A great place to go on weekends, free admission, spacious and interesting architecture with lots of history. Great for young families. Everything was well kept, clean and manicured. The staff there were friendly and actively made conversation and offered demonstrations for visitors. Would even better if there were more parking and food options. Only have a handful of parking at the centre, so you may have to look for residential street parking. Only one cafe there with a very simple menu of hotdogs, coffee and pastries. read more

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Burnaby Village Museum is like stepping into a time capsule. The heritage buildings and vintage carousel make it feel like you're in a storybook. You can walk through the old shops, schoolhouse, and watch the blacksmith at work in their workshop. During the holidays, there are lights, festive displays, and hot chocolate to sip on. Burnaby heritage museum is also educational and preserved with care. Perfect for families, history lovers, or anyone who loves to experience small-town charm read more

Burnaby Village Museum - Museums Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

Wow has this place gone downhill. Firstly, multiple exhibits were closed. Including the schoolhouse and theatre which were always my favourite. The staff don't do a good job engaging with the quests, although they are not hard to find. Not sure why they need ugly red jackets that say STAFF. Why not instead use the opportunity to have staff wearing period costumes. A few other exhibits had also changed. One is now a celebration of food. Can't remember what was there before. Another has been transformed into an Indigenous celebrations. I'm guessing that is how they receive funding? Perhaps the biggest disappointed was the cafe. It has a bizarre modern decor that does not match the rest of the village. We won't be back, but I'm glad it was free read more

I saw the parking lot! I dropped my wife and daughter off at the museum so that they could see the Christmas lights while I looked for parking. No spaces available even after circling around a couple times. The neighborhood looked good, but, I wasn't sure if I could park on the street. The perimeter of the museum looked good. My wife and daughter liked what they saw. They liked the gift shop. read more

CAME ON CANADA DAY JULY 1ST!! free admission, must visit fun vintage village for family activity all ages!! little red city train that was usually open to enter but closed for the day. a REAL RETIRED PHARMACIST at the pharmacy shop. staff giving in dept descriptions regarding vintage goods, history. 25ish min drive from vancouver seattle. read more

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Its' been a few years since we last came to Burnaby Village Museum and there have been a few changes to it. They appear to have done some renovations in certain areas and they've set things up so that the experience here is more interactive than before. There are things that can be turned, flipped and sniffed! I love these new changes they've made. The Carousel ride is still there. That's one thing I hope they never change! Oh...you can get screamers at the Ice Cream Parlour now. They are available in two delicious flavors! This is a great place to come for an educational, fun and scrumptious experience that will have you "screaming" with delight! Oh, free admission is always something to smile about as well! Service: Good Parking: Free Location: 6501 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby, BC read more

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A nice little museum stop for family and kids and perhaps even for early dating couples (good conversation starters ^^) Kids can enjoy carousel rides, buy ice cream and popcorn. Great time to visit now, before year-end, as one can still enjoy the last taste of the Christmas festivities - lights and Christmas trees! Refreshments and snacks are satisfying from choices of hot dog, fish and chips, hot chocolate to dessert items like lava cakes, cheesecake, brownies and carrot cakes. Gift shop has honey sticks and cute gift ideas. It's cute place to stop by for a walk after a dinner date to get some nice fresh air and awesome photos. read more

Burnaby Village Museum - Christmas tree - Museums Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

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Have been going since I was little and now take my own daughter. always pristine and well maintained. was looking forward to the newly renovated coffee shop but utterly confused on the style - a modern cafe in a village museum. Like how in the world was this not designed to follow the feel of the rest of the historic museum and be an ice cream shop? Plus the ice cream is pre scooped and served in a to go container! read more

Burnaby Village Museum - New coffee shop - Museums Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

For starters, admission is free. This makes for a nice family activity to keep the children busy for a little bit. Personally, I am not interested at looking into a piece of history. I was here because family who wanted to visit this museum. The ice cream shop had an okay menu. I wanted a latte and it was not available. They did serve coffee, tea and hot chocolate for hot drinks. There was a free Santa you can take photos with at one of the houses. There were Christmas lights too. I thought that was a nice touch for the holidays. read more

