A visit to the VMM must include some time aboard the St. Roch. It’s our most popular exhibition, and with good reason. The first vessel to make the west-east traverse of the Northwest Passage and the first to circumnavigate North America via the Panama Canal, the St. Roch is one accomplished ship.
Six days a week, visitors to the museum can explore the decks and cabins and look around the focs’le. They can also climb the ladder up to the upper deck and wheelhouse.
On the third Sunday of each month, we offer multiple guided tours of the St. Roch engine room. On these special days, you get to see a part of the ship not available to the public. The one-hour tour begins on the mezzanine around the ship. Then you’re taken aboard the St. Roch for a full tour. You’ll start with the decks before heading to the engine room and stowage areas.
During this tour, you will learn what it was like to be a sailor in the Arctic, one of the harshest climates in the world, in the early 20th century. You’ll learn about the workings of the ship’s engine, hear stories about the captain and crew, and learn about the Panipakuttuk family importance to the success of the St. Roch’s mission.
