Beached at the west end of Lakeshore Drive, on the Okanagan Lake front, S.S. Sicamous is owned by the city of Penticton, and was restored by the S.S. Sicamous Restoration Society.
The Seam Ship Sicamous was the largest and the most luxurious of three sternwheeler paddleboats (S.S. Aberdeen, S.S. Okanagan, S.S. Sicamous) that plied the waters of Okanagan Lake. All were built by the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) to carry the freight from the towns along the shores of Okanagan Lake to the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway, owned by the CPR, or the Kettle Valley Railway, part of the CPR’s southern line. These ships were the main transportation system for most of the communities around the lake, until the 1930’s.
The S.S. Sicamous was built in Ontario, transported in pieces to be assembled at Okanagan Landing, now part of Vernon. It was launched in 1914. Soon it was making the return trip between Okanagan Landing and Penticton every day except Sundays. The S.S. Sicamous operated from 1914 to 1936 providing a freight and passenger service from one of Okanagan Lake to the other. Retired by the CPR because of costs in 1936, she sat at Okanagan Landing for 14 years, until her purchase for one dollar by the City of Penticton in 1949. In 1951 she was towed to Lakeshore Drive West and beached. She was restored over many years and is now open as a museum.
The S.S. Sicamous Museum is open during the Spring, Summer and Fall. Please check their website for details:
https://www.sssicamous.ca/visiting
Admission:
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Adults (Ages 13-54) – $ 10.00 per person
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Seniors (Ages 55 plus) –$ 8.00 per person
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Children (Ages 6-13) – $ 5.00 per person
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Small Children (Ages 5 and Under) – Free Admission
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Families (Two Adults and Two Children) –$ 25.00 for the whole family.
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Please note:
The S.S. Sicamous is occasionally closed for events or restoration work. It is recommended that you call prior to visiting the ship: 250-492-0403.