Britannia Mine Museum Summer Exhibit & Enter to Win
byThe Britannia Mine Museum summer exhibit explores the antimicrobial properties of copper and how it has been used in the battle against superbugs and other diseases throughout history.
Britannia Mine Museum Summer Exhibit – Copper: Bug Buster
“Copper: Bug Buster” launches Saturday, July 18th (until Sunday, September 13th) inside the Museum’s Machine Shop and delves into copper’s bug busting capabilities and the role it played in medicine as an antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal metal. For over three thousand years, civilizations around the world have used copper and its minerals in health remedies. The exhibit also asks the question whether copper can be used to help in the battle against COVID-19.
“Our Museum’s curator and her team assembled some fascinating facts and science about the antimicrobial properties of copper, and how the metal has played a role in medicine throughout history,” says Kirstin Clausen, Executive Director of the Britannia Mine Museum. “We felt it was fitting, since the Britannia Mine was a copper mine.”
Here are some interesting facts about copper that the exhibit will explore:
- In ancient Egypt, green mineral malachite (copper carbonate) was ground up and used as an eye makeup, and supposedly also prevented eye infections.
- Another treatment speaks of soldiers in battle having wounds sterilized with malachite.
- The Incas disinfected wounds with gauze soaked in copper sulphate solution.
- The Aztecs gargled with a copper solution to treat sore throats.
- In ancient Greece, they recorded the first use of copper bracelets for arthritis.
- In ancient Rome, Pliny the Elder’s works recorded around one hundred and fifty copper-based remedies, and skin conditions and tonsillitis were said to be treated.
- In modern times, research has shown that when a virus or bacteria lands on copper, the metal releases electrically charged particles, which destroys the cell membrane, then the DNA and RNA inside.
- Copper has also been proven to kill Ebola, MRSA, E. coli and norovirus. A recent study found that SARS-CoV-2 – the virus causing COVID-19 – lasted only four hours on a copper surface compared with 48 hours on stainless steel or 72 hours on plastic. Could copper be useful in the fight against COVID-19?
The Britannia Mine Museum is currently open to the public with appropriate COVID-19 safety measures and procedures in place. This includes enhanced staff training, opening with limited attendance and tour sizes, advanced ticketing and reservation required, accommodating appropriate physical distancing, and implementing site sanitation protocols.
Operating hours are 9:00am to 5:30pm with limited guided tours and BOOM! showings in order to maintain proper physical distancing. Check the Museum’s website for specific tour times and to purchase tickets in advance.
Visitors can enjoy fun, educational exhibits, attractions and crowd favourites, like:
- BOOM! Mill Show: A live-action, multi-sensory special effects experience that brings the historic 20-storey Mill building back to life, transporting visitors back in time to the 1920s when the Mine was booming as the largest copper producer in the British Commonwealth.
- Historic Mill Building: A National Historic Site and one of the last remaining gravity-fed concentrator mills in North America, the 20-storey Mill building has been the symbol of Britannia throughout the years. Restored in 2007, each of the 14,416 panes of glass was hand-puttied into the frames to maintain its heritage and the building can be seen from miles away on the Sea-to-Sky highway.
- Underground Mine & Train Ride: A memorable underground train that takes visitors deep inside a mining tunnel where they will experience what life was like for miners in the 70 years Britannia existed as a mine.
- Beaty-Lundin Visitor Centre: The central exhibit hall that houses several mining displays, a mineral gallery, theatre space, and gift shop.
- Machine Shop – The 1908 Machine Shop is home to a number of historic machines and equipment donated by mining companies from across the country.
- The Britannia Story Building – A fully restored heritage building that features the stories of the Britannia Beach community ranging from love letters and antiques to historic photos and videos of former Copper Queens, showcasing what life was like in the old mining town.
- Gold Panning Area – A scenic boardwalk and cedar-post covered area where people can spend hours panning for gems and real gold.
Follow the Britannia Mine Museum on Facebook and Twitter for updates. The Museum is located right off the Sea to Sky Highway at 1 Forbes Way, Britannia Beach.
Enter to Win an Annual Family Pass
I have a family pass to give away! It includes admission for 2 adults and 3 children (value $160) that is good for unlimited visits for the year. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Like, comment on, or share this post on Facebook (1 entry)
- Click below to post an entry on Twitter
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. UPDATE The winner is Meredith!
53 Comments — Comments Are Closed
We’ve been wanting to take the kids here!
This would be so fun! I’ve never been before and would love to experience it with my daughter ?
I’d love to take my family!
An important part of local BC history made interesting for people to learn about.
My son would love to go to this exhibit, he’s so intrigued my rocks, minerals and gold panning at the moment. In addition, none of the rest of the family have been.
We went here before having kids. Would
Love to go back now with them 🙂
Would love to go and check out the new exhibits!
I would love to bring my family. We haven’t been there before so it would be nice to experience it.
I would love to bring my family. We haven’t been there before.
I’d love to take my 2 littles!!!
Thank you for the opportunity of some summer fun!
I haven’t been for a number of years and would love the opportunity to take my grandkids.
We just drove past the other day and our youngest asked when we could go, it’s been decades since I went back as a teenager. Thanks for the opportunity we would absolutely love to go as a Family.
We would love to visit the museum.
I’ve never been! The family would love this!
Educational and fun!
So excited to check out the museum with my kids this summer!!
My three children love watching all the mining shows on tv. They would be so thrilled if they could tour the Britannia Mine Museum.
This would be tons of fun!
Love to see Boom!! Need some excitement in our lives right now!
Have not visited the mine exhibit for many years so time to return as new exhibit sounds very interesting
Would luv to go
Would love to win this. It’s a great spot and would love to take the family there.
I have never been to the Britannia Mine.. driven past it hundreds of times just never stopped. The kids I am sure would love it though (as would I)
We are planning on going in a couple of weeks. Kids loved it when they went with their schools and have been asking to go again.
The kids LOVED it there!! They haven’t gone in a LONG TIME but are ALWAYS Wanting to go back!! Thanks a MILLION miss 604 for this TOTALLY AWESOME CONTEST and EXTREMELY GENEROUS PRIZE!! Winning a SEASONS Pass would be an ABSOLUTE DREAM come TRUE!!
love to go
I had been a very long time ago when I had no kids. Now Inhave three and they would love to experience this!!
My boys would be thrilled to win the family pass! We haven’t been there for 3 years and they’ve been asking to go back!
thanks for the chance i would love to win this great prize
I would love to bring my niece and nephew to check out The Britannia Mine Museum!
Would love to visit.
Oh, I’d love to go with my family. What a great way to spend the day.
Thus would be a great place to spend the day. Thank you!
a great place to visit with my family 🙂
I loved this place when i was a kid, would love to see it again.
Thank you
This would be amazing!
Would love to win a family pass and take my kids to explore the mine 🙂
Fun place to check out
Always wanted to visit but never had the time.
Never been but it would be a great family outing. Thanks!
This should be a definite outing for the summer. Good luck to everyone! Thank you Britannia Mine for continuing to provide education and enjoyment for these many decades.
A great summer activity. I haven’t been in years!!
We love this place!
Interactive learning and enjoyment
havent been here before!
I loved going to the Britannia mine as a kid!
Fun place! Used to go there when I was a kid. Now bringing my kids there for the fun
Would love to see the BOOM! show!
This would be great to bring my kids to!
Would love to take the kids! 🙂
Have passed the museum many times and would love to visit!
We’ve only been once and would love to go again!