Museums & Historic Sites
Alberta is famous for its outstanding museums and many historic sites and areas. Discover the past through displays and collections, traveling exhibits, special events and interactive heritage activities across the province—fun for the Alberta history buff and the whole family.
Getting Started
Discover Alberta's rich legacy of railways, aerospace, pioneer life, sports and multiculturalism. Start your quest at either Alberta's Museums and Historic Sites or Alberta Heritage where you'll find hundreds of museums, historic sites and cultural attractions around Alberta. To get you started, below we've listed some favourite sites around the province.
Alberta Central
In Red Deer, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame features exhibits on hockey, honoured members, ice and snow sports, interactive games and sports introduced by immigrants in the early 1800s.Lac La Biche Mission is a national historic site and provincial resource located 2.5 hours north east of Edmonton in the heart of Alberta's Lakeland. The museum offers visitors a link to the past through guided tours and period role playing, all within a short of distance of your campsite.
The Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin brings technology alive through hands on displays, audio-visual shows, artifact demonstrations, interpreter programs and special events. In the summer, take a chauffeur-driven cruise of our grounds in a vintage vehicle such as a 1927 Model T Touring or soar like an eagle in an open cockpit biplane! With an outstanding collection of vehicles, aircraft, tractors and industrial machines, we pay tribute to mechanical genius.
Discover the history of the fur trade at the Rocky Mountain House Historic Site. Learn about the fur trading forts that once stood there and the people who worked, lived, and visited them.
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, 25 minutes east of Edmonton on Hwy 16, is an open air museum that features 33 restored historic buildings. Interpreters portray individuals who lived and worked in the area from 1892 to 1930.
Alberta North
At the Grande Prairie Museum restored buildings, farm equipment and exhibits describe life around the year 1909, when the last major land rush in North America brought settlers to Grande Prairie. The museum also features special displays and an exhibit on Aboriginal life.Historic Dunvegan features the restored buildings of Fort Dunvegan, a fur trading post established in 1805, and the St. Charles Mission. Activities include exhibits and guided tours. Its market garden supplies local grocery stores.
At the site of the world's largest single deposit of oil sands, the Oil Sands Discovery Centre portrays the history of the area and also features traveling exhibits and special events.
Alberta South
Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site, located on the HooDoo Trail in Drumheller, is one of the liveliest attractions in the Canadian Badlands. Wander back in time through an intact historic site—the last of the area's 139 coal mines. Take a trip on the tracks in a one ton coal car. Climb the 8 storey wooden tipple—the last of its kind in Canada. Costumed interpreters and characters from the past bring to life the history of Alberta's coal mining region.
The Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat is a combination museum, archives, art gallery, gift shop and 700-seat theatre. Charged with preserving the history of the area, the museum is the primary repository of cultural artifacts in southeastern Alberta.The gallery exhibits international, national, regional and local art shows annually and has a permanent collection of 350 works. The state-of-the-art theatre rivals any big city gem and is home to local and touring productions and community events.
Fort Whoop-Up Interpretive Centre in Lethbridge. The fort was originally known as Fort Hamilton. Built by Americans in 1869, it was orignally established as a fur trading base. It was one of the earliest and most notorius of the "whiskey forts," dealing in contraband liquor and firearms. It soon earned the name of Fort Whoop-Up. Follow interpretive guides as they lead you through the tumultuous past and use state of the art interactive displays to see what life was like in the real Wild West.
Frank Slide Interpretive Centre in Crowsnest Pass, highlights the rich history of the Crowsnest Pass amid the breathtaking beauty of the Canadian Rockies. Visitors can experience a variety of interpretive programs, presentations and special events. Displays throughout the Centre feature the 1903 Frank Slide (rockslide-avalanche), the Canadian Pacific Railway, European settlement, early underground coal mining and community life. An award winning audio/visual presentation entitled "In the Mountain's Shadow" is shown daily. Also showing is a docudrama created for the 2003 centennial entitled "On the Edge of Destruction - The Frank Slide Story."
The Galt Museum & Archives in the city of Lethbridge has recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation and expansion. Start with Discovery Hall to immerse yourself in the history of southwestern Alberta. The permanent exhibits are "hands on." The kids will love it—especially the virtual plane ride—and there is a wonderful variety of programmed activities for the whole family. Plan to stay a little bit longer and go through the extensive archives and collections.
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s oldest, largest and best-preserved buffalo jumps. The site has an interpretive centre, hands-on activities, special events and archaeological digs.
Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek is named after the legendary George “Kootenai” Brown, who helped found Waterton Lakes National Park. Revisit the past within the log walls of turn of the century buildings and through thousands of artifacts from ancient dental equipment to children’s toys and Boer War paraphernalia.
Medicine Hat Clay Industries National Historic District offers interpretive walks through its huge pre 1914 facility. The discovery of an abundant supply of natural gas and rich deposits of quality clay led an entrepreneurial Medicine Hat family to create a prosperous business, one of the few to survive the turbulent economy generated by the First World War. Learn about the art of casting, jiggering and stoneware.
The Remington Carriage Museum houses the largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles in North America, with over 240 carriages, wagons and sleighs. Named by Attractions Canada as "The Best Indoor Tourist Attraction in Canada," the museum is locacted 30 minutes from Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta and close to Montana's Glacier National Park. Open year round, seven days a week, the 63,000 square foot facility features video displays, a fire hall, carriage factory, restoration shop, working stable, seasonal carriage rides, carriage rentals, a restaurant and gift shop. Guided tours are offered at no additional charge.
Royal Tyrrell Museum, located near Drumheller in the Canadian Badlands is home to the world’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils. Here you’ll find an extensive display of dinosaur skeletons. Stand next to one and see how big they really were. There are hands on exhibits, computer simulations, multimedia exhibits, outdoor displays and special events. Particularly popular is the children’s dinosaur camp.
The Fort Museum of the North West Mounted Police, in Fort Macleod, just west of Lethbridge, preserves the rich and storied history of the the police force established by Sir John A. McDonald in 1873 to combat the lawlessness of the western frontier. When the NWMP arrived in 1874, they built Fort Macleod on an island on the Old Man River, just west of what was left of Fort Whoop-Up. In addition to fighting the whiskey trade, their mission was to secure peaceful relations with First Nations peoples. Treaties were signed with both the Cree and Blackfoot in 1876 and 1877. Known today as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) they have become an icon around the world for all things "Canadian."
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is 32 km (20 mi) east of the town of Milk River. An archaeological preserve within the park protects more than 50 petroglyph sites and the largest concentration of rock art on the North American plains. The artists are thought to be the Blackfoot people who settled this area for at least 3,500 years.
Calgary & Area
The Aero Space Museum is home to one of Canada’s most extensive collections of aircraft, helicopters and aero engines. Aircraft on display or being restored include an Avro Lancaster Mark X and a WWI Sopwith Tri-Plane. There is also a large library of aviation books, manuals and magazines.
Fort Calgary (Historic Park) was the outpost of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in the late 1800s. Much of the original fort has been reconstructed around an interpretive centre. Winner of a Calgary Heritage Education Award, the site offers a number of programs for children to engage them in learning about the history of Calgary. A favourite is the “NWMP boot camp,” a day long program where children get to experience the life of a Mountie in 1875, complete with outdoor living skills and old fashioned arts and crafts.
The Glenbow Museum is western Canada’s largest. The collections include artifacts that tell the story of Aboriginal peoples and frontier exploration. The gem stone collections and world culture exhibits are not to be missed. Feature galleries are always changing and often