The Ashcroft Museum resides in the “Dominion” building. Built in 1917, this brick home-to-history was originally the Village Post Office. This informative tourist destination has hosted many unique exhibitions over the years including celebrations of Indigenous, Chinese, and other communities who were pioneers of the village, as well as fossil, ranching, and sport-related displays.
This summer, the Ashcroft Museum is turning its attention to the creative sector, hosting an exhibition of the movies, TV shows, and commercials that have utilized Ashcroft as a backdrop.
“Ashcroft Museum has a new exhibit featuring movies shot in the area, it includes a scale model of downtown Ashcroft which was used as a prop in “THE TWILIGHT ZONE: A SMALL TOWN“.” explained Margaret Moreira, Economic Development & Tourism Coordinator Village of Ashcroft. The majority of this TWILIGHT ZONE episode was filmed in Ashcroft and the film crew was embraced by the local community. To express their gratitude, the production company donated the model to the community.
Terri Hadwin, Thompson-Nicola Film Commissioner shared, “When I heard about the Ashcroft Museum wanting to do an exhibit that featured movies and television filmed in the area, I was elated and wanted to help any way I could. I am a former Ashcroft resident and I know how infused that area is with creativity and has an instilled love of the arts. The exhibit is such a fun and new theme to be celebrated in a museum, pretty unique I’d say. How great is it that a part of the set that was used in “THE TWILIGHT ZONE: A SMALL TOWN” was donated to the Village of Ashcroft so that they could showcase this work of art, to celebrate and remember when the production came to the community? It’s a true testament of how an excellent production can give back to the places they film in and leave it in better condition than before they came.”
When researching to bring the exhibit to life, the oldest film Moreira found was BIRD ON A WIRE starring Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson, filmed in Ashcroft 1990. Other notable productions filmed in downtown Ashcroft include AN UNFINISHED LIFE (2003), TOMATO RED (2015), A DOG’S WAY HOME (2019), THE STAND (2020), and BULLET PROOF (2022). Moreira also included a memorable occasion where the village of Ashcroft was transformed into a Christmas winter wonderland in September 2018 for a Kohl’s department store holiday commercial.
The exhibit also includes films captured in neighbouring areas such as SHOOTER, AFGHAN LUNKE, SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS, JUGGERNAUT, RED DAWN, THE MAZE RUNNER, THE A-TEAM, 2012, TWILIGHT, CADENCE, MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS, TRACKER, as well as the notable X-FILES in which a flying saucer lands across the river from Ashcroft.
Discover more about the new exhibit here.
