The Best Outdoorsy Museums Across Canada
In a country like Canada, with ample incredible opportunities for outdoor adventures, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that several museums dedicate their exhibits to outdoor pursuits. Here are five outdoorsy museums that not only honour our outdoor passions but sit really close to some great outdoor experiences.
Atlantic Salmon Museum, Doaktown, New Brunswick
Mention the Miramichi River to anglers, then watch their eyes light up. From its source in the Appalachian Mountains to its mouth in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, it flows roughly 250 kilometres through the heart of New Brunswick. It’s seen its share of celebrities fish its waters, from Bobby Orr to Tom Selleck to Chuck Yeager.
Chances are not many of them stopped at the Atlantic Salmon Museum. Sitting on the banks of the river, it hosts a variety of exhibits telling the history of fishing along the river, through displays of salmon memorabilia like rods, reels and flies. Much of the collection is in storage, and exhibits rotate throughout the year.
Step outdoors, and you’re on the banks of the Mighty Miramichi. Take note, only fly-fishing is allowed—whether fishing for salmon, trout or bass. Several outfitters along the river provide some great experiences. Never fly-fished before? No problem. You can take lessons at a fly-fishing school in Blackville, 25 minutes from Doaktown. Just be careful not to hook your guide when you’re out on the river…
Canadian Canoe Museum, Peterborough, Ontario
Along with hockey sticks, maple syrup and beavers, canoes are one of Canada’s most enduring icons. The Canadian Canoe Museum is the place to go to enjoy learning about the history, culture and stories of this craft, along with the people who have used it.
The museum grand opening at its new location on Little Lake, part of the Trent-Severn Waterway, took place earlier this year. The new facility provides more room for exhibits as well as programs that get people involved in hands-on activities. Not only can you see Bill Mason’s 16-foot red Prospector canoe or Don Stark’s battered fiberglass canoe Orellana (used to “Paddle to the Amazon”), you can carve your own paddle (a great experience!) or help restore a canoe.
Since the museum sits right on a lakeshore, it doesn’t take much effort to dip a paddle and go for a trip across the lake. You can bring your own or rent one from the museum. You can also sign up for a tour in a large voyageur canoe.
Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
While the canoe was the vehicle that opened up Canada as a country well into the early 19th century, once humanity “earned its wings,” so to speak, it was the bushplane that opened up many more areas in the remote northern places in our country.
Walking into the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault Ste. Marie reminded me of my very first flight over the northern Ontario bush in a De Havilland Beaver water bomber. If you’re a nostalgia buff, this place is full of old planes, old trucks, old firefighting gear and some modern active exhibits, including a flight adventure simulator.
Once you’re done enjoying the exhibits, you might want to go for a paddle in Lake Superior. Gros Cap is 20 minutes west of the Sault, at the eastern end of Lake Superior. Part of the launching point for the Lake Superior Water Trail, it’s a perfect place from which to launch a kayak. This area is recommended for experienced paddlers, or at least as part of a guided tour. There are other paddling options near the Sault for those less experienced.
There are also options for aerial tours of the area.
Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology, Drumheller, Alberta
Do dinosaurs and deserts hold any appeal for you? Then a visit to the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller—or its subsidiary field station in Dinosaur Provincial Park—are “must-do” museums.
Walk into Tyrell and you can be forgiven for thinking you’re on the set of a Jurassic Park movie or stuck in an old Flintstones rerun. The Dinosaur Hall contains remains of Triceratops, Camarasaurus and, everyone’s favourite, the T-Rex. Inside, there are all kinds of hands-on programs, including fossil casting and camp-ins where you can sleepover beside dinosaur fossils.
Outside, it’s even more fun with simulated dig experiences and a couple of hiking options. The easy 1.4-kilometre Badlands Interpretive Loop takes you through the surrounding area that’s part of Midland Provincial Park. For something a little longer, there are guided 90-minute hikes you have to book ahead of time.
Two hours southeast, Dinosaur Park provides a smaller indoor version of the museum but many more hiking opportunities.
BC Forest Discovery Centre, Duncan, BC
A huge part of British Columbia history is intertwined with that of the forestry industry. That industry has changed immensely since the early days of logging in the 1820s.
Much of that history is on display at this museum in Duncan, on Vancouver Island. It’s a 40-hectare open-air museum that boasts an operation railway for visitors to hop on and off to see some of the exhibits. You can tour the facilities on your own; however, guided tours like the Camp Life Tour or Foresters Walk provide much more value for your visit, as they explain the antique forestry equipment like steam donkeys and yarders or show you how to identify different tree species.
In addition to the exhibits, several forest and marsh trails provide excellent bird-watching opportunities. You may see songbirds such as woodpeckers, brown creepers and hummingbirds (along with a pair of resident bald eagles).
If that doesn’t satisfy your bird cravings, drive five minutes down the Trans Canada Highway to the Somenos Marsh Conservation Area, home to the second largest overwintering flock of trumpeter swans on the island.
