Nanaimo Heritage Tours
Nanaimo is the third oldest city in BC, and has a long and colourful history that you'll enjoy getting to know by taking a heritage walking tour. The city is full of old buildings and interesting stories, and the Nanaimo museums are packed with artifacts from the city's coal mining era, and pre-settlement First Nations communities.
Downtown is the best place to begin your Nanaimo heritage walking tour, with sites like the Bastion, the Great National Land Building, and dozens of old storefronts and bars along Victoria Crescent and Commercial Street. Take a walk past the old Palace Hotel on Skinner Street, where cars seldom drive, and you'll feel as though the clock has turned back to the early 1900s.
The Nanaimo archives are also conveniently located downtown on Wharf Street, and offer an extensive collection of historic print and photo materials. Remember to call ahead to book an appointment with the archivist for help with your research.
For insight into Nanaimo's coal mining days, visit the impressive colliery at the south end of town, off of Morden Road. Or, head over to Newcastle Island, where pieces of coal can be found near the beach at the island's southwest corner.
Nanaimo Heritage Walking Tour brochures, produced by the Nanaimo Community Heritage Commission, are available at the Tourism Nanaimo Visitor Info Centre, as well as at the Downtown Nanaimo Information Centre. History walking tours also leave from the Bastion daily, from May to October.
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