The Cranbrook History Centre, in beautiful downtown Cranbrook, offers a specialized experience for all ages. Guided tours of the 17 restored railcars are an exciting way to experience the days of luxury rail travel. Tours range in duration and cost and can be customized depending on your mobility.
Self-guided tours of the facility allow you to visit other areas of the Centre at your leisure. You will find interpretive information and exhibits on local and regional history, paleontology, natural history and first nation’s culture.
The Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History is a non-profit history society dedicated to furthering the documentation and presentation of our region's human and natural history. We are centred in Cranbrook, but work with regional partners to encompass the Columbia Basin region of British Columbia.
Just over a century ago, populated seasonally by First Nations peoples, Fernie was a pristine wilderness. The region remained relatively untouched until the exploration of the Crowsnest Pass in 1873 by Michael Phillips. This discovery, and the sighting of