Rainy-day Sea to Sky: indoor things to do from Squamish to Whistler
Six places to spend a wet day on the corridor, from an old copper mill at Britannia Beach to a Whistler pool, with hours and prices checked against each venue's own site. Watch the November schedule changes.
It’s going to rain. This is the Sea to Sky in October, and the trails will still be there next weekend. Here are six indoor options, south to north, each checked against the venue’s own website. Fall hours shift a lot this time of year, so the dates below matter.
Britannia Mine Museum, Britannia Beach
The best rainy-day choice on the south end, because most of it happens underground or under a roof. The museum’s general admission is a 75-minute guided experience that includes an underground train tour and the BOOM! show inside Mill No. 3, then time to explore the exhibits, heritage buildings and gold panning. A cheaper ticket skips the train but keeps BOOM!. The museum recommends allowing 1.5 to 3 hours and booking ahead.
- Price: adults $42.95 with the underground tour, $34.36 for the site and BOOM! only. Seniors, students, youth and children pay less; under-5s are free.
- Hours: the published schedule runs to Oct. 11 (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekends). Check the museum’s site for hours after that.
- Where: 150 Copper Drive, about 10 minutes south of Squamish beside the 99. The Chatterbox Cafe is on site.
Ground Up Climbing Centre, Squamish
Squamish’s answer to wet granite is a dry wall. Ground Up is at 207-1201 Commercial Way, and it’s on winter hours from Sept. 14 to June 6:
- Monday: noon to 10 p.m.
- Tuesday to Friday: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Sunday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. are route-setting days, which the gym warns are louder than usual. First-timers need a signed waiver, and under-19s need a parent or guardian to sign it. Ground Up’s new climbers page offers a bouldering orientation and a belay lesson, and says belay checks are pass/fail. Day passes and 10-punch cards are sold through its online portal; the gym doesn’t list prices on its public pages, so check there.
Railway Museum of British Columbia, Squamish
Bad timing on this one: the museum’s regular 2026 season ends Sunday, Oct. 11, per its calendar. After that it reopens only for the North Pole Express, a ticketed Christmas train ride with departures at 11 a.m., 1, 3 and 5 p.m. on Nov. 28 and 29, Dec. 5 and 6, 12 and 13, 19 and 20, and Monday, Dec. 21. Seats run from $48.76 to $75.26 depending on the coach and departure, according to the museum. The museum is at 39645 Government Road.
Audain Art Museum, Whistler
The museum is open Thursday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed Tuesday and Wednesday, which matters if you’re planning a midweek rain day. Admission is $22 for adults, $19 for seniors, $15 for ages 19 to 25, and free for 18 and under, before GST, per its visit page. Booking ahead isn’t required.
What’s on, from the museum’s exhibitions page:
- Takao Tanabe 100: Inside Passage, a retrospective of more than 50 paintings marking the artist’s 100th birthday, closes Oct. 19.
- Solstice: Through Storm & Stillness, Canadian artists on winter, runs to April 12, 2027.
- Eleven Painters Start A War opens Nov. 20.
The permanent collection covers British Columbia art across centuries, including Emily Carr’s War Canoes, Alert Bay and James Hart’s carved Dance Screen, according to the museum.
Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Whistler
Up the road from the Audain at 4584 Blackcomb Way; the two are about 400 metres apart on the map. Admission includes a Signature Guided Tour and full access to the exhibits, with hourly tours and the last one at 4 p.m., per the centre. Adults pay $25, seniors $23, ages 6 to 18 $12, a family pass for two adults and up to two children $50, and children 5 and under are free, plus GST. Members of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations get in free with a valid status card. The Thunderbird Café is outside the paid area.
Mind the calendar:
- Now to Nov. 1: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Nov. 2 to 5: closed for renovations.
- Nov. 6 to Dec. 31: Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Closed Nov. 11, Dec. 25 and 26, with early closings Dec. 24 and 31.
Meadow Park Sports Centre, Whistler
For families, the municipal rec centre 4 km north of the village at 8625 Highway 99 is the cheap option. It’s open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with exceptions, and a drop-in is $11 for adults, $6.50 for youth, $5.50 for children 4 to 12 and $22 for a family, tax included, per the Resort Municipality of Whistler. All-day passes cost a bit more. Two dates to note: the pool area closes from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, for a swim meet, and the centre runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Remembrance Day, Nov. 11.
The rain plan
Thursday to Monday, the Audain and the Cultural Centre make a natural pair, a short walk apart. On a Tuesday, the Audain is closed, so go to Britannia or the climbing gym instead. And check DriveBC before you head up: winter tires are required on the 99 from Oct. 1.
Sources
- Britannia Mine Museum: Ticket types, 75-minute guided experience, 2026 prices, hours to Oct. 11, allow 1.5 to 3 hours, reservations, location, café
- Ground Up Climbing Centre: Winter hours, Tuesday route-setting, address, pricing portal
- Ground Up Climbing Centre: Waivers, orientation, belay checks
- Railway Museum of British Columbia: 2026 season ended Oct. 11; North Pole Express dates
- Railway Museum of British Columbia: North Pole Express departures, dates and seat prices
- Railway Museum of British Columbia: Address
- Audain Art Museum: Hours, admission prices, no advance booking required
- Audain Art Museum: Current and upcoming exhibitions and dates; permanent collection works
- Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre: Hours, fall closures, admission prices, what admission includes, café, address
- Resort Municipality of Whistler: Address, distance from village, hours, holiday hours, Oct. 24 pool closure, drop-in rates
- Province of British Columbia: Highway 99 winter tire requirement from Oct. 1
- Wikimedia Commons: Photo licence and credit
