The Courtenay and District Museum is small but punches above its weight. Its fossil collection is the main draw — the Comox Valley has produced significant marine reptile fossils from the Cretaceous period, and the museum holds a cast of a near-complete Elasmosaur skeleton, a long-necked marine reptile that lived alongside the dinosaurs in the shallow sea that covered this region 80 million years ago. The original bones were excavated from the banks of the Puntledge River.
Beyond the fossils, the museum covers First Nations history and culture, European settlement of the Comox Valley, and the coal mining industry that drove the early economy of the region. The archives hold significant photographic collections relating to Vancouver Island history.
The museum is at 207 Fourth Street in downtown Courtenay, a short walk from the main shopping street. It is modest in admission and worth an hour. Staff are knowledgeable and genuinely interested in the material. Ask about guided fossil walks along the Puntledge River — these run seasonally and give you a chance to look for Cretaceous specimens in their original context.