Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre tours and workshops
50°07′ N 122°57′ WTourfrom $15
The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre's tours suit Whistler visitors who want to hear the Squamish and Líl̓wat Nations' stories from their own Cultural Ambassadors, and the hourly tour comes with admission. Groups of 15 or more can book longer tours at $23 a person plus GST and add craft workshops from $15 a person, while the outdoor tours take bookings for spring 2027.
Closed
The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre closes for renovations from 2 to 5 November
The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler is renovating its gift shop and Thunderbird Café. On Sunday 1 November 2026 the museum opens from 10 am to 5 pm while the shop and café stay shut, and from 2 to 5 November the whole centre closes. Between 6 November and 31 December it opens Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. The centre also closes on 11 November and on 25 and 26 December, and it shuts early on 24 and 31 December.
Checked 2026-10-16 · slcc.ca
Photo Richie Diesterheft from Santa Barbara, CA, USA · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
What they offer
| Offering | From | Duration | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| What We Treasure (hourly tour)Comes with museum admission, whose price sits on the centre's sights page. Cultural Ambassadors share songs and stories around the collection's artifacts. | – | 1 hour | Year-round, on the hour during opening hours |
| Group tours for 15 or moreBook at least two weeks ahead through the group booking form, and wait for a sales representative to confirm. The Regalia tour depends on staff and materials. | $23 per adult | 1–2 hours | Hunters and Gatherers, The Regalia We Treasure and Paddling Through The Nations run all year |
| Interpretive Forest Walk | – | 1 hour | Late May to early October, weather permitting; booking for spring 2027 |
| Holistic Tour & Indigenous Tea OfferingIncludes traditional teas and bannock. | – | 1.5–2 hours | Generally late May to early October; booking for spring 2027 |
| Salish Hand Drum workshopAges 15 and up, groups of 10 to 30. The drum needs a day to dry before painting, so return the next day or paint it at home. | $95 per person | 2.5 hours | – |
| Short craft workshopsDreamcatchers, medicine bags, drum ornaments and paddle rattles, mostly for groups of 10 or more. A one-hour scavenger hunt for ages 8 and up is free. | $15 per person | 15 minutes to 1 hour | – |
| Cultural JourneyA self-guided route up Highway 99 through Squamish and Líl̓wat territory, with kiosks 1 to 5 on the east side heading north and 6 and 7 on the west side heading south. The map and two audio parts download from the centre's site. | – | – | – |
| Art & Storytelling of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Líl̓wat7úlA self-guided walk through nine places in Whistler Village in the Go Whistler Tours app, starting and ending at the centre. | – | – | – |
The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and the Líl̓wat Nation signed a protocol agreement in 2001 and built the centre together, and a not-for-profit charitable society runs it on behalf of both. Its Cultural Ambassadors lead the signature What We Treasure tour every hour, telling stories and singing songs around the collection's artifacts. Admission prices and opening hours sit on the centre's sights page.
Groups of 15 or more can book longer tours at $23 a person plus 5% GST. Hunters and Gatherers runs 90 minutes all year. The Regalia We Treasure lasts as long and goes ahead when staff and materials allow. Paddling Through The Nations lasts an hour to 90 minutes and can end with a paddle rattle or necklace craft. Send the request at least two weeks ahead, because a booking stands only once a sales representative confirms it.
Craft workshops add to a tour's price and time, and most need 10 people or more. The Salish hand drum takes two and a half hours for ages 15 and up, at $95 for a 10-inch drum or $180 for a 16-inch one. It needs a day to dry before you paint it. Shorter crafts run from a $15 cedar paddle necklace to a $45 paddle rattle, and a scavenger hunt for children 8 and up costs nothing.
Two self-guided routes need no booking. The Cultural Journey follows Highway 99 up from Vancouver, with kiosks 1 to 5 on the east side heading north and 6 and 7 on the west side heading south, and its map and audio download from the centre's site. In the village, the Go Whistler Tours app carries Art & Storytelling of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Líl̓wat7úl, which visits nine places and starts and ends at the centre.
The Interpretive Forest Walk and the Holistic Tour with its Indigenous tea run from late May to early October, and the Language Tour moves outdoors from May to October. The centre is taking bookings for all of them for spring 2027. The year-round group tours carry on through winter. The centre closes from 2 to 5 November 2026 and opens Wednesday to Sunday from 6 November to 31 December.
Worth knowing
- Email tours@slcc.ca if your group's date is firm and less than two weeks away.
- Plan a hand drum workshop at the start of a two-day stay, so you can come back to paint the drum once it has dried.
Quick answers about Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre tours and workshops
Is the guided tour included at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre?
Yes. The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre's hourly What We Treasure tour comes with museum admission, and Cultural Ambassadors lead it with songs and stories.
Can you do a craft workshop at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre?
Yes, as a group. The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre runs craft workshops from $15 to $180 a person on top of the tour rate, most for groups of 10 or more, booked at least two weeks ahead.
Does the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre run forest walks in winter?
No. The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre's Interpretive Forest Walk runs from late May to early October, and the centre is taking bookings for spring 2027.
How much does Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre tours and workshops charge?
Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre tours and workshops lists Short craft workshops from $15 per person (2026) (15 minutes to 1 hour).
Is Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre tours and workshops open out of season?
Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre tours and workshops: Outdoor tours run from late May to early October, and the indoor group tours and hourly tours carry on through winter.
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