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Because of transit, Burnaby Village Museum is not a place I frequent; as an adult, I've been twice -- once a couple of years ago, and again on Saturday. It's a shame that transit is so horrible, because it's a neat little museum, and it's free! (There is a small charge to ride the carousel, however.) It's an open air museum about the history of Burnaby. There's a replica 1920s village with various shops (general store, bakery, bank, theater, print shop, mechanic shop, and a Chinese herbalist's shop, to name a few), and a restored interurban tram car that operated between 1913 and 1958 that visitors can enter. There's an ice cream shop and restaurant, a carousel to ride, and WiFi throughout the museum grounds. They also have a variety of seasonal events, and being Christmas time, the village was decorated with lights. And best of all, it's free! So what's not to like? Transit. Burnaby Village Museum is located in Burnaby, as the name suggests, and despite there being three buses that go past the museum (the #123, #133, and #144), the buses run so infrequently that getting to and from the museum via transit is horrible! (Transit in Burnaby is horrible, and I avoid going to Burnaby because of it.) When leaving, I just missed a bus (due to not being able to find the bus stop, as I was unfamiliar with the area, and then having to cross a wide street), and had to wait 20 minutes for one! Three buses and a minimum 20 minute wait?! And it started to rain seconds after I started waiting, and there was no bus shelter. In conclusion, it's a fun little museum, it's free, and it's great for kids, but it's not a museum I will go to again, unless someone drives me. It's not *that* good that I'd wait 20+ minutes for a bus. [Yelp collections: Museums and Art Galleries; Cheap Thrills; Being a tourist in my own city] read more

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Super cool place learned a lot in the printshop too the movie theatre us creepy like a setting for a horror story the drug store is my favorite so many bottles herbalist store is cool with cooking noises in the back best of all no entrance fees anymore! read more

Beautiful display of the Olde Towne centre. Buildings and artifacts restored to authenticity. The staff / volunteers are OUTSTANDING. The restoration of the antique carousel to working perfection was a true delight. My husband rode that same carousel 53 years ago when it was at the PNE. Brought back great memories. The Christmas lights and decorations were a real joy. read more

Burnaby Village Museum - Museums Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

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What a hidden gem. We have been going to Vancouver for the longest time and only recently discovered this place. It is a pretty fun place to explore with kids. The village is set in the 1940s I think where their artifacts are all from this era and local to the area so it lends to a pretty authentic experience. We enjoyed going to the old school houses and seeing the nice homes back in the day that are pristinely preserved. All the volunteers were very nice and gave us a lot of information about the village. There is also a nice counsel on the property and also very affordable to buy rides for the kiddos. read more

We were in here Just after the re-opening from Covid. Most of the buildings were in accessible in that you couldn't go in to them just stand and look inside. The grounds themselves were beautifully maintained and the fact that it's free makes it a no brainer for a good look around at some historic buildings. The staff there particularly the older ones are very enthusiastic about the property we met a lovely woman in the school house who had much to share about the property, because of Covid they were not i. Period Costume but that was OK we still Enjoyed it. If you're looking for a free activity with your family or just to check out for yourself comes to this place you can grab an ice cream on site and look at some beautiful buildings and a piece of history. read more

Burnaby Village Museum - Entrance - Museums Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

Its Free!! My first time here was several years ago. We had visitors from San Diego during the holiday season. We wanted to bring them somewhere a festive and also somewhere with history. We loved it. I couldn't believe we have lived in Burnaby for years now and never been here before. Especially when I run so regularly in Deer lake park and Burnaby lake. Workers are knowledgeable and very friendly. The carousel is awesome, that vintage carousel you remembered as a child. They have a cafe where you can get ice cream, hot chocolate, and or snacks. A great place to take kids. During Christmas they have Christmas lights and decorations up really pretty. read more

Burnaby Village Museum - Museums Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

