Welcome to the Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre, Courtenay, Vancouver Island — Home of BC’s Provincial Fossil
Open Hours
Tuesday – Saturday
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Christmas Closure
Wednesday, December 24 at 1:00 PM through Thursday, January 1, 2026.
The museum will reopen on Friday, January 2 at 10:00 AM and resume its regular hours.
For over 60 years we’ve been keen about the natural and cultural heritage of the breathtaking Comox Valley, located on the shores of the Strait of Georgia – and we like to show it off. Are we serious about what we do? You bet – award winning natural and cultural history, academic research, interpretation, preservation – and having fun!
Be our guest to find out why the Comox Valley – past and present, is one of the most plentiful places on earth. Take a fossil tour and travel 80 million years back in time; browse our galleries to delve into the stories that make our history come alive.
Year-Round Programs
Experience these year-round guided adventures that are favourites for residents and visitors from around the globe.
Outdoor Education Programs
The museum’s popular guided outdoor fossil tours run from spring to fall, with an annual break from winter weather after October 31st and reopening on St Patrick’s Day, March 17.
Indoor Education Programs
Indoor fossil tours run year-round. Enjoy a guided visit indoor visit to museum galleries with opportunities to see fossil collections up-close and to enjoy an informative presentation in the Courteny Rotary Gallery.
If you have a love of both natural and cultural history and would enjoy an hour-long guided tour of all museum galleries, whether on your own or with a group, we’d love to welcome you.
More Information
Please contact the museum info@courtenaymuseum.ca or 250-334-0686 for information and booking.
Please note there is a break on all programs from December 15th to February 3rd.
Exploring Natural and Cultural History of the Comox Valley
by Becoming a Member of the Courtenay and District Museum
Your membership supports public programs, collections conservation, archival research, travelling and permanent exhibits, guest lectures and more.
The Courtenay and District Museum team invites you to stay connected to regional natural and cultural history year-round by becoming a member. Enjoy the museum as a place to visit, enjoy, learn and explore. Members receive notice of upcoming events and programs, fifteen percent off most gift shop items, exclusive access to our annual Christmas sale, and discounted tickets to engaging lectures.
Current Exhibit
BATS: Out of the Darkness
September 6 – December 3, 2025
Are you blind to the importance of bats? The Courtenay and District Museum is pleased to present the travelling exhibition BATS: Out of the Darkness from the Kelowna Museums Society. This exhibit serves as a chance to bring the bats of British Columbia ‘out of the darkness’ and celebrate their precious role in our ecosystem.
Museum News
Members-Only Sale
Now until December 24th
Our annual Members-Only Gift Shop Sale begins this month! From December 2nd until December 24 at 1:00 PM, members will receive a 25% off holiday discount on most products in the gift shop. This offer does not apply to items already marked down or on consignment.
Our New Book!
Step into Wilderness
A Pictorial History of Outdoor Exploration in and around the Comox Valley
by Deborah Griffiths, Christine Dickinson, Judy Hagen, Catherine Siba
From shores to peaks, Step into Wilderness recounts moments of ingenuity and hardship as well as fun and enjoyment in and around the Comox Valley.
The spectacular landscapes in and surrounding the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island have long shaped the lives of the valley’s diverse inhabitants. From expansive shorelines to snowy mountain peaks, the region’s wide variety of attractions – including such landmarks as Forbidden Plateau, Comox Glacier and Mount Washington – have lured people over their thresholds for sustenance, recreation and survival.
Featured Video
Learning with Finley: Episode 1, Finley Discovers the Elasmosaur
Explore the exhibits and collections of the Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre with Finley the Fish a curious fish who wants to learn all about the Courtenay and District Museum’s exhibits and collections. Finley invites children to learn with him as he explores the museum’s natural history galleries and delves into the elasmosaur discovery, how ammonites got their shape and name, mysteries of the rat fish, how mosasaurs roamed the sea and more.
Online Exhibits
Thank You to Our Special Project Sponsor
Land Acknowledgement
We respectfully acknowledge that the museum provides services within the traditional territory of K’ómoks First Nation. We respect the diversity of cultures, stories and experiences that form the richness of our regional heritage.