Barkerville Historic Town & Park to Reopen on August 2, 2024

July 29, 2024 (Barkerville, BC) – Barkerville Historic Town & Park is pleased to announce that it will be reopening its gates to the public this coming Friday, August 2, 2024. The Welcome Centre will be active during its regular hours of 9 am-5 pm daily.

Accommodations will be available onsite at the Historic St. George Hotel beginning August 2, while the Barkerville campgrounds, cottages and guest houses closed for the time being with tentative plans to reopen bookings in mid-August. Additional accommodations are available in nearby Wells and Bowron Lake which have also faced economic challenges with the recent Evacuation Orders.

While living history programming is scheduled to return as normal, Barkerville has made the difficult decision to postpone its special events in August to next year, specifically, the Indigenous Peoples’ Celebration slated for August 17th and the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival on August 24th.

Visitors may see some smoke from within the perimeter of the Antler Creek wildfire but due to decreased fire activity, the Evacuation Alert in the vicinity of Barkerville Historic Town & Park has been lifted. For more information about the Antler Creek wildfire, visit the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) website: https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/.

“Wildfires have become a part of our landscape in British Columbia,” says Kate Cox, CEO of Barkerville, “so it is time for us to learn to safely live alongside them. We know we can do that with education, preparation, and vigilance.  In consultation with the authorities, Barkerville’s gates will be open when deemed safe and closed if anything changes. Safety comes first, for Barkerville, our staff, and our visitors, which means being prepared for all eventualities wherever people travel throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Bring your go-bags, be ready for adventure, but also be ready to change your plans as conditions change.  We promise to keep you informed, and while you are with us, we promise you a glorious experience in Barkerville.”

For information about Barkerville’s reopening, as well as available accommodations bookings, visit https://barkerville.ca.

Media Contact

Stewart Cawood
Manager, Public Programming & Media
[email protected]