A Taste of Home: Cookbooks as Family Heirlooms 

Sharing a meal together is one of the most fundamental of human experiences. Preparation, serving and eating together strengthens our family and communal bonds more than any other activity. Every individual and family has their favourite meals. Every cook has their favourite recipes. When these are passed on from generation to generation, a cookbook is usually involved. It might be dog-eared and stained, and the binding might be falling apart, but it will find its way to a new generation, who will appreciate and treasure the recipes found within. Cookbooks are a vital messenger of enduring family and community traditions. We hope you find the cookbooks and stories in this exhibit inspiring and strengthening.

On display April 2024

On permanent display at the Museum is the exhibit “Penticton: The Shaping of Place” which invites you to step back in time and explore the forces that shaped Penticton through its history. As you walk through the exhibit you will journey through a series of landscapes that stand as milestones in the development of the area.

• Geo-scape describes the geological formation of the Okanagan Valley through volcanic and glacial action over the course of millennia. View our collection of minerals from around the world and discover how the site of our city was created as the glaciers retreated after the last ice age.
• Nature-scape is devoted to the explanation of the local natural history and the many unique ecosystems that exist within the Okanagan Valley. 
• Syilx-scape focuses on the first people to inhabit the Penticton area, the Syilx or Okanagan First Nation. See a model of a traditional village, and learn more about a culture and way of life thousands of years old.
• Settler-scape begins with the arrival of the first European fur traders and settlers in the South Okanagan in the 19th century. Learn what life was like for the early settlers as you visit our replica pioneer home and KVR train station. View displays on the lake boats, railway, and early industries such as mining, ranching, and orcharding.
• Town-scape tells the story of Penticton's first forty years as a town, starting with its incorporation in 1908. Walk down our replica Main Street and explore a period doctor's office, general store, and the lobby of the Hotel Incola.

The Penticton Museum has an interactive learning space where kids, parents, and caregivers can explore together how science and history connect. Explore the how and why of human and natural histories by:

• Discovering how air planes fly
• Finding a forest fire
• Watching a model steam engine work
• Building an earthquake-proof building and much more...

The Bill Pickerill Military Gallery features permanent exhibits about local military history, with a special focus on local involvement in the First and Second World Wars. The gallery is named in honour of Bill Pickerill, a long-time RCMP officer and WWII veteran who was a dedicated volunteer at the Penticton Museum for two decades.

• The First World War exhibit includes displays on trench art and war souvenirs, a biographical feature about local WWI veterans, and a shrine containing an important Canadian army battle flag.
• The Second World War exhibit contains displays about local members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Pacific Coast Militia Rangers, and the Royal Canadian Navy. Also featured are a large collection of military medals, shoulder patches, cap badges, and other insignia.

Hours of Operation

Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(Closed Statutory Holidays)

Archive Hours: Available by phone (250-490-2453) or email Wednesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Outside of these hours, please send an email.

Admission

By donation (Suggested donation: $2 for adults, $1 for children)