Barkerville extends operating hours and altered public programming starting Friday, July 3
For Immediate Release
June 30, 2020 (Barkerville, BC) – Barkerville Historic Town & Park is pleased to announce an upcoming change to its daily programming schedule, as the Province of British Columbia officially enters Phase 3 of its COVID-related Restart Plan.
The National Historic Site and Provincial Heritage Property will not be open to the public on Canada Day (Wednesday, July 1) – but starting Friday, July 3, Barkerville will return to seven days per week operation, with a few important modifications.
Beginning July 3, Barkerville’s accessible exhibits, revised educational programming, campgrounds, accommodations, and selected shops and eateries will be open daily. Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and check Barkerville’s website prior to their visit. Admission tickets can be purchased online and in-person at Barkerville’s Visitor Reception Centre, open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, but walk-up admission cannot be guaranteed.
“For the continued safety of Barkerville’s staff and guests, entry to the site will be limited to 200 visitors per day, and pre-reserved admission through our website is strongly recommended,” said Jillian Merrick, Barkerville’s Manager of Preservation and Presentation. “On a typical sunny summer weekend in prior years, Barkerville would normally see upwards of 1,000 visitors a day; this is why booking your admission in advance is so important while our 200-visitor limit is in place.”
Once inside the gates, visitors can expect the same high-quality historic presentations, but with a completely different presentation style.
“Our award-winning curatorial displays and public programs will look a little different this season,” said Merrick. “Only those exhibits that can be safely accessed with proper social distancing measures in place will be open, and our team of historical interpreters will be stationed throughout the site in ways that provide entertaining and engaging, short-duration conversations and demonstrations.”
“We’ve had to suspend the large-scale presentations and public events usually designed for bigger crowds,” she added. “We think we will create a very personal and memorable experience.”
Visits to the Barkerville Archives will now be by appointment only, and Barkerville’s extracurricular special event schedule, which normally includes recurring favourites like Dominion Day, Indigenous Celebration, Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, and Cowboy & Drover Jubilee, will remain suspended for the duration of the 2020 summer season due to provincial limitations on allowable mass gatherings. Barkerville’s renowned Theatre Royal will also remain closed to the public, although livestream broadcasts of musical variety shows from the theatre, as well as a selection of interactive, virtual broadcasts from a number of different stations throughout the park, will be made available via different online platforms (including Facebook, Youtube, and Zoom) in the upcoming months.
For more information about Barkerville’s virtual broadcast schedule, its Phase 3 operating hours and programming adjustments, or to pre-book admission to the site, please visit www.barkerville.ca, or call 1-888-994-3332.
For more information about Phase 3 of BC’s Restart Plan, please visit: https://bit.ly/2BjMHXO.
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Photo Credit
Barkerville Main Street – photo by Chris Sharpe.
Media Inquiries
James Douglas | Public Programming & Global Media Development
B A R K E R V I L L E H I S T O R I C T O W N & P A R K
Box 19 | 14301 Highway 26 East | Barkerville, BC | V0K 1B0
250-994-3332 ext. 41 | 888-994-3332 toll free | 250-255-7938 cell
barkerville.ca web | @barkervillebc social
