This Season's Main Exhibits

Come and experience our fascinating exhibits - opening June 25, 2011 

In the Hutcheson Gallery: 

 Tsunami Drama 

Just after midnight on March 28th, 1964, Port Alberni experienced the repercussions of the greatest earthquake of the 20th century.  Coming up the Alberni Inlet was a 16 foot high wall of water which would destroy dozens of homes and businesses and forever alter the history of the Alberni Valley.

Our exhibit explores the timeline, the clean-up, the aftermath, and personal experiences of the citizens and heroes who survived this great natural disaster.  It also looks at the science behind it with an introduction to the cutting-edge NEPTUNE project based on the University of Victoria which uses Port Alberni as a terminus.

The display also reveals what the Alberni Valley has done to prepare itself if another tsunami ever happens again including the construction of a complex diking system and the creation of tsunami evacuation sites.

Come discover how history has affected the Alberni Valley in the past and how it will guide us in the future.

Navigating the Graveyard

The Pacific Ocean is a treacherous and harsh environment with thousands of shipwrecks up and down the coast.   Navigating these dangerous waters has been no easy task over the last few hundred years.

Discover the new permanent exhibitnin the Hutcheson Gallery.   It explores the history of Navigation through the tools and equipment used by sailors to help them find their way and chart a course.   The exhibit also looks at the exploration of the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Lady of Paisley sails up The Inlet

This is a beautiful exhibit focusing on the paiintings and writings of pioneer Valley resident Mary Collinge.

The display transports back to another time in Port Alberni's history.   Mary came from Paisley, Scotland with her husband, Tom Collinge, in 1911.   She loved the outdoors and Nature and recorded the Valley's flora and fauna through water-colours and drawings.

Mary and Tom became involved in their new community and she writes of events and daily happenings in her journal and correspondence with family in Scotland.   Her legacy is an intimate look at life in the Valley during that time. 

In the Discovery Centre (Lighthouse) 

 Our lighthouse exhibit explores the history of Vancouver Island's maritime safety beacons, including the lives of the people who lived on these remote places and some of their unique experiences.   It also contains artefacts from nearby West Coast lighthouses.

 Make sure you get the chance to check out the portholes, sound the foghorn and learn a little more about local maritime history.

  The Lighthouse also contains our kids' area with lots of activities on a nautical theme to keep them happy in an interesting and educational way.