An Ecomuseum is a “museum without walls”. In other words, nature and culture are explained at the places where things happen or have happened and in their entirety with the focus on the symbiotic relationship between people and nature.  This is radically different to the traditional museums that are primarily collectors of objects, or the open-air museums that are collections of houses moved from their original place to a museum. Another way of describing an ecomuseum can be defined as “a cultural/heritage theme-park spread over a wide geographic area”.

An Ecomuseum has 5 basic elements:
• A document centre
• Several visitor-centres with exhibitions
• Historical workshops
• Objects of interest in the landscape
• Paths and routes

The Miramichi Open River Ecomuseum has all of these 5 elements.  The core of the ecomuseum are the eleven inaugural independent cultural, heritage, and nature sites along a 55 kilometre stretch of the Miramichi River, linked via a water taxi system and trail network.

The sites are: Beaubear’s Island, Vye’s Beach, Strawberry Marsh, Ritchie Wharf,
Canadian Point, French Fort Cove,  Morrison Cove, Waterford Green, Historic Water Street, Middle Island, and St. Andrew’s Point.

You will see a “face-lift” at these sites: enhanced hiking/walking trails; improved marine access; construction of new public spaces and entertainment facilities; and the expansion of the interpretive offerings i.e. interactive displays, geocashing, theatre productions, genealogy.