received complimentary admission to the museum in order to conduct this review.