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Stepping Back in Time at Barkerville, British Columbia

After paying admission, a double sided page long, hour by hour schedule was thrust into my hand. A timetable for a museum? Well, British Columbia’s Barkerville isn’t any old museum. It’s a living and breathing historical gold mining town, lovingly restored and operated as a non-profit. 

And it’s probably one of the best museums I’ve ever been to. Read on to discover more about the Cariboo Gold Rush and why you simply must make a stop at Barkerville Historic Town when visiting northern British Columbia, Canada. 

This post includes some affiliate links. If you make a qualifying purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. 

Four costumed Barkerville interpreters dancing and playing music
The Cariboo Amateur Dramatic Association in Barkerville, British Columbia
Dirt path leading through Barkerville's historical wooden buildings
Walking through Barkerville, BC
Welcome to Barkerville sign being attached to historic wooden building

Welcome to Barkerville, BC

A long and dusty road extending through what feels like hundreds of elevated wooden buildings; visitors today experience a similar first impression of Barkerville as the enterprising gold miners did back in the 1860s.

Beyond first impressions, visitors can also do many of the things that Barkerville residents back then did; go to a church service, visit the photography studio, try gold panning, send some mail at the post office, watch a theatre production, pay respects at the cemetery, have a drink at the saloon and more.

That schedule I mentioned? It is a list of all of the tours, interpretive events and experiences going on that particular day. Trust me when I say that there is a lot.

From general tours of the town to waterwheel demonstrations to gold mining shareholders meetings and Chinese calligraphy lessons, Barkerville is a history theme park for grown-ups.

There’s a lot here for kids too, but I personally loved that there was so much for adults to enjoy.

One of my favourite activities was a reenaction of a based-on-real-events 19th-century murder trial at the Richfield Court House. Just a short hike (or horse and cart ride) uphill from Barkerville’s main street, this is the oldest courthouse in British Columbia.

Horse drawn cart travelling through Barkerville's Main Street
Main Street, Barkerville
Fashionable haircutting sign in Barkerville, British Columbia
Barkerville character actor with pink dress on wooden walkway

Bringing history alive 

On our way to the courthouse, we passed two straw-hatted ladies walking up the wooden stairs to the bakery. They had to lift their giant hooped skirts while climbing each step. Crossing the threshold into the bakery, they were discussing the benefits of different types of flour for baking bread.

These ladies were just two of Barkerville’s resident actors, who stay in character throughout their day whether they are giving timetabled performance or not.

Interacting with other actors on the street, at the theatre or while doing their daily chores, these costumed interpreters help immerse visitors into the gold rush era. And they do it very, very well.

While I loved watching the blacksmith and meeting the local schoolteacher (as strict as I imagined), it is the detail and originality of the actor interactions that really make the Barkerville experience.

Our tour of the town was injected by welcoming shouts of “good morning!” to our guide from passing miners. Later, we see our guide arguing with someone about his overdue library books.

A highlight was the ragtag four piece ‘Cariboo Amateur Dramatic Association’ singing and playing music in the street. No doubt it’s thirsty work as we spotted two of the four in the saloon later.

Two Barkerville actors walk towards Goldfields Bakery on Main Street
A blacksmith works at an anvil at Barkerville's forge
Barkerville’s blacksmith
A judge sits behind the Bench in the Richfield Courthouse, Barkerville
Richfield Courthouse in action in Barkerville, British Columbia

Exploring Barkerville from dawn to dusk

Breakfast and dinner are both possible in Barkerville, as well as elevenses and lunch too. We ate solid miners portions of toast and eggs in front of a wood-fired stove at Wake Up Jake’s. Later, dinner was in the dark (but certainly not dingy) Lung Duck Tong restaurant in Barkerville’s Chinatown.

I could have been super greedy and enjoyed a miner’s lunch (cheese, bread and pickles) from the Goldfield Bakery too but managed to hold off despite the tempting smell of freshly baked bread every time we passed by.

Aside from making myself hungry, I’m mentioning food because it signifies how long we spent at Barkerville. We were there from 9am to 8pm. If you don’t want to leave, there are even a couple of period B&Bs in the town you can stay in.

The evening was the perfect time to visit the museum exhibits and read more about the resilient and pioneering people who lived in Barkerville.

One of my favourite stories was that of Betty Wendle, a kickass rifle wielding outdoors woman who had saved herself from a likely fatal grizzly bear attack. There is a creek in nearby Bowron Lakes Provincial Park named after her.

JR walking towards the historic buildings lining Main Street, Barkerville
Barkerville’s historic Main Street
Historic church at the end of Barkerville's Main Street
St. Saviour’s Anglican Church in Barkerville
Wooden pews and walls of St. Saviour’s Anglican Church
Inside St. Saviour’s Anglican Church – all of the woodwork is original from the 1869 build

The birth of Barkerville, British Columbia

Let me give you some background to all of this.

By the mid-1850s, the gold rush in California was all but over. Many thousands of miners headed north in pursuit of the next big strike. It was rumoured to be on the Fraser River in what was then the colony of British Columbia.

Groups of prospectors followed the river north and ultimately found themselves in the remote Cariboo region. Small discoveries came and went in the area until English miner William “Billy” Barker hit the payload in 1862.

The Cariboo Gold Rush was on! A makeshift town sprung up practically overnight as other miners tried to replicate his fortune.

