More than 50 large-scale murals cover the exterior walls of buildings throughout the downtown, depicting scenes from the town's history — the Cowichan and other First Nations peoples who lived in the valley, the timber industry that defined the community for a century, the arrival of Chinese and European labourers, and the working life of the harbour. The project started in 1982 as an act of desperation after the sawmill closure and has grown into one of the most concentrated collections of outdoor murals in North America.
A self-guided walking map is available at the visitor centre and at most shops in town. The tour covers all major murals in about two hours on foot. Numbers painted on the ground connect the route, and placards beside each mural explain the historical context of the scene. Several of the paintings are very large — one of the most striking covers an entire building face and depicts the felling of a massive Douglas fir.