Over the past few weeks, museums and other cultural organizations have begun to reopen around the province, many with new procedures in place and some with reduced hours and services.
Locally, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre and the Audain Art Museum will both be reopening with reduced hours beginning tomorrow (Friday, June 26). Over here at the Whistler Museum, we’re taking things a little more slowly and will be officially reopening to the public on Wednesday, July 1.
Our reopening comes with a few changes, beginning with our operating hours. The museum will be open only six days a week and will be closed on Wednesdays (apart from July 1) for the foreseeable future, though we will continue to be open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Visitors to the museum will also notice some physical changes to the space, with a barrier at the front desk and designated pathways through the exhibit area (we have also repainted some areas, which eagle-eyed visitors will notice are a slightly different shade of grey). You can find more information about changes in our procedures at whistlermuseum.org.
Our summer programming will also be starting up in July. Walking-tour season will begin July 1, with our Valley of Dreams Walking Tour, a historical tour through the village, accepting up to 10 participants at 11 a.m., and the launch of a digital version of our guided nature walking tour. This online tour includes videos and images related to Whistler’s rich natural history that correspond to numbered locations along the Nature Trail starting at Lost Lake PassivHaus (more information can be found at whistlermuseum.org/naturewalk).
This summer, our popular Discover Nature program will rotate through different parks around town, bringing visual displays (there will be no touch tables at Discover Nature this year) and on-site interpreters to feature different themes and aspects of Whistler’s natural history Mondays through Thursdays.
Crafts in the Park, a joint program with the Whistler Public Library, is going virtual this summer, with seven weeks of crafts brought to you from Florence Petersen Park. Each Saturday, beginning July 11, we will share a video filmed in the park to share a little about Whistler’s history and lead you through a craft project. Families can sign up with the Whistler Library to receive weekly craft supply packages and craft supply lists for each week will be shared online so everyone can participate.
We are also very excited to be able to announce that we will be presenting a virtual screening of Mike Stein’s film Highways of the Past: Canoeing the Grand Canyon of the Liard, with a Q&A session with Mike, on Tuesday, July 7. Participants must register for the event, as space is limited. Go to the Events page on our website to find out how to register.
Though the season will be different than we initially planned, we’re looking forward to a busy summer at the museum, both online and in person, and we are especially excited to welcome our members and friends again.
