Welcome to the Quesnel & District Museum and Archives
There is always plenty to discover at the Quesnel Museum. Learn the secrets of "Mandy, the Haunted Doll." Listen to the stories of Chinese and First Nations Elders or visit a Sikh temple through interactive video installations. Meet the residents of early twentieth century Quesnel through the remarkable photographs of C.D. Hoy and C.S. Wing. Dress up in the children's activity centre or participate in a scavenger hunt. Click here to view our upcoming special events and programs.
Favourite exhibits include the Titanic, Footprints in Stone, dedicated to local First Nations culture, and vignettes recreating Quesnel's pioneer homes and businesses. From rare Chinese artifacts used during the gold rush era, to ephemera that will evoke childhood memories, the extensive collections are sure to appeal to all ages and interests. Come and see why the Quesnel Museum has been proclaimed one of BC's top 10 community museums.
Featured Photo of the month
Occidental Hotel Dining Room, circa 1911-1915
When the new Occidental Hotel opened in 1911, the local newspaper reported it as “probably the finest in the eastern section of British Columbia” and “a distinct credit to the enterprise of Mr. Kepner.” The hotel’s head waitress, Dora Homan, who had arrived the previous year with her long-time friend and business partner, Grace Stanton, had quite the green thumb. Besides growing a beautiful garden of edible plants in the back of the hotel, in no time at all she turned the dining room into an oasis of the north. It has been reported that travellers came from near and far to see her tree-like ferns, the tropical plants she grew in barrels, and her blue roses, which bloomed right through the long Cariboo winters.
Dora is pictured here on the left with another, unidentified, waitress on the right.
P1996.31.8 Lust Family Collection
