Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives

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Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives Preserving and promoting the Cowichan Valley's history. Museum Hours: Thursday and Friday from 11am to 4pm
Saturday from 11am to 2pm

The Cowichan Historical Society is the owner and operator of the Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives. Two budget areas for which the Society needs funding are operating costs of the museum itself, and collecting funds towards the half-million dollars needed for the preservation of the heritage-designated former Duncan Train Station building, the home of the Cowichan Valley Museum. The Archives on the 3rd floor of Duncan City Hall is open by appointment only, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 12 noon to 4 pm. If you would like to book an appointment, please fill out the contact form at https://cvmuseum.ca/contact-us

Make an impact on the Cowichan Historical Society, the owner and operator of the Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives, by making a donation to the Society through https://www.canadahelps.org/en/donate/ . Canada Helps provides instant tax receipts as well as options to give monthly, give anonymously, and track your personal donations. Help support the Society and the Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives today.

10/14/2026

Duncan has stories worth knowing — and we want to share them with you. 🍁

Through our Golden Connections program, we're inviting newcomers to step inside the Cowichan Valley Museum for a special guided experience. Lisa Ayton and Sofia Colado will bring Duncan's early history to life, giving you a window into the roots of the community you're building your future in.

No history background needed — just your curiosity and a sense of adventure! 😊

This is a great chance to connect, learn something new, and feel more at home in the Cowichan Valley. We'd love to see you there. 🤝

📅 Date: Thursday, October 22nd
🕐 Time: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
📍 Location: Cowichan Valley Museum – 130 Canada Ave, Duncan, BC
📧 Contact: [email protected] | ☎️ (250) 710-7290

Eligibility restrictions apply.

🌐 Visit our website: https://www.cowichanintercultural.org/
🔗 Follow us on Social Media:
📘 Facebook: Cowichan International Society
📸 Instagram:
🎵 TikTok:

Now on display at the Cowichan Valley Museum: Hayu tlu-peetch, meaning “tenth summer,” celebrating ten years of artistic...
10/08/2026

Now on display at the Cowichan Valley Museum: Hayu tlu-peetch, meaning “tenth summer,” celebrating ten years of artistic practice by Nuu-chah-nulth artist Wilson.

Across the exhibition, Wilson brings Nuu-chah-nulth visual language into conversation with animals, mythology, environmental history, science, and contemporary culture. From sharks and birds to insects and imagined creatures, each work reflects his curiosity and ongoing experimentation with form, movement, and storytelling.

Visit the exhibition and explore ten years of an artistic practice that continues to grow and evolve.

On display through October 25, 2026.

ON DISPLAY NOW ✨Hayu tlu-peetch: 10 Summers of Artistic Practice is now on display at the Cowichan Valley Museum.What ca...
10/02/2026

ON DISPLAY NOW ✨

Hayu tlu-peetch: 10 Summers of Artistic Practice is now on display at the Cowichan Valley Museum.

What can an artistic tradition carry into the present?

Hayu tlu-peetch, meaning “tenth summer,” celebrates ten years of artistic practice by self-taught Nuu-chah-nulth artist Wilson Tutube.

Influenced by Patrick Amos and Art Thompson, Wilson brings Nuu-chah-nulth visual language into conversation with an unexpected range of subjects, from sharks and prehistoric creatures to environmental history, mythology, science, and contemporary culture.

Across the exhibition, familiar and unfamiliar beings are transformed through bold lines, repeated forms, and intricate designs, showing a tradition that continues to grow through experimentation and new ideas.

Come experience Hayu tlu-peetch and explore ten summers of Wilson’s artistic practice.

📍 Cowichan Valley Museum
130 Canada Avenue, Duncan
Admission by donation

Our winter hours are back! 🍂As the seasons begin to change, the Cowichan Valley Museum is moving to our winter schedule....
09/09/2026

Our winter hours are back! 🍂

As the seasons begin to change, the Cowichan Valley Museum is moving to our winter schedule.

🏛 Thursdays & Fridays: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
🏛 Saturdays: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

There is still plenty to discover inside the museum! Stop by the historic Duncan Train Station, explore our exhibits, and spend some time learning about the people, places, and stories that have shaped the Cowichan Valley.

