The Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum has been part of the Prince George Community since the early 1980's when six local residents combined their efforts to restore a wooden 1903 Russell snowplow. From there its collection grew and community support for its efforts flourished, leading to the Museum's official opening on July 20, 1986, which coincided with Expo '86 and the 150th anniversary of rail travel in Canada. Since that time, the Railway and Forestry Museum has grown considerably to include a collection of over 60 pieces of rolling stock, 9 historical buildings and structures [including the Penny and Hixon train stations, a Heritage Fire Hall, a beehive burner, and numerous smaller industrial related artifacts.
The Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum is a prime example of community effort. Without its on-going partnerships with industry, local businesses, non-profit groups, educational institutions, local government, and numerous community-minded individuals, the museum would not be what it is today. The Museum is largely staffed by a dedicated group of volunteers and averages approximately 6000 volunteer hours per year, while attracting between 10-15,000 visitors each summer. The Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum continues to show its dedication to the community of Prince George as it offers a variety of public and educational programming opportunities for the entire community and tourists to enjoy.
The Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum was awarded the Jeanne Clarke Memorial Local History Award on February 24, 2002 for its admirable work to preserve the heritage of Western Canada's rail, forestry, transportation, and telecommunications industries.