Burnaby Heritage Museum is a unique place for live entertainment and a great look back at the past. The outdoor museum has a plethora of activities for both kids and adults. This museum stands as a perfect holiday destination during any season.
Enjoy this happy holiday place with your friends, family, or yourself. You will want love second spent here. This is not just an ordinary museum; history walks along with you at Burnaby Village Museum.
1. Why Should You Visit The Burnaby Heritage Museum?
If you are looking for reasons to visit Burnaby Heritage Museum, there are loads of them. There are endless enjoyment possibilities here. The best reason is the pretty attractive historic building.
It is an open-space museum that has utterly free admission. Burnaby Heritage Museum charges a nominal fee for all the activities available here. This museum is not too costly so anyone can visit it here.
It would be best to visit the top tourist attractions individually on different days. Well, the location contains a lot of activities. An excellent antique streetcar train is a fun way to enjoy, especially for kids.
The main gate entry is entirely free but is chargeable on special events. Special events like the Spring Break Scavenger hunt are hosted in March—the spooky Halloween Haunted Village event during late October at the Museum.
The museum’s ancient building has free admission, one of the best offers. You are usually expected to pay a nominal fee elsewhere, but it is not here. So, this is a place to save some money while enjoying a day out at a quality museum.
What are the top things to see at Burnaby Village? It’s like an open-air museum with a blacksmith shop, old-fashioned ice cream parlour, general store, and school. You can visit ancient homes to experience the old-time vibes.
You can enter inside the gates free of cost, except for special events like a scavenger Hunt, Spring Break, and a Haunted village event in late October. A small fee is charged for carousel rides.
2. History at Burnaby Heritage Museum
The Burnaby Heritage Museum has quite a fascinating, glorified, detailed past, especially for history buffs. Originally known as Heritage Village, Burnaby Heritage Museum was founded in 1971. Since its founding, it has expanded from 4.3 acres to a 10-acre area. The initial Heritage Village had a few small displays and was straightforward. This heritage site is one of the major attractions in the metro Vancouver area.
On November 19, 1971, the Burnaby Heritage Museum was officially opened. This event was presided over by Roland Michener, the then-governor of Canada. Several shops were situated in a replica building when the first season opened. The famous attraction was the Manor House, home of the Batman family, in 1922. The display included livestock, including horses, in the blacksmith shop.
A significant highlight is the shooting of the famous series Huckleberry Finn and His Friends, which took place in 1979. The heritage village served as the best set for shooting this TV series. The museum was renamed the Burnaby Heritage Museum in 1984. This name is apt since this place serves a significant role as Burnaby’s community museum. Under a new plan, the site area was expanded to 9 acres in 1987. It included Deer Lake Brook, a lovely area that attracted even more visitors. It served as a new entrance facility and also served as the administration building.
A central historical point was when Burnaby Heritage Museum was selected as the official stop of the Olympic Torch Relay in 2010, and on the 40th anniversary of Burnaby Village Museum, the Burnaby City Council offered free admission to visitors during the Christmas and summer seasons in 2011.
3. Major Celebrations at Burnaby Heritage Museum
Many festivals are celebrated at Burnaby Heritage Museum, like the Heritage Christmas festival, which is the most popular. Besides, British Columbia Day is celebrated with great pomp and show.
Spring break is a great time to explore Burnaby village and the museum. Burnaby village is among the major places where Canada Day is celebrated in full fledge.
3.1 Christmas Festivities at Heritage Christmas
Burnaby Heritage Museum is a favourite among its visitors for its beautiful Heritage Christmas celebrations. The vibe at Heritage Christmas’s festivities is incredible.
Concord Pacific brings Heritage Christmas to Burnaby Heritage Museum, a great way to spend Christmas with friends and family. The place has twinkling festive lights and traditional white, red and green decor. It is the perfect place to celebrate your December holidays.
Concord Pacific presents the everlasting Christmas celebrations at the Burnaby Heritage Museum. Enjoy the unique atmosphere of festive lights and traditional decorations. You get to explore all the Christmas vibes while absorbing all the special Christmas entertainment, live demonstrations, and various other activities at the festival.
The vast expanse is filled with white snow and red Christmas happiness. A scavenger hunt is a bird-themed activity that includes life-sized eco sculptures with an eco-friendly message. Children can click pictures with Father Christmas on some selected dates.
