Cranbrook History Centre
57 Van Horne St S V1C 1Y7 Cranbrook, BC, Canada

Beautiful handmade Inukshuks by Kathy Eliuk #itemoftheweek

Planning for our summer Junior Paleontology Camp is off to a great start this year thanks to an early donation from Kootenay Prospectors and Miners Group. Check out our blog post about how we're using the donation to plan a longer and better program for all our Junior Paleontologists this summer!

It’s BC Heritage Week! To celebrate we’ve put together a quiz of Cranbrook’s ‘firsts’ to test your knowledge of #Cranbrookheritage. Everyone who completes the quiz will be entered to win a beautiful, framed print of the Cranbrook St. Eugene Hospital generously donated by Dave Humphrey. The print has been framed with wood remaining from the hospital building after it was destroyed by fire. To earn bonus entries share this post on Facebook and Instagram and be sure to tag us... @cbkhistorycentre. - To learn more visit our website or click the link to get started! - https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx - The winner will be drawn on February 23rd. *You must be a resident of Canada to win the print. #explorecranbrook #localhistory #bcheritageweek

A beautiful photograph looking at the downtown core of Cranbrook circa 1950's CBK.2002.073.002. #ThrowbackThursday #tbt

The best way to cope with a cold day is a warm mug of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Show off your Cranbrook pride with one of our wildlife-themed mugs and stay toasty warm this winter! #itemoftheweek

And the winner of our BC Heritage Week Quiz is...... - - - -... Lorraine Hagel Congratulations Lorraine, you have won the beautiful framed print of the St. Eugene Hospital! Thank you to everyone who took part in our Cranbrook 'firsts' quiz and our Family day Young Historians oral history project last week. #BCHeritageWeek #historiccranbrook #LocalHistory #Mykootenays

It's perfect weather today for a trip to the History Centre! Join us today for free entry, a scavenger hunt, Young Historians Oral history, and more!

Introducing our first #whatsitwednesday contest! What is Whatsit Wednesday? The rules are simple: We post a picture of an item from our collection and ask YOU to guess what it is in the comments. Everyone who likes the post and comments a guess will be entered into a draw to win a $10 Cranbrook History Centre giftcard, which can be used in our gift shop or put towards the cost of a tour/admission. To enter, all you need to do is: ... 1. Like this post 2. Comment a guess 3. Check back two weeks later to see if you’re one of the lucky winners! Note: Each person will only be entered in the draw ONCE. What is this the name of this artifact in the Cranbrook History Centre Archive collection? How was it used? (Image description: Wooden construction with metal attachement. 175 cm long w/ 32 cm diameter hoop) #whatsitwednesday #cranbrookbc

FREE ADMISSION ALL DAY TOMORROW Satiurday February 13th at the History Centre to celebrate Family Day Weekend. Come by for our Young Historians Recording Booth , Secrets at the Museum Scavenger Hunt , and prizes for all participants ! We're open from 10am to 3pm, and are asking all our visitors to help us follow our COVID protocols thorughout the day. This means: visit only with your family bubble, mask up, and keep a safe distance from others inside the museum.... Prefer to stay home? Our Young Historians program is also online! Visit the link below to find out more! https://www.cranbrookhistorycentre.com/pr/young-historians/ We would like to aknowledge the support we received from the government of BC to host this free event. . . . . Please be aware that we are NOT taking reservations for museum entry. The museum's capacity is limited to 25 people, and recording in the Young Historians Oral History booth is conducted on a first-come, first-serve basis. #cranbrookhistorycentre #freefamilydayactivities #bcfamilyday2021 #bcfamilyday # #freecranbrookhistorycentre #oralhistory #COVIDoralhistoryproject #explorecranbrook #cbkhistory #eatlivebuylocal

Check out our paleontology display at the Cranbrook Public Library ! Head down for a visit to see a real trilobite fossil, and to take out great books on fossils and rocks. Want more fossil fun? Then, come down to the museum and pick up your own Paleontology Home Kit to find trilobites of your own.

Train Hauling Timber Image description: A train loaded with timber passing by the 'leaving Nakusp' sign ca 1950 CBK 2009.028.137.

If you're looking for something to keep little hands and minds busy on the weekends or chilly afternoons, our gift shop might have just the solution for you -- one of our do-it-yourself science kits! These kits come with the items and instructions for you to do your own at-home science projects, from making potato clocks to growing crystals. Have fun and learn something along the way! #itemoftheweek

1914 Dope Fiend...

Workshop materials (archival grade folders and envelopes) are still available for pick up at the museum for those who register online. Join us and archivist Michelle Barroca on January 27th to learn about the tips and tricks for preserving your important family documents, what the difference is between a regular folder and archival grade, and why it matters! Register at https://bit.ly/3nRYIG9

1914 Runaways... #cranbrookarchives #ithappenedthisweek #bchistory #historiccranbrook

Looking for something to brighten a cold winter’s day now that the Christmas trees and lights are being taken down? Well, look no further than our giftshop. We have hand-poured candles made right here in Cranbrook by Whisper Wick. We have soybean candles scented with essential oils in lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, and lemon, as well as pure Canadian beeswax taper candles. #itemoftheweek

The history of Cranbrook’s fire brigade is a story of stops and starts. Despite the fact that the first hotel was completed in 1897 and the town quickly grew around it, we didn’t have a fully-functioning fire brigade until 1904, when Cranbrook officially became a city. Attempts were made several times over the years. In 1899 three fire wardens were elected to find and report potential fire risks, but none of them were equipped to actually fight fires. A fire hose was also pu...rchased that year, despite not having anything to attach it to until the next year, when the first fire chief, Mr. Jacob Pius Frink, was hired. Chief Fink acquired access to the CPR water network, including two fire hydrants on Baker Street. However, Fink resigned just two years later due to community apathy and lack of volunteers, equipment, and training. It wasn’t until 1904, when Cranbrook became a city, that the city’s renewed attempts at starting a functional fire brigade were finally successful. Firemen were hired and received equipment and training, and at last a proper fire hall was built. photo credit Carly Lyn CBK 1976.038.184 #throwbackthursday #thenandnow #tbt

Whew, we've already plowed through the first week of 2021! Remember to stay safe and be kind, everyone. (Image: Canadian Pacific Railway snow plow, with workers standing to the side watching CBK.2009.032.101)