Elevated view of Barkerville's wooden houses and shops surrounded by forest
The Chinese School is a small wooden building with a smoky chimney
Barkerville’s Chinese School
The empty streets of Barkerville, surrounded by historic buildings

Barkerville’s heyday

During the high point of the rush, Barkerville (as named after Billy) was the largest settlement north of San Francisco and west of Chicago. The day to day population was approximately five thousand plus any number of transient miners.

Comprising of a theatre, drugstores, barbershops, several churches, plus dozens of saloons, Barkerville was a full-service town in the middle of BC’s wilderness. A significant number of Chinese miners were part of the community plus black settlers who had fled north to escape slavery in the USA.

Destroyed in a fire in 1868, Barkerville was quickly rebuilt but declined just as quickly only a few decades later after gold discoveries waned and other rushes started elsewhere (most notably in Dawson City). There was, however, still a settlement here until the 1930s.

If you wondered, Billy Barker’s claim yielded him an incredible 2,350 lb of gold over the next few years but he died penniless in Victoria in 1894. He had suffered greatly with the stress of his fortune and the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Chinese goods and furniture in Chinatown shop, Barkerville
Inside one of the shops in Chinatown
Desks and cabinets set against blue wooden walls
Inside the police station, Barkerville, British Columbia
Barkerville's Main Street with large puddle on dirt road

Barkerville’s legacy

Some say that the gold rushes in the mid 19th century were the propelling force to British Columbia’s creation and success as a province today.

While gold mining does carry a number of questionable issues with it (environmental damage for one), there is no doubt in my mind that it did have a major impact on BC as we know it now.

Without gold on their mind, I doubt many settlers would have explored such wild, isolated regions as the eastern Cariboo with the tenacity and perseverance that the miners had.

As for a legacy with a smaller impact (but one I am very certain of), Barkerville is the best man-made attraction I have been to in British Columbia. For a trip back in time like no other, Barkerville is more than worthwhile of the detour off the highway. If you’re not already convinced, it’s also an incredible bargain at less than $15 per adult for a two-day ticket.

Visiting Barkerville: Everything you need to know

The Barkerville townsite is open daily from mid May to late September, usually from 8am to 8pm. The on-site merchants, museums and restaurants have shorter hours but visitors can still wander around and take in the surroundings. 

Activities in the winter are more limited but there is a tubing run and skating risk. Barkerville also runs special event and activity days. Check the Barkerville website to find out more. 

The entrance fee is currently $14.50 per adult. Due to the amount of attractions, tours and places to explore at Barkerville, a two day ticket is issued as standard. There are some Barkerville activities that require an additional fee. These include stagecoach rides, Theatre Royal tickets and gold panning lessons. 

How to get to Barkerville, BC

The Historic Town of Barkerville is located just to the east of Wells in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, Canada. The Wells and Barkerville region is accessible via Highway 26 (paved) from the city of Quesnel (8 hours north of Vancouver). It takes just less than 90 minutes to follow the well signed drive from Quesnel to the entrance of Barkerville.

Barkerville accommodation

With a two day ticket issued as standard, it makes sense to take your time and make an overnight stay in Barkerville. There is definitely enough to see! And what is even cooler, is that it is actually possible to stay overnight within Barkerville Historic Town itself. 

The Kelly and King Bed and Breakfasts are on-site restored homes with antique furnishings and time appropriate cuisine. Rates start at $108 for a room with shared bath (en-suites are also available). 

Located right on Barkerville’s Main Street, the St George Hotel has seven guest rooms, all themed in authentic 1890s style. Room rates start at $125/night.

New to Barkerville are four modern cottages offering three bedrooms each. Located just outside of the main historic townsite, the nightly summer rate per cottage is $295. 

Three campgrounds round out Barkerville’s own accommodation range. All are located within 3km of Barkerville, with one (Government Hill) being within walking distance of the historic townsite. There are coin operated showers at the Lowhee and Forest Rose campgrounds. Make a reservation online or inquire at the Barkerville reception. 

Planning to stay further afield?

Mountain Thyme Getaway – Close-by location in Wells

Tower Inn and Suites – Highly rated in Quesnel

Gold Pan Motel – Good value in Quesnel

Where to eat at Barkerville

As mentioned, there are numerous eating options within the grounds of Barkerville Historic Town itself. Prices are very reasonable, especially for being within a tourist attraction. There are eating options to suit a variety of budgets and appetites.

  • For bread, baked goods and picnic lunches, check out the Goldfield Bakery 
  • Wake-Up Jake’s serves standard Canadian breakfast and lunch fare 
  • Try some Barkerville beer at the House Hotel Saloon (light food also available – chilli, soup, hot dogs etc)
  • Treat your sweet tooth at McMahon’s Confectionery 
  • The Lung Duck Tong Restaurant serves a surprisingly wide selection of tasty Chinese food
  • Pick up snacks and candies at Mason and Daly General Merchants

It is perfectly fine to bring a picnic into Barkerville, if you’re on a budget or would prefer to bring your own food. 

barkerville-time-warp-in-north-bc-pinterest
British Columbia's Barkerville isn't any old museum. It's a living and breathing historical gold mining town, lovingly restored and operated as a non-profit. And it's probably one of the best museums I've ever been to. Click here to discover more about the Cariboo Gold Rush and why you simply must make a stop at Barkerville Historic Town when visiting northern BC, Canada. 

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Sue Taylor

Friday 6th of January 2017

Fascinating Gemma! Must make an effort to go sometime. Reminds me of Tombstone, Arizona as visited in 1985 see http://tombstoneweb.com/