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Brought a visitor from England to the village today. He was very impressed. I can't give a 5 star rating though because I was so disappointed that the former ice cream parlour had been turned into a sterile, cookie cutter restaurant. Gone was any historic ambiance. Does not fit into the museum setting at all. read more

I've been meaning to check out Burnaby Village Museum for a long time so when I heard they have a Christmas theme happening, I made time to go. This place is adorable. Think old Vancouver with cute ice cream parlours and heritage shops. The museum is hands on so you can really get a feel of the past and there's even a blacksmith shaping iron, just like the good ol' days. I walked around during the day, but I'll be going back during mid December at night for their Christmas lights. Burnaby Village Museum is a great place to take your kids. Let them run around and tire themselves out while learning a little bit of history! read more

Burnaby Village Museum - Museums Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

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Neat little museum located conveniently close to Deer Lake Park. Great for learning about the history of Burnaby. Could've guessed but didn't know that the city is named after a guy. Parking is available in the nice large lot in front of the entrance building. If this fills up, there are plenty of spots on the side streets. The hours a bit short, even during the summer, but if one moves at a moderate pace, it's possible to see the entire location. Special mention goes to the quaint little historic street. It's very well maintained, and because of the surrounding trees blocking out all the nearby modern buildings, it feels just like travelling back in time. Very easy to lose oneself in this setting. There is an ice cream parlour that also serves food at one end of the street, as well as tiny little church that can be rented out for weddings. The exhibits can feel a bit empty, but the displays are very informative. Another special mention is the blacksmith demo. This is honestly a dying art, so it's neat to see what life was like before the age of computers. I'm sure the little kids got as much of a kick out of this as my friends and I did. I couldn't find the famous carousel for some reason, even though my friend and I thought we walked the entire site. This would be a great place to take kids or family to spend the day, relax, and learn a thing or two. read more

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A walk down the historic burnaby timeline. Great place for little kids and grown adults. Original merry go round!!!!! Cannot see/experience this on internet!! Kids should love to see blacksmith in action but maybe I enjoy this more than most as growing up in small town this was normal for me. Always have something on the holidays to do. Definitely recommend to anyone visiting or just to get the kids outside to enjoy our beautiful city!!! read more

Considering admission was free when we went in giving this experience a 5 star We came for the Christmas lights - Place was nicely decorated with just enough lights. They had a scavenger hunt for kids, my 3yr old was too young so we didn't participate. So I'm not sure what the prize was for completing the hunt. There was an arts & craft room where my daughter participated in colouring a paper gingerbread house. She enjoyed that! There were several exhibits. Really took you back to he early 1900's. There was staff at each one giving you information of how things were done back in the day. It was a great form of history growth. I'd love to take her back when she's a bit older so she can learn part of Canadian history! read more

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Great place for family and kids to learn history about Vancouver back in 1920's. Never been to this place till yesterday while my sister and I exited Deer Lake Park as Village Museum located nearby. I got to see lots of old interiors, anything vintage, Japanese bath tub Ofuro, Chinese herbal medicine store and etc. I got to see staff doing demo at tin smithing workshop and saw someone making crafts by hand. It was a great place to visit and the best part is FREE admission yay! I really enjoyed looking at antiques and stores in old interior as if we go back to the past. You can bring kids to go on carousel rides. read more

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I have been here for many times but this is the first time I came here for free and it's snowing!! Really gives the whole place a lovely Christmas feel. The carousel is $2 a ride on a genuine old fashioned wooden carousel that also has a little museum on the side about it. You can also grab some ice cream and candy in the various little shops that still function as a store. read more

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Great place to visit with your family or a place to hangout. It's free admission! It's very big inside so why not bring your children to come and play at the museum while learn some interesting facts about British Columbia. I also saw a lot of people taking their wedding photos here. I would definitely like to get some photos taken here for my wedding. read more

