Experience White Rock History
Tours
Learn more about local history with our engaging tours!
About White Rock Tours
Whether you’re a tourist or a resident of Greater Vancouver, the area along the southern bank of the Georgia Strait has long been an area of interest and wonder. Starting with the original Coast Salish people, over the years, our home has hosted gold prospectors, British Royal Engineers, and homesteaders, who arrived by sea, train, and eventually via our municipal roadways. Today, White Rock remains a popular seaside destination and a proud, welcoming community for all who visit. If you’re interested in discovering more about the city’s fascinating history, there’s no shortage of fun and enticing ways to learn.
Expert Guides
Who better than passionate local historians with a knack for storytelling to serve as ambassadors for the community? Our team illuminates the past with intriguing insights and factual accounts of the area’s most historically significant individuals, events, and locations.
Rich History
What is the historical significance of the giant white boulder (P’Quals) or the city’s most notable pier? Our museum assembles the oral accounts, photos, artifacts, and hands-on exhibits that make our home even more meaningful.
Culture & People
Throughout the years, White Rock’s beauty has inspired countless visitors who would end up calling it home. Those same people shaped the city we know and love today. This place offers a tapestry of cultural influences that began centuries ago with the Semiahmoo First Nation.
Historical Guided Tours
Experience White Rock’s promenade like never before with our Archives Manager, Hugh Ellenwood. Join us for a captivating beachside stroll where you’ll learn about the history of the beach, the pier, the train station, and more.
Tours are available by appointment, with a minimum of two participants per tour, lasting 60 minutes. To schedule your tour, please email Hugh at archives@whiterockmuseum.ca.
There is a suggested donation of $5 per person.
Self-guided Tours
Find yourself in White Rock on a day when our guided tour is unavailable? Try our self-guided tour by finding the five “Heritage Stones” along the promenade and eleven “Pier Panels” along the pier.
These markers highlight the diverse communities that have shaped White Rock, including the European settlers, the Semiahma people, and the Japanese community.
For those wanting to learn more about White Rock’s “uptown,” there are a few extra stones to discover in front of the United Church on Buena Vista Avenue and the White Rock Community Centre on Russell Avenue.
Get Involved
We provide opportunities for individuals to obtain personal growth, learn new skills, and develop a sense of commitment and belonging. Here is your opportunity to volunteer with us behind the scenes or engage with others in the public eye.
Land Acknowledgement
To acknowledge the land on which we stand is to recognize a truth.
We acknowledge and respect the se’mya’me (Semiahmoo First Nation) on whose traditional unceded territory the museum & archives stands and who have lived on this land for thousands of years. Museums have played a role in colonization, and it is important to recognize the harm of past practices and to strive to do better in the spirit of reconciliation.