Experience fascinating displays and learn how the Okanagan Valley was formed, and why it supports tremendous biodiversity. Step into the world of the syilx/Okanagan people, and gain insights into their close connection to the land. Learn about the arrival of traders and settlers, and peer into the windows of a store from Kelowna’s Chinatown. Meet some individuals from Kelowna’s past and present, and be inspired by the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame.
Hours
| Monday | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| Friday | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| Saturday | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| Sunday | 11:00am – 5:00pm |
Holiday Hours
| December 24 | 10:00am – 2:00pm |
| December 25 – 27 | Closed |
| December 28 – 30 | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| December 31 | 10:00am – 2:00pm |
| January 1 – 2 | Closed |
ADMISSION
Admission is by donation.
Suggested donation $5 per person/$15 per family
Feature Exhibit
Waterways
Take a deep dive into the human relationship with water.
September 18, 2021 to March 7, 2021
Okanagan Heritage Museum
“This exhibit will inform, intrigue and spark conversation.”
Waterways explores the nature of our relationship with water – from the impact of development and climate change on the environment to the importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in ensuring all living things have clean water, now and in the future. In keeping with syilx environmental ethics, the Okanagan Waterways Project reminds us that we all have a responsibility to work towards building and upholding the sustainability of water for healthy ecosystems and for future generations.
The exhibition features immersive media, which includes a video installation featuring the insights of Elders and Knowledge Keepers of the syilx Okanagan community, scientists and conservationists. There is also a highly realistic virtual world where visitors can explore what the Okanagan waterways were like before development via a touch-screen interface.
Waterways also showcases examples of Indigenous-led restoration where diverse partners continue to collaborate to enhance the sustainability of water. The exhibition mobilizes the knowledge emerging from Waterways – the Past, Present and Future of the Okanagan Waterscape, a four-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funded project led by faculty from University of British Columbia Okanagan’s Centre for Culture and Technology and other essential partners, including the En’owkin Centre whose input was vital in ensuring a rich cross-cultural Indigenous perspective on water.
Waterways is a collaborative undertaking between the University of British Columbia Okanagan, Elders and Knowledge Keepers of the syilx Okanagan community, Kelowna Museums Society, Okanagan Basin Water Board, and the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program.
Special Exhibit
Weaving Together
A community project from the Cool Arts Society
December 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022
Okanagan Heritage Museum
A fibre arts exhibition featuring artists from Cool Arts Society along with community members.
Museums Are Living Places
There’s always something new to discover at the Okanagan Heritage Museum!
Additional Programs & Services
Upcoming Events & Workshops
Escape from Mannequin Madness: An Exit Room Experience
Escape from Mannequin Madness: An Exit Room Experience
An all-new exit room experience! Save the world from the mad scientist Dr. Mann E. Quinn, who is plotting to raise a mannequin army, by solving clues around the Okanagan Military Museum. You have 1 hour... to save the world.
Escape from Mannequin Madness: An Exit Room Experience
Escape from Mannequin Madness: An Exit Room Experience
An all-new exit room experience! Save the world from the mad scientist Dr. Mann E. Quinn, who is plotting to raise a mannequin army, by solving clues around the Okanagan Military Museum. You have 1 hour... to save the world.
na̓ʔk̓ʷulamən (what we do): How Food Was Given
na̓ʔk̓ʷulamən (what we do): How Food Was Given
The captíkwł (sacred creation stories) of the syilx/Okanagan people teach us how to live on this land. Hear from local Elders and discuss what we learn and understand about How Food Was Given.