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I love anything with history. I like old stuff. I'm old. This place is fun. It's a throwback to the older days before internet, LCD TV's and hybrid cars. It's a past that you rarely get to see in the lower mainland. I think it's good for those young and old, and new to the area to see and learn about our history. How rich and diverse it really is. In the winter time it's pretty festive, especially if there is snow. They have carolers, singing and hot chocolate and it's pretty festive in the winter. Most people will go and see it in the summer when the weather is nice, but it's just as nice on a cold crisp autumn/winter day too! My brother has been caroling here for years. Great place. read more

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I've been going here since I was a kid, always fun to check out the old schoolhouse, peek around in all the old timey shops, the general store where you can see what things were on sale for, way back in the day, and well, it's about the only time I'm ever in a church. This is great family fun for all ages. Nice at Christmas with the lights and holiday theme. After many trips here over the years, we finally scored a souvenir from the blacksmith!!! Free admission! read more

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This open-air museum is one of the coolest ones I have been! Recreated as a Canadian village of what Burnaby was like in the early 1900s, this museum park features many authentic-looking "downtown" complete with an auto shop, a bank, a saloon, and even a tram stop with a restored tram. You can even walk in these buildings too! The best part is that almost all buildings are manned by enthusiastic volunteers who are more than happy to tell you about the lifestyle of 1900s, and some buildings have hands-on experiences. Plan to spend a few hours here to get the most out of this museum. I highly recommend this free-admission attraction especially for family fun! read more

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If you're planning on visiting for Heritage Christmas this year, do it at night time!! The place just looks so much cooler!! :) I went last year, and even in the rain it felt MAGICAL. The place has a lot of little events like Scavenger Hunts and draws to keep you busy, and the 1920s feel just kicks right in the moment you're there! Lots to see and explore for my group; we couldn't stop snapping pictures. The staff were also wonderful! We also ate at the diner, where just being inside gave us such a comfortable feel. A must-add to your to-do list! Hours: Nov 27-Dec 15, 12-4:30pm Dec 16-Jan 2, 12-8pm Dec 24 & 25, closed read more

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What a wonderful place to visit! We were enchanted by the beautiful store fronts and houses that we're preserved and transported to this site for all to enjoy! The docents r Fab and so helpful. They take great care of the place and it shows. There's a cafe to grab some eats. There's also a restaurant walking distance to the village. It's a great place to visit with ppl of all ages. You'll enjoy!! read more

I wish more museums were like this -- things that you can dig into and completely immerse yourself instead of only reading placards inside a hall. There is so much love in the carefully detailed replicas of life in the early days. Homes, skools, grocery shops, pharmacies, barber and bake shops to bath houses and more. The merry-go-round (carousel) is unlike most. If you're on the fence - definitely go. The workmanship, grounding, smoothness, vibrant finish is a quality that modern ones don't quite recreate. It was very apparent when we took the merry-go-round at VanDusen Botanical Garden the next day. You can easily spend half a day if you look at all the details and pause to imagine how life must have been not that long ago. It was a very human and moving experience, what it takes to find your place in the flow of time. read more

My kids think that the carousel is pretty much the best thing ever. Sure, Playland may be more exciting for older kids, but this provides the right level of stimulation for young ones (mine are 3-and-a-half and 1-and-3/4). In the summer, my kids love running down the hill into the meadow located right next to the carousel. And there's an old-timey Ice Cream Parlour as well, in addition to the vintage buildings and interiors that function as the museum part of it. The best thing about this place is that admission is free and the carousel rides cost only $2.65. At Christmas time, Santa shows up and there are several caroling performances throughout the park. My kids love to sing, so this was a very special treat for them. The only downsides are that the park is closed throughout much of the year and access to public transportation isn't great. read more

This was a classic field-trip destination back in the day, and it's still a lot of fun. I attended the annual Haunted Village event the other night. It was a stroller crush, but lots of fun for the adults while not being too scary for the little kids. The village street was all done up in Halloween style, and the kids could go collect candy from the various stores and houses. For example, the music store, where you'll normally find the player piano, was decorated with snakes to "advertise" snake charming music. Actors roamed the streets, dressed in period costumes but a bit scarier than usual, and the kids really got into the drama of having to look out for "candy bandits." The human statues were also pretty cool. Riding the restored carousel is always a highlight. I think I'm going to have come back soon for the Christmas event - the decorations are always amazing. read more