Admission is by donation. We look forward to welcoming you! ❤️

📍 130 Canada Avenue, Duncan


2h

Last couple of days to visit The Importance of Place! 🎨🌿That means you have a few extra days to stop by and explore Henk...
09/09/2026

Last couple of days to visit The Importance of Place! 🎨🌿

That means you have a few extra days to stop by and explore Henk’s colourful and detailed interpretations of familiar places throughout the Cowichan Valley.

From churches and farms to local landmarks and everyday scenes, his work is full of character, memory, and a strong sense of place.

If you’ve been meaning to visit, this is your chance!

📍 Cowichan Valley Museum, 130 Canada Ave., Duncan
Winter hours: Thursday and Friday from 11am to 4pm. Saturday from 11am to 2pm

This is the last weekend to visit The Importance of Place: Henk Scholten, A Cowichan Valley Artist! 🎨🌲If you haven’t had...
09/04/2026

This is the last weekend to visit The Importance of Place: Henk Scholten, A Cowichan Valley Artist! 🎨🌲

If you haven’t had a chance to see Henk’s colourful and wonderfully detailed views of the Cowichan Valley, this is your final weekend to stop by before the exhibition closes on September 10.

Come explore familiar churches, farms, landscapes, buildings, and local scenes through Henk’s warm and whimsical perspective.

A selection of Henk’s art cards, prints, and framed prints is also available for purchase at the museum.

📍 Cowichan Valley Museum, 130 Canada Ave., Duncan
📅 On view until September 10, 2026

08/28/2026

We are so grateful for Priscilla’s ongoing dedication, hard work, and continued support of the museum.

Take a piece of The Importance of Place home with you! 🎨🌲Henk Scholten’s exhibition is now on view at the Cowichan Valle...
08/27/2026

Take a piece of The Importance of Place home with you! 🎨🌲

Henk Scholten’s exhibition is now on view at the Cowichan Valley Museum, featuring his warm and wonderfully detailed interpretations of familiar places throughout the Cowichan Valley.

Visitors can also purchase Henk’s artwork right here at the museum. We currently have a selection of:

🎨 Art cards
🖼️ Prints
🖼️ Framed prints

Looking for something special? Henk can also be contacted directly to discuss custom-framed artwork.

Come explore The Importance of Place: Henk Scholten, A Cowichan Valley Artist, and perhaps take home a familiar corner of the Valley.

📍 Cowichan Valley Museum, 130 Canada Ave., Duncan
📅 On view until September 10, 2026

The Importance of Place: Henk Scholten, A Cowichan Valley Artist 🏡🌲How well do you know the Cowichan Valley?From histori...
08/19/2026

The Importance of Place: Henk Scholten, A Cowichan Valley Artist 🏡🌲

How well do you know the Cowichan Valley?

From historic churches and farms to familiar houses, trees, animals, and local characters, Henk Scholten's artwork offers an affectionate look at the places that make up our community.

Henk immigrated from Holland at the age of nine and went on to spend more than 50 years working as a carpenter and builder in the Cowichan Valley. Now, through drawing and painting, he turns that same eye for structure and detail toward the landscape around him.

His works are more than pictures of recognizable places. Together, they explore the ways buildings, landscapes, people, and everyday memories become part of a community's history.

📍 Cowichan Valley Museum
130 Canada Ave., Duncan, BC
📅 August 20 – September 10, 2026

Come rediscover the Cowichan Valley through Henk's eyes.

Built in 1902 by Frank Price, the Tzouhalem Hotel was a major destination for fishermen to stay in the Cowichan Valley a...
08/06/2026

Built in 1902 by Frank Price, the Tzouhalem Hotel was a major destination for fishermen to stay in the Cowichan Valley as the Cowichan River was said to be brilliant for fishing. It was named after the Cowichan chief that lived at the base of the mountain that the hotel is named after.

It was a major key to Duncan's social life and in 1906 one of Queen Victoria's grandsons, H.R.H. Prince Arthur of Connaught would visit it.

The building would ultimately be demolished in 1990 due to it's declining physical condition.

Address

130 CANADA Avenue
Duncan, BC
V9L1T6

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 4pm
Tuesday 11am - 4pm
Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 2pm

Telephone

+12507466612

Website

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