Revelstoke Culture

Revelstoke Nickelodeon Museum

The Columbia River’s rushing waters, boats scooting Lake Revelstoke and skiers ploughing through the snow are the sounds of life in Revelstoke; the Revelstoke Nickelodeon Museum has many other sounds worth hearing. Victorian music boxes, 18th Century organs and classic pianos may be heard while touring Canada’s only mechanical music museum. Outside, the splashes of swimmers, shrieks of heli-skiers, sighs of hot springs guests, and the serene sounds of a national park strike a different harmony. The museum’s building has not always housed the history of recorded sound: it was previously a shopping mall and had several apartments in the early 20th Century when a pool hall occupied the downstairs. The Revelstoke Nickelodeon Museum is located in 1st Street in downtown Revelstoke thanks to Lord Revelstoke and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). It is conveniently located near restaurants, hotels and many Revelstoke attractions.

Railway Museum

Revelstoke has grown thanks to the Trans Canada Highway’s route through Rogers Pass at Glacier National Park, but the story of Revelstoke’s creation is told at the Revelstoke Railway Museum. Since 1994, history buffs have been able to visit the museum and learn how the steam locomotive era put Revelstoke on the map, literally. Steam locomotives that once chugged passengers and freight through the mountains sit on display and are ready for boarding. The museum also houses a collection of photos that capture the people, places and events that shaped, and were shaped by, the railroad’s path through Revelstoke. After browsing the museum, visitors may fast-track their way to shopping, restaurant meals and hotels in the downtown core.

Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre

There’s more than one way to capture the natural beauty of life in Revelstoke. Pottery, paintings, photos and other media created by local artists are on display at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre; they tell a story of what life in the mountains, in-between two national parks, and on the Columbia River is like. Artists using the centre’s studios no doubt appreciate the area’s art: railways laid with timber and steel, homes carved from trees and a lake filled by the Revelstoke Dam. After pleasing the eyes, Revelstoke’s visitors may visit one of many restaurants in order to satisfy their hunger for a delicious meal. Nearby hotel rooms will then be a welcome place at which feet may be rested, stomachs digested and eyes closed.

BC Interior Forestry Museum

It took a horse-driven stump puller, sweat and much determination for early settlers to carve out a future from Revelstoke’s forested terrain. The BC Interior Forestry Museum tells the story of how Revelstoke’s first residents built a life for themselves. Visitors may also learn about the hardships that generations of loggers have endured in order to fuel the BC economy. A pine beetle exhibit, vintage chain-saw collection and black and white cartoons also help capture the history of Revelstoke’s forest industry. After learning how trees fueled Revelstoke’s development, one can visit the Revelstoke Dam next door: water has become a source of energy for outdoor recreation in Revelstoke. Revelstoke’s many restaurants have fuel for tired visitors, and local hotels provide an excellent place at which to re-energize for more fun in Revelstoke.