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This place offers a bit of well nourished history with life actors wearing authentic clothes. There is also a lot of activities for kids. I can imagine it takes a lot of funding to run a place like this, but visitors can enter for free. Well done Burnaby Village Museum - keep up the good work! I absolutely recommend this place to everyone who want to reveal a dash of local history. read more

Can I review this place even though I work here? I don't actually work in the village itself, I'm in the basement cataloging. But the village itself is always a fun day. It's staffed by 'interpreters' dressed in period 1920s clothes, in most buildings. The buildings themselves are from the 1920s - the interpreters used to dress in Victorian clothes, but then the staff decided to dress them according to when the buildings were actually built. It's an interesting period for a living history museum. Everything is jsut on the cusp of modernity, so you see the old timey stove and the phonograph that plays cylinders, and the clothing that's just beginging to look like something that could pass on the streets today. There's a school house, a blacksmith's where you can see people smithing around (and they offer classes) a movie house, dentist's real estate, dry goods (clothes etc), general store, logging exhibit, model T ford you can ride in, trolley car in a station, bank, bakery, working print shop, chinese herbalist, farm house, regular house, locomotive engine car, cafe where they serve food and ice cream, and of course the carousel. There are more buildings but I can't remember them all off the top of my head. They were all moved from their original locations to a conglomeration in the village. I'm often surprised by how few people even know about this place. I shouldn't be though, since before I started working here I didn't know about it either. But if you like history, or if you like going into mini villages, I reccomend a visit. read more

I came for the free christmas lights, but was pleasantly surprised at all the other things happening. I guess I haven't been since I was a kid, so it was pretty fun to check out all the different areas and actors telling us about the moving of the houses and the trains running through burnaby back then! There was a scavenger hunt for kiddies and yummy hot chocolate and mini donuts to keep you warm. The smell in the ice cream shop was pretty appetizing, we may be back for some cheap date night dinners :) I also popped into the little gift shop by the carousel and found some reasonably priced handmade christmas ornaments for stocking stuffers! Very fun winter date material here :) read more

Burnaby Village Museum is just east of Vancouver. The museum is a living history museum set up to show life in 1920s British Columbia. They have over 30 buildings - houses, stores, a school, a church, etc. There is also a historic carousel, which is the second fastest in North America. It goes a whopping 12 mph, which does not seem fast until you are whipping around it. It was a very exciting 5 minute ride! We had lunch at the little café at the museum, which had tasty sandwiches and interesting salads. The ham sandwiches were on excellent quality wheat bread (wwith lettuce, tomato and cucumber), which were very good and fresh. I ordered the salad, which was unusual. It was mixed greens topped with blueberries, grapes, a hardboiled egg, red bell peppers and sliced cheddar cheese. I enjoyed it, because the ingredients were good quality, but it was an odd combination. I did taste a bite of the cinnamon roll. It was pretty dull and very skippable. The museum had free admission when we came, and the carousel was only $2.70 per rider (adults holding kids are free). This museum is definitely a bargain! The staff is very friendly, and the interpreters are great. read more

We have been to the museum many times as we used to live in Burnaby. The Carousel is still a hit with my kids, but the museum is a great place to bring your out of town friends. We recently went to their Halloween event they have for 3 days usually the end of October, the last weekend of the month. The times were 6pm-8pm, and we got there about 7pm. It actually wasn't advertised but it went til 9pm. It was fabulous, busy busy, like long line up to get in, busy, but it was so much fun. You couldn't actually go into the exhibits, but they decorated inside and you could walk up to the windows and have a look at the great decorating and displays. Then they also had trick or treating for the kids, and dressed up people outside the exhibits giving out candy. They had street performers, a DJ in the gazebo, and ghouls and witches would come out and dance with you in the main street. The carousel was also free with admission, $14.00 for adults and $9.00 for kids. Absolutely fabulous!! If we were to pick the Stanley Park Ghost Train or this, we'd pick this because there was so much to see, and do, you could easily spend the whole night here and even my 6 year old who was screaming to not go on the Ghost Train, wasn't scared at all here, but preferred not to look at some of the exhibits. We will probably check out their Christmas exhibit too. Must do on your Halloween things to do in the city, and great for families and small children. read more

