Maritime Detour

Among the many levees out there today, there was an ad for a levee at the Maritime Museum of BC -- with free admission to the museum. After going out for dim sum this morning, we all headed over to check it out. I was expecting a long line, but not only was there no lineup, there was also ample nearby parking!

For the 6 of us to normally go in to the museum, it would have cost $34 (kids under 6 are free, apparently), so I haven't gone in for years and years; kiddo and hubby had never been. Needless to say, the displays have seen some upgrades in the past dozen years or so, and I was most impressed by the small ship deck for kids to explore -- including a telescope, cannon, and rigging going up to a crowsnest with a pirate flag. There's plenty crammed into the two floors of displays; early exploration, naval history, BC Ferries, steamship and cruiseship travel, yachting, and marine safety. There's a whole room devoted to model making, too.

Even the gift shop proved to be amusing with a wide array of pirate-themed goods and a sizeable book selection.

The building itself is a heritage site; it was originally the courthouse for the city and the courtroom is still in tact on the third floor. Years ago, one of my janitorial jobs was to clean the museum, which meant I got to run the birdcage elevator -- the longest continuously running elevator in North America. I declined to ride in it today, taking the stairs instead.
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