McLean Mill National Historic Site

McLean Mill National Historic Site Welcome to McLean Mill National Historic Site! Take a Step Back in Time. Corporate Events | Weddings | Historical Tours | Live Shows | Family Entertainment |

McLean Mill is open Wednesday-Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm
The site remains accessible dawn to dusk.

06/10/2026

đŸ»BEAR SIGHTING AT McLEAN MILLđŸ»

Heads up Log Train Trail hikers and visitors!
A bear has been spotted on our site just before the trail head. Keep your eyes out or refrain from hiking for the next while, and carry bear spray and air horns EVERYWHERE!

In honour of the Alberni Pacific Railway beginning summer operations today, we're offering a 20% discount on admission t...
06/06/2026

In honour of the Alberni Pacific Railway beginning summer operations today, we're offering a 20% discount on admission to McLean Mill if you bring your train ticket with you!

Admission: $10/adults, $5/students & seniors, children under 7 are free.

Train tickets must be from the same day you are visiting McLean Mill. Discount runs as long as the train does.

Check this out! These handmade wooden machines crafted by local artist Carl Wall are now available in our gift shop! And...
06/03/2026

Check this out! These handmade wooden machines crafted by local artist Carl Wall are now available in our gift shop! And they’re FUNCTIONAL!!!

Open Wednesday-Sunday 10am to 4pm.

The BunkhouseThis is the last bunkhouse remaining on site, though there were several at one time. One bunkhouse was home...
05/31/2026

The Bunkhouse

This is the last bunkhouse remaining on site, though there were several at one time. One bunkhouse was home to 4-6 single men, but sometimes up to 11 men could live in one. The short walls separating the bedrooms from the central room allowed for heat from the stove to circulate through the building. The only plumbing in the building was a sink in the central room that ran cold water. The bunkhouses were built in a specific way so that they could be easily moved by locomotive if the camp needed to relocate. The white ring around the lightbulb allowed light to reflect and better illuminate the room.

Good morning and happy Saturday! It’s a great day for a self guided tour at McLean Mill, don’t you think?
05/30/2026

Good morning and happy Saturday! It’s a great day for a self guided tour at McLean Mill, don’t you think?

Hey! Do you know these kids? The Alberni Valley Museum needs help identifying these people. So far they’ve been identifi...
05/29/2026

Hey! Do you know these kids? The Alberni Valley Museum needs help identifying these people.

So far they’ve been identified as: (top, left to right) Pat Sullivan, Glen Talbot, Carol Green (?), unidentified, Beverly Sullivan, unidentified, Brian Sullivan, Aime Cardinal, Karen Talbot (?), Robert Cardinal, Francis Talbot, Rosemarie Cardinal, Charlotte Talbot.

If you know who the unidentified or question marked names are, let us know!

05/29/2026

The hit HGTV show Home Town Takeover is coming to Canada this year-...

The CookhouseThis was the centre of camp life, because it was where the food was! The cookhouse is one of the original b...
05/27/2026

The Cookhouse

This was the centre of camp life, because it was where the food was! The cookhouse is one of the original buildings on site, likely built in 1927. There is a kitchen, a dining room, and a bedroom for the cook.

The cook prepared meals on a big cast iron stove. Cold and hot water was available, heated by the stove. Meals were always big and filling because of the energy needed to run a sawmill and its subsequent parts. Breakfast was bacon, eggs, and hotcakes; dinner was meat, vegetables, and homemade bread; dessert was pies and cake. The first cook, R.B. McLean’s wife Cora, was known for her donuts.

The Steam DonkeyThis workhorse of a piece of machinery was used from 1944 until 1972. It was designed to lift, drag, and...
05/23/2026

The Steam Donkey

This workhorse of a piece of machinery was used from 1944 until 1972. It was designed to lift, drag, and move logs from one point to the next. Wood placed in the firebox burned above to heat water in the boiler, thus creating steam. Once there was enough steam pressure, it would power a cable winch that hauled logs off the mountain.

This particular steam donkey was manufactured in 1929 in Seattle, Washington. The McLean's purchased it second-hand in Vancouver for $4,200. It is currently 1 of 2 working steam donkeys in British Columbia.

The GarageThe garage was most likely built around 1945. The tin roof was raised shortly after to accommodate for logging...
05/22/2026

The Garage

The garage was most likely built around 1945. The tin roof was raised shortly after to accommodate for logging trucks that had their log trailer on the cab roofs. There was also a pit in the ground for oil changes, as well as a hole in one wall to allow for pulling the axles out of the trucks once they had been driven into the stall. The trucks in these photos were used for logging until ‘Big Red’ was purchased.

Address

5633 Smith Road
Port Alberni, BC
V9Y8M1

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12507231376

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when McLean Mill National Historic Site posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to McLean Mill National Historic Site:

Shortcuts

Share

Category