My favorite horsee is the white one with the pretty flowers in its mane. On the carousel of course! This is a neat museum about what life was like in the 20's around the Vancouver area. What makes it so neat is it is set up like a village or town, and there are different things to do or buy at each house. And some of the houses are the original houses that have just been moved. Main attraction has to be the original 1912 carousel with Wurlitzer organ. But they also have an old trolley car, printing press, school house, blacksmith... neat stuff I tell ya. read more

I've wanted to get my nerd on for a while now, but I've visited the aquarium in the recent past, and I'm not feeling the current exhibit at Science World (sorry, Leonardo!). I received an email from Savvy Insider (if you live in the Vancouver area and haven't signed up for this newsletter, go do it!), and it mentioned this place. I went online, I read the website, I looked up the bus route, and off I went. This place is definitely cool! Of course, I'm a big time history junkie, but strolling through this heritage village is a great way to spend the day. The buildings are 1920s style - some of them original, some of them recreations, but each one is just as fascinating as the next. The buildings include a general store, a dry goods store, a blacksmith, a school, several homes, and more. The staff are even dressed in time period appropriate attire. I stopped in at the 'ice cream parlour' for a small bite. I enjoyed both the sunshine and my sliver of five-layer (yes, FIVE) chocolate cake on the beautiful patio. Although I didn't participate in any, there seems to be many little activities and presentations going on throughout the day, including a scavenger hunt, printing press demonstrations, and of course, the carousel. History springs to life in this mini village, it's a beautiful and relaxing walk and a step back into yesteryear all in one. I can't think of a single thing I would have enjoyed more today. Highly recommend! read more

Burnaby Village Museum - five layer chocolate cake from the ice cream parlour, every girls dream! - Museums Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

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While looking for holiday things to do in Vancouver, we came across an ad for the "Illuminations at Heritage Christmas" at the Burnaby Village Museum. It looked like a very interesting place, so we decided to stop there on our way out of town. This was a very good idea. It IS a very interesting place and we had a great time exploring the village. My husband and I are both fans of the olde, so we loved looking at the olde train and all the olde stuff inside the exhibits -- like the fabulous stoves and drugstore paraphernalia and various tools and machines of yesteryear. I LOVED the REAL PANTRY in the Jesse Love Farmhouse. I loved seeing the village blacksmith and village printing presser in action. I loved watching the (holiday-themed) silent movies in the olde cinema. I loved visiting all the buildings in the village that have clearly been built and maintained with care and attention to detail. The Wurlitzer military band organ, that plays the music for the Carousel, is most definitely one of the coolest things I've ever seen. The folks who work here are all friendly, eager to share information, and are obviously proud of the museum and Burnaby. So glad we found out about the Burnaby Village Museum and took the time to visit. (Should the opportunity present, I would definitely be interested to go back and check out the village's Halloween happenings.) read more

I wanted to give this 2.5 stars but rounded up to three because I've got a yummy lunch and feel generous. My husband and I went during their Heritage Christmas this past December. The place was beautifully done up Christmas style. Christmas lights everywhere, wreaths, carollers, etc. I loved their homage to the Twelve Days of Christmas, in particular the maids a milking. Heritage bulidings are beautifully done up/restored (?). The village is adorable and looks right out of a storybook. My husband and I enjoyed walking in and around the beautiful houses and shops. Parking is horrendous during this time since tourists and parents alike are all fighting for a space in their two tiny lots. I wish there was either more parking or more transit options. Parents let their kids run amok here so if you're expecting to learn about history, know this and come with the right mindset (or a good pair of earplugs). read more