Today known as the
The Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre, this was the
Fort George Museum when opened May 22, 1972. After a fire in 1975 the museum was reopened as the
Fraser-Fort George Regional Museum. It remained essentially a history museum and research centre until reopening in 2001 as a museum and science centre.
On the near corner of the reception desk in the gift shop-reception area one should spy the centre's guest book. Leafing through the book reveals the fact thea people from around the world are stopping in at the centre for a look-see. Possibly it's the attraction of the miniature railroad that brings the here, perhaps not. In any event, this is a museum and science centre well worth a visit.
Highlights of the centre include:
-
A Paleontology Gallery which includes full-size dinosaur models and fossils from the area over 70 million years ago.
- The Children's Gallery featuring a reconstruction of the paddleboat “Conveyor” that plied the rivers around Prince George in the early 1900s, a water-table where visitors can make their own river and a grove of Tree Tables with games and activities.
- Hodul’eh-a, a gallery telling the story of the local Lheidli T’enneh First Nations people.
- The Ted Williams History Hall, containing several interactive spaces; an actual billiards hall, a history of prisons in Prince George dating back to 1821 and a photo and map display telling the story of the three different Georges that make up the City of Prince George.
- The Biome, a natural history gallery with an interactive floor, a revamped Nature Exchange, Wenzscope, and more.
- Children's Programs, including Integrated Learning, Children's Camps, School Field Trips, Preschool Field Trips, Heritage Fair and Homeschooler Mondays.
As well as the "brick and mortar" museum it also offers
Online Exhibits and an
Online Research Database. Much of the centre is even
available to rent. Groups may hold an event in the midst of live exhibits, under the dinosaurs, surrounded by Prince George's regional history or sports memorabilia. The museum will host meetings, press conferences, weddings, receptions, dinner parties, Christmas parties or other events.
Fort George Museum
The Fraser-Fort George Regional Museum, formerly known as Fort George Museum, was built in 1971 and opened on May 22, 1972 by Governor General Roland Michener. The museum was centrally located in the beautiful backdrop of Fort George Regional Park. Fort George Museum experienced a major fire in 1975 losing the three-year old building. Reconstruction of the museum was started in 1977. The official opening of the newly constructed museum was July 15, 1981 by Governor-General Ed Schreyer.
The museum acquires records relating directly to the human and natural history of the Fraser-Fort George Regional District from the first known post-European exploration by Alexander Mackenzie in 1793 until the end of World War II (with notable exceptions). Holdings include: personal papers, diaries, scrapbooks, and other documentation of the development of the Fraser-Fort George Regional District, one of the largest and most complete photographic collections in the Central Interior. L.C. Gunn collection (1895-1946), Northwood Pulp and Timber Corporate Archives (circa 1940-1980), Prince George and vicinity cemetery records, fire insurance maps, and regional aural history transcripts.
From Memory BC