Mai’s Cafe is a new cafe for foodies, former Iceparlours parlours, and other food trucks. Gate admission is complimentary, while Carousel and Baker’s dozen rides are chargeable. The opening time of this beautiful heritage festival is in November.
Though the entry is free of cost, the place gets overcrowded due to its popularity many times. Thus, entries are limited to a certain number to avoid this situation. Make a plan in advance to be among the visitors celebrating here. Check the official website for opening dates and times before visiting Heritage Christmas.
3.2 Burnaby Village on BC Day
The Burnaby Heritage Museum celebrates the BC Day in its unique way. It offers a particular free activity in the BC Weekend on Holiday Mondays.
3.3 Burnaby Village on Canada Day
Canada Day is celebrated with great pomp and show at Burnaby village. This place stands among the top three locations in Burnaby City where Canada Day is celebrated. There are two other places in the city, Swangard Stadium and Edmonds Community Centre.
Many events occur at Burnaby Village on Canada Day, like face painting, engaging displays, tasty cupcakes, and live entertainment.
The festivities at Burnaby Village are of two types: fun and educational. All these activities make the Canada Day celebration even more special and enjoyable.
3.4 Burnaby Village at Spring Break
Spring break is essential to celebrate the perfect spring weather at Burnaby Village. When this place opens during spring break, it is an ideal time for visitors. During this time, the museum provides visitors with events like scavenger hunts, unlimited carousel rides, and many fun activities specially dedicated to school holidays.
Burnaby Village often opens during Spring Break. During pandemic times, there are certain limitations on rides and other activities.
For the pandemic-free years, the museum has allowed unlimited access to the carousel rides for its visitors, a scavenger hunt game during Heritage Christmas celebrations and a load of other activities. Many activities are dedicated to children during the school holiday season, too.
4. Best Ways To Explore Burnaby Village
An excellent way to explore Burnaby village is by visiting different places in and around the museum. To begin with, visit Deer Lake. This place is as pretty as a portrait. A picnic is the best way to enjoy the splendid beauty of this lake.
You can visit here first, then explore the Burnaby Museum. Carry your best walking shoe for a perfect stroll encircling the lake area. If you are a water baby, carry your swimsuit. You can go for paddling at the beach. Enjoy rides at the museum and stroll along with your family and friends.
5. Top Attractions at Burnaby Heritage Museum
There are many attractive locations within the museum premises, like Wagner’s Blacksmith Shop, Burnaby Lake General Store, eerie illusions event, haunted village, Seaforth school, Parker carousel, Century Park Museum association, ice creparlourlor, real estate office, deer lake, scavenger hunt, War Memorial erected in 1923 by Burnaby civic employees union, a working print shop known as Burnaby Post and many more.
5.1 Perfect Halloween Thrill at Eerie Illusions Event
Burnaby Village has the perfect way for you to celebrate Halloween horror. The museum transforms into a completely different world during Halloween: spooky ghouls and vibrant colours. Talking scarecrows and spirits add to the charm of chilling Halloween night.
It is a completely different world in Burnaby village during Halloween. Visiting here during Halloween will be the most memorable event of your life. This event is a self-guided tour suitable for children and adults. Check out the official website for timings and dates before planning your visit.
5.2 Wagner’s Blacksmith Shop Historic Experience
Summer season breaks are the best time to visit the blacksmith shop. You get to watch the blacksmiths hammer the fine metals and craft a new creation. It is quite intriguing to watch them work hard and precisely. Wagner’s blacksmith shop is also valued for its historic addition to the museum.
This shop’s foundation lies in a 1925 Burnaby business. Wagner’s Blacksmith Shop also provides hands-on workshops for visitors interested in learning this art. The course is well structured and divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. This workshop is available all year round. You need to register in advance to join this course. Visit the official website for all necessary details and activity dates.
5.3 Enjoy the Fun-Filled Rides at the Parker Carousel
The best way to give a happy holiday to your children is to have some amazing rides at the Parker carousel. The C.W. Parker Carousel is a fun ride with a fantastic history to share with its visitors. It is an intriguing story of how the Parker Carousel ride joined as part of the Burnaby Museum. It originally belonged to the amusement company of C.W Parker, its maker in 1912.
