Lighthouses and Shipwrecks

Shine a Light on Shipwrecks

Learn about the maritime disasters along the coast of British Columbia and the lighthouses that were built to prevent them.

The rugged coastline of BC has become a graveyard form many unlucky ships. The exact number of shipwrecks in BC is unknown, but many believe it could be higher than 1000. This exhibit looks at well-known shipwrecks and wrecks you may not have heard of. Shipwrecks featured:

• SS Valencia
• Princess Sophia
• USS Saranac
• Ericsson 
• Pacific 

Learn about the maritime disasters along the coast of British Columbia The exhibition includes artifacts recovered from these shipwrecks such as:

• Ship bells
• Fire extinguisher
• Lyle gun
• Last words from those who perished at sea

The exhibition also looks at the 100 years of effort to improve maritime safety. Starting in 1860, 59 lighthouses were built in British Columbia. Fog signals have also been installed along the BC Coastline.

You’ll learn about the lighthouses that have kept Vancouver waters safe for a century:

• Point Atkinson Lighthouse
• Brockton Point Lighthouse
• Prospect Point Lighthouse 

Lighthouses and Shipwrecks includes a functioning lighthouse lens from the Cape Mudge Lighthouse.