The Museum of Northern British Columbia is housed in a large cedar building inspired by Northwest Coast longhouses, a short walk above the waterfront. Its collections cover Tsimshian, Haida, Tlingit, and other coastal cultures, with masks, carvings, baskets, photographs, maps, and archaeological material.
Go here before wandering the harbour. It gives Prince Rupert a deeper frame than ferries and rain, and it is one of the strongest small-city museums on the coast.