From there, I travelled to different places and owners for over 110 years. It had once belonged to Lone Star Circus Texas in 1915. It has now been restored and is situated in the Burnaby Museum.
Since the museum opens seasonally, the public can only access the Carousel rides during the opening season. It is an integral part of the heritage Christmas celebrations during the December holidays, and children love it.
5.4 Visit the Burnaby Lake General Store
An ancient-style store that is not just for buying goods but also takes you back to the past. It has a certain charm to it, which comes from its rustic buildings.
As soon as you enter the store, a great wave of nostalgia hits you. Its visitors include both locals and tourists from faraway places. Visitors come here to relax, enjoy and absorb the vibe of the glorific past gone by.
Visitors visit here to buy a huge range of goods and services like groceries, snacks, small goodies for Christmas presents, and gear for fishing in the deer lake. All kinds of water adventure equipment are available here on rent, like kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, etc, that you can take to enjoy the bubbling waters at the beautiful Burnaby Lake.
The shop also helps you with its services, like information related to hiking trails, wildlife, and other points of attractions you can visit in Burnaby village. They can also give you some valuable advice for your bird-watching spree. The best part of visiting the store is the yummy, tasty ice cream treat at the popular ice cream stand, which ranges from sundaes to cones.
5.5 Tasty Treats at the Ice Cream Parlour at Burnaby Heritage Museum
Museum visitors of all ages love one ice cream parlour. It is the perfect place to either end your day or begin your visit at the museum. My favourite ice flavours flavour among maple nut, wildberry yogurt, chocolate, vanilla, cookies and cream, butterscotch marble, mango, and espresso flake.
They keep on adding flavours every year. All these are heavenly tastes and satiate sweet cravings for a long time. It makes your already fun-filled day even more enjoyable. The Ice Parlour parlour serves a large crowd during the heritage Christmas festival.
5.6 Spookiness at Its Best at Haunted Village
If you are very much attracted to spookiness and gothic tales, Burnaby Haunted Village is the best choice to celebrate your Halloween holidays. The Haunted Village picks up all favourite rites and legendary tales and transforms them into a virtual storytelling display.
All your imaginations of the Snow White and the forest she went to are in front of your eyes. The vast, expansive 10-acre area covers all the legendary tales you have ever heard together for a storytelling night of the indigenous tales of “How Raven Stole the Moon” and many more.
Wear your most spooky costume and delve into the Halloween spirit. Dance through the night and have a blast at the amazing party. Vancouver Circus has some awesome performances to add fun to the rocking party.
6. Getting to Burnaby Museum
- Location and Transport Facility: Burnaby Heritage Museum is in the British Columbia district at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby Village. It is located at a suitable distance from many major cities in Canada. You can reach here by personal vehicle; many public transport options are available. If you opt for public transport, catch a bus to the museum after reaching Burnaby village. The place is easily accessible to its visitors. The nearest stop for catching a bus is located just a short walk distance from the Burnaby Museum.
- Parking Facilities: The parking facility at the museum is free of charge. You can park your vehicle at the parking lot and explore the museum on foot easily. Many accessible entrances, like Deer Lake Avenue, the carousel entrance, and the Canada Way, are located at various points.
7. Takeaway
Burnaby Heritage Museum is a great place to enjoy a fun-filled day with friends, family or alone. You have lots to gain here: pleasant scenery, historical nostalgia, educational information, and more. The best thing about visiting here is the locals’ and visitors’ happiness.
Just one visit is not enough to explore all the engaging activities this museum offers. You will keep coming back and discover something fun and exciting new each time. Whether you visit during spring or early January or during the winter season, you can always be sure to take back loads of memories to last you for a lifetime.
So, whether you want to dive into the past or enjoy the present, you are most welcome to Burnaby Heritage Museum.
8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Are pets allowed in the Burnaby Heritage Museum?
Answer: You cannot bring your pets to Burnaby Museum. Only service animals are allowed as an exception.
Q2. When did Burnaby Museum officially open?
Answer: Burnaby Museum was founded in 1971. Its original name was Heritage Museum.
Q3. Where can I buy Carousel Ride tickets?
Answer: You can buy Carousel Ride tickets at the front gate or the gift shop.
Last Updated on by Suchi
