Museum

As they near their 100th birthday in 2014, we’re proud to present our visitors with the opportunity to step back into the past on our living museums – the S. S. Sicamous and S.S. Naramata.

As you step aboard the S.S. Sicamous, you will step one hundred years into the past. Our self-guided walking tour and knowledgeable staff will take you through all the equipment, fixtures and workings of this magnificent vessel.

Through out the ship are displays that speak to the earliest days of settlement and life along Okanagan Lake – the ranchers, the miners, the new immigrants and settlers and First Nations people.

You can view the crews quarters and the workspaces where the deckhands, stokers, cook and  other employees laboured. You can visualize yourself as a well-heeled passenger in the refined settings of the ladies’ and gentlemens’ saloons (this was the term for these areas – they didn’t serve alcohol!) and the dining room with its elegant fittings and furnishings.

Or you can climb to the pilothouse and envision yourself Captain of this magnificent ship as it  made its progress down the lake to the tiny communities it served.

There are four floors open to the public:

Cargo Deck (1st floor):

The Cargo Deck displays the boiler, the engine room, and crews quarters.  We also have a model of the Kettle Valley Railway which recreates the track from Midway to Fraser River.  At the moment, our galley, cold storage, crew’s mess, and cargo room displays are being re-designed.

Saloon Deck (2nd floor):

The Saloon Deck houses the men’s smoking saloon, the dining room, and the ladies saloon, as well as two cabins, Penticton Vee’s and Gyro Club displays, and the purser’s office.  Our dining room display is currently being re-designed.

Gallery Deck (3rd floor):

The Gallery Deck houses our Restoration Room which offers patrons a look at the blood, sweat, and tears that were poured into the restoration of the Sicamous.  Our Captain Joseph Weeks display explains the sacrifice and dedication made to the boat by its last, and longest serving, captain.  Our Lumb Stocks Camera Shop was created to honour Penticton’s second professional photographer, and S. S. Sicamous enthusiast.   The Gallery Deck also houses the Sicamous’s Observation Lounge which allows patrons a breathtaking view of Penticton’s beach front.

Pilot House (4th floor):

The Pilot House gives patrons a captain’s perspective of Okanagan Lake and the ship.  Patrons can see the original steering wheel and compass.  Visitors can blow the ship’s whistle and play with the ship’s Gingle & Gong communication system.