Programmer and educator at Kamloops Museum and Archives Jennifer Jones poses for a photo, July 29, 2022.

(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)

A special opportunity is available to residents looking to learn about the history of Kamloops, and the best part is, it is free and kid-friendly.

The Kamloops Museum and Archives is offering five free interactive Twenty Minute Tours this summer, and everyone is encouraged to participate.

“The tours are very family friendly and introduce you to interesting artifacts that help connect you to the Kamloops area,” said museum programmer and educator, Jennifer Jones.

Participants can see Kamloops’s original log cabin museum, learn about the history of the Shuswap peoples’ relationship with local rivers, hear the story behind the first gas powered car in the Interior of B.C., contribute their favourite city landmarks, and learn about the B.C. Gold Rush.

Arthur Clemes’ Wolseley vintage automobile at Kamloops Museum and Archives.

(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)

“We want to provide some fun and help people connect to their community,” Jones said. “The impacts of that are far reaching. It helps give people a sense of place and home.”

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Jones said people are free to wander around the museum but the short tours are focussed on specific aspects that create a unique and more connected experience.

“The first floor has the original museum inside of it and the second floor is where our feature exhibition is,” Jones said. “It is called You Are Here and is a collaboration between the City of Kamloops, the museum and the university where folks can share their vision for the future that will go toward future city planning.

“It is interactive. You put a dot on a map where you spend most of your time or where you think the most significant landmark is. You can make a map of what you think are important cultural components of Kamloops.”

The tours began last week and are offered on Wednesday’s and Saturdays at 10 p.m. and 2 p.m. and will run for the duration of the summer.

Participants can phone ahead to add their name to the list, but walk-ins are welcome.

“On Saturdays you have the farmers' market close by so families can really make a trip out of it,” Jones said. “People are welcome to take more than one tour. We just started but so far we are getting positive feedback.”

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Kids are free to explore the first floor where there is a felt board, story board and a magnetic map of the area. The floor itself is painted with the local rivers and bridges. There are historical murals on the walls and a puppet theatre.

“There are so many different components to see and lots of hands-on exploring available for kids.”

The twenty minute tours are led by museum interpreter Lachlan Gonzales.

“Sometimes the tours go overtime but that is OK as long as people are engaged,” Jones said.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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