This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Britannia Mine Museum and the museum is launching a new exhibit A Museum’s Journey to commemorate five decades of preserving and sharing the rich history of Britannia’s mining legacy.
Launching to the public on Saturday, May 17th, till Sunday, September 21st, 2025, A Museum’s Journey invites visitors to travel through time throughout the decade,s looking back on how the museum has changed and developed in its 50-year history since it first opened as a museum in 1975.
“Our 50th anniversary exhibit is a celebration of five incredible decades of our museum, which started as a grassroots heritage site and evolved into an award-winning tourist destination that brings the rich history of Britannia’s mining legacy to life,” explains Laura Minta Holland, Senior Curator of the Britannia Mine Museum. “We want to capture the spirit of the Britannia community, pay tribute to the people whose stories fill our galleries and honour the deep connections between history, place, and community.”
The Britannia Mine closed on November 1, 1974, thus ending the long legacy of one of the world’s largest copper mines (1904-1974). Fifty years ago in the summer of 1975, driven by a desire to preserve the site’s incredible history, the Britannia Beach Historical Society opened the BC Museum of Mining, which was later re-named Britannia Mine Museum in 2010.
The 50th anniversary exhibit features interactive displays, never-before-seen archival photos, and news clippings from deep within the museum’s collections, which has grown to include several historical buildings, more than 7,000 artifacts, over 11,000 photos, and 3,000 archival documents.
From shared stories of people from all over the world who either worked here, lived here or had families who did, each decade is highlighted and explored from the grooving 70s, retro 80s and Y2K right up to modern-day 2025. For instance, the museum experienced the biggest changes in the 2000s when in 2005-2007 with the help of the Provincial Government, the B.C. mining industry, and generous donors, the museum underwent a $5-million exterior restoration of its National Historic Site, the Mill No. 3 building. Moreover, in 2010 the museum took on its most challenging project yet – the $14.7-million transformation and rehabilitation of the entire site in time for the Olympics.
Fun facts:
- The largest item in the museum’s collection is the 20-storey Mill No. 3 building, a National Historical Site.
- The smallest item in the collection is a 2mm diamond.
- In 1975, a special delivery of two 7,790-pound Bridgestone tires arrived at the museum, and still remain on site 50 years later!
