Kimberley-Alpine-Resort
While
once-booming Fort Steel went bust when the railway by passed it, today the town
is a restored and thriving 1890s pioneer town with over 60 restored or
reconstructed heritage shops and display buildings. Remember to tip your hat as
colourful 19th-century citizens pass you on the streets or provide assistance in
the Kershaw General Store. Listen to the anvil ring in the blacksmith's shop and
savour the smell of fresh-baked loaves at the bakery.
Visitors can ride a steam train, drive in a horse-drawn wagon or watch musical comedy at the Wild Horse Theatre from May to October. There are also lively street dramas and memorable interpretations of domestic life.
The Annual Heritage Showcase -held every August- is a popular event featuring horse farming demonstrations, period trades, crafts demonstrations, musical entertainment and living-history dramas
In
downtown Kimberley, the pedestrian walking area, or Platzl, is a gathering point
where you can stroll, shop and explore lovely storefronts in a European village
atmosphere. See Happy Hans emerge from one of the world's largest free-standing
cuckoo clocks.
Visit Kimberley's Cominco Gardens, where more than 48,000 flowers adorn the
Memorial Rose Garden, gazebo and prairie garden. In summer, the Sullivan Mine
and Railway Historical Society offers fascinating exhibitions and train rides
into mining history. Adjacent to the Sullivan Mine and Railway is the historical
Sullivan Mine Interpretive Centre, where you can relive Kimberley's mining
history. Early life in Kimberley is also explored in the Kimberley Heritage
Museum.
Visit the Ktunaxa Kinbasket Interpretive Centre, located at the St. Eugene
Mission Resort, to learn about the Ktunaxa First Nation. , or experience the
history of local pioneers and prospectors at the nearby ghost towns of
Fisherville and Lumberton. Stop in Cranbrook to tour the remarkable Canadian
Museum of Rail Travel and visit the Kootenay Trout Hatchery, one of BC's largest
hatcheries.