Tourism Fernie Home Page
  • Fernie Museum in Historic Downtown
  • Fernie Museum in Fall
  • Museum
  • Visitor information services available at the Fernie Museum
  • Inside the museum
  • Upstairs Gallery of the Fernie Museum
  • Inside the museum
  • Inside the museum
  • Unique treasures at Fernie Museum Gift Shop
  • Fernie Heritage Walking Tours
  • Winter evening at the Fernie Museum

Discover Fernie's past and present in the historical setting of one of Fernie's distinctive heritage buildings - the former Home Bank. 

The Fernie Museum is open Daily 11am - 4pm.
Admission by Donation.

Explore Fernie's colourful past and learn all about what Fernie has to offer for recreation, entertainment, shopping, accommodation, and services.

The ground floor features the 'This Is Our Fernie' permanent exhibition, visitor information services and gift shop. 

The facility is fully accessible with level entry and washrooms on both floors.

NEW for 2025: Elk Valley History Hike Treasure Hunt

Learn local history and explore the trails at the same time!

The Elk Valley History Hike follows a 3.3 km loop of Fernie’s local trails with stops for historical facts, treasure maps and confounding clues hidden in locked treasure boxes.

Hunting is FREE, and finishers are rewarded with a FREE sticker to go with their new local knowledge.

Recommended for ages 7+ with adult assistance. Drop by the Museum during regular hours to get started. 

Self-Guided Heritage Walking Tour in Downtown Fernie

The Heritage Walking Tour visits 16 of Fernie's most iconic Historic Downtown buildings.

View the self-guided Heritage Walking Tour, or pick up a paper copy at the Fernie Museum or Fernie Visitor Information Centre. 

SUMMER WALKING TOUR SERIES

On the surface, Fernie might seem like any mountain town: beautiful vistas, interesting shops, and over 90 accessible hiking and biking trails. But if you dig a little deeper, you will discover a rich and dramatic history.
Join a knowledgeable local guide for a 90-minute walking tour of historic downtown Fernie.

Explore the stories of movers and shakers, rumrunners, devastating fires, coal mining disasters and legends of a Ktunaxa curse and discover how these people and events have helped to shape Fernie as we see it today.

  • Tours run in July & August:
    • Fridays at 6:30pm:
      • NEW for 2025: Historic Hotels 
    • Saturdays Sundays: 
      • 11am - The Great Fire of Fernie
      • 1pm - Rumrunners!
  • Tours take approx 90 minutes and will take place in all weather conditions. A warm weatherproof jacket and an umbrella are encouraged.
  • Please wear appropriate footwear for walking outside on slightly uneven ground.
  • Reservations may be required - call or email the Museum at least 24 hours in advance to book. Additional walk-in spaces may be available if a tour is already booked to depart. 
  • Tickets $10 - includes admission to the Museum.
  • More Info...

EXHIBITION GALLERY

The Museum Gallery on the 2nd floor features solo and group exhibitions by local, and regional artists, as well as local and touring historical exhibits. Gallery programming aims to promote professionalism and foster appreciation for arts and culture and bring awareness to the museum’s wealth of archival and artifact material.

HISTORY OF THE FERNIE MUSEUM:

The Fernie District Historical Society was founded in 1964 and is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of Fernie by collecting and displaying photographs, artifacts and documents relating to Fernie's development. Homeless for the first 15 years, the Society struck an agreement with the Holy Family Church to use the vacant rectory behind the Church as a museum site.

On August 4, 1979, coinciding with Fernie's Diamond Jubilee, the museum was officially opened. The rectory served as Fernie's museum for twenty years until 1999 when the Church realized that it would soon need the property for its own purposes. The museum was forced to close its doors but a temporary seasonal exhibit at the Arts Station celebrating Fernie's centenary in 2004 proved so popular that a new seasonal Museum was opened at the Fernie Mall on the corner of 2nd Ave & 4th St. This, in turn, was so popular that it remained open year-round, and the board of directors began earnestly seeking a more appropriate location.

The City of Fernie purchased the former Home Bank Building on the corner of 2nd Ave and 5th street, and an agreement was reached for the Museum to occupy the space. The building had been used for many years as the offices of BC Hydro. A two-year program of renovations and repairs was undertaken, including stripping out much of the 1960s and 70's style fittings and fixtures, and restoring and replacing the original woodwork and trim. The Fernie Museum reopened in 2013, just prior to the 50th anniversary of the Fernie & District Historical Society. 

The Museum Gallery is a beautiful space and is also available for meetings, lectures, readings, and social gatherings.

  • Contact Information
  • 250-423-7016
  • Contact By Email
  • www.ferniemuseum.com
  • 491 2nd Avenue, Fernie, BC V0B 1M0
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