The Petroleum Museum sits on Canada Hill (Bukit Kanaan), where Malaysia's first commercial oil well was drilled by Shell in December 1910. The museum opened in 2005 with support from Shell and Petronas, and tells the story of Miri's transformation from a small Sarawakian trading post into an oil boomtown that helped finance early 20th-century Malaya.
Inside, the exhibits walk through the geology of oil formation, the mechanics of drilling, and the social history of the company town that grew up around the wells. There is an earthquake simulator and a scale model of an offshore oil platform. The standout exhibit is outside: the Grand Old Lady itself, the original 1910 drilling rig, still standing at its original location on the hillside. The site has been declared a protected historical monument by the Sarawak state government.
Canada Hill also offers a good panorama over central Miri and the South China Sea on clear days, making the short drive or walk up worthwhile even for those with limited interest in petroleum engineering.