Collections and Research

Research

• Archives: Research early settlers, their businesses, fruit farming and professional lives. Also on file are town records dating back to 1909.
  • Architectural Records
  • Cartographic Materials
  • Prints and Drawings
  • Sound Recordings
  • Textual Records
• Photographs
• Slide Library
• Microfilm
• Maps

Orchard Workers

Residents or visitors researching family histories or other projects are invited to use the Museum's reference materials; archival records, books, maps and microfilm, photographs and slides. Copies of the Summerland Review dating back to 1908 are easily researched on our microfilm viewer and printer and our Collections database is available in a Microsoft Access computer program.

Videos

• The House on the Hill (Somerset Inn) (approx. 27 minutes) The history of the Okanagan College's women's residence, Morton Hall(1910) and how it was moved in 1988.
   
• Okanagan Heritage Houses (approx. 30 minutes) Hosted by Mike Roberts of CHBC TV; take a tour of the Okanagan and its historic houses.
   
• Stone Houses of Summerland (approx. 17 minutes). Take a tour of Summerland's unique stone houses.
   
• Sternwheelers The Boats on Okanagan Lakes. (approx. 15 minutes) The history of the sternwheelers that used to ply Okanagan Lake.
   
• Around the Horn (approx. 50 minutes) The history of the Kettle Valley Railway from 1890 to 1989.
   
• The Kettle Valley Railway Society (Approx 52 minutes). Launching of the Steam Railway. Created by M.P. Watt, the video shows the arrival of the Shay locomotive and the passenger coaches in Summerland, 1994/1995.
   
• The History of Summerland (approx. 21 minutes) A video by student Neil Rikhi explaining how and why the first settlers made their way to Summerland; about their lives in their new home.

The KVR Shay Locomotive
 

• Will you have a cup of tea? It contains stories of pioneers who arrived in Summerland, 1905 to 1907
   
• Ted Tells (Okanagan) Tales Written by Ted Logie, it contains true and comical tales that he encountered growing up in Summerland
   
• Okanagan Historical Society Reports: past publications
   
• Summerland Cooks! Great fruit recipes of the first millennium
  (produced & published by the Summerland Museum)
  
• Summerland: In celebration of 100 Years The Centennial publication published by the Museum and the Centennial Committee includes historical articles, remembrances by residents and historic photos
  
• A Bit of Okanagan History Written by Dorothy Gellately, the book is an overview of the history of the Okanagan Valley

Brochures for Self-Guided tours of Summerland

• A Walking tour of Lower Town
   
• A Walking Tour of Downtown
   
• Heritage Trees of Summerland
   
• Geology Tour
   
• Heritage Tour - Historical buildings & sites of Summerland
   
• Historical Orchards of Summerland

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