Roedde House Museum is a late-Victorian Queen Anne Revival home built in 1893 for Gustav Roedde—Vancouver’s first professional bookbinder. The house was restored in the 1980s and opened as a museum in 1990 by the Roedde House Preservation Society, a charitable non-profit that operates the museum today.

Architecture & Collection
Designed—allegedly—by Francis Rattenbury, the house retains fine woodwork, cedar and fir interiors, turret and verandas typical of the era. It houses over 2,700 artifacts, including original family furniture, clothing, books, a Steinway piano (c.1893), and Georgian clock (c.1775).

Visitor Experience
Guided tours run Wed–Fri and Sun (1 PM–4 PM; summer 11 AM–4 PM), allowing touch of select artifacts. Admission is $10 adults, $5 youth, $5 accessible, under‑5 free; monthly “Tea & Tour” special lasts ~1 hr, $15/$10. Unique events include jazz concerts in the parlour and summer porch concerts by donation.

Programs & Rentals
The museum offers school programs, online tours, recipe challenges, and rotating mini‑exhibits in the Collections Room. The site is available for intimate rentals—weddings, film shoots, meetings—with a capacity ~50 guests.

Governance & Staff
Operated by Roedde House Preservation Society since 1990; governed by a volunteer Board and staffed by a small team led by Museum Manager Sara Hepper. Volunteers exceed 50 individuals contributing to tours, events, and collections.

Assessment
Roedde House offers an intimate, tactile and authentic sense of late-19th-century family life—rare for its accessibility to handle items. Its strong community connection, historic ambience, and programming are major strengths. Constraints include limited space (accessible only ground-floor) and signage. Future enhancements could include expanded digital tours and multilingual self‑guided options.