Outside, the museum has gathered together a collection of historic buildings, including the 1906 Brisco log schoolhouse and the original Windermere Lake Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Depot, also built of logs. Further on are several buildings and cabins, to our knowledge all original, from the Windermere Valley area.
The main museum building is the Windermere Lake CPR Depot, also the largest building on the property, moved to the museum from down the hill and officially opened June 23, 1979.
Built of logs in 1923, the station served the town until, we believe, the late 1960s, after which time it stood empty until...
It was 1977, we believe, that a coal train passing through Invermere derailed, with at least one coal car striking the station, doing considerable damage. The CPR was not about to rebuild the station, as it had been obseleted by time & economics so it was given to the Windermere District Historical Society. The society dismantled what was left of the station and reassembled it at the museum, officially reopening it on June 23, 1979.
At the back (east) side of the train station is an old hand cart, referred to as a "Station Wagon" with the following heritage marker above, relaying a bit of pertinent history.
• TRAIN TIME •
THE FIRST TRAIN STATION
ON THE SHORES OF LAKE
WINDERMERE WAS OPENED
IN DECEMBER 1914.
THIS 'STATION WAGON' WAS
USED TO MOVE FREIGHT,
LUGGAGE AND MAIL BETWEEN
THE TRAIN AND LAKE
WINDERMERE STATION.
THE PIECES
OF TRACK WERE MADE AT
CUMBERLAND FOUNDRY IN 1883,
THE SAME YEAR THE C.P.R.
WAS COMPLETED.