Laurel Packinghouse
The historic Laurel Packinghouse, a nationally-designated heritage landmark, is the oldest and largest standing packinghouse in British Columbia. The Laurel Packinghouse is located in the heart of Kelowna’s Cultural District and is home to the BC Orchard Industry Museum and the BC Wine Museum & VQA Wine Shop.

The Laurel Packinghouse was built over the winter of 1917/18 of bricks made locally from clay from Knox Mountain and was a working packinghouse until the 1970s. In 1982, the Laurel Packinghouse was slated for demolition. Largely through the efforts of the Kelowna Museums Society, the building was saved and became Kelowna’s first designated heritage building. Over the next six years, the Laurel Packinghouse was restored to its present state. As a benefit to Kelowna’s other arts and cultural entities, the Packinghouse’s renovated second floor provides office space to both non-profit and commercial tenants.

The primary purpose of the restoration of the Laurel Packinghouse was to house an Orchard Industry Museum with the building representing the largest of this Museum’s artefacts. In 1988, the building restoration was completed and in 1989, coinciding with the 100th birthday of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association, the British Columbia Orchard Industry Museum was officially opened. Further renovations to the building in 1996 resulted in the opening of The BC Wine Museum & VQA Wine Shop.

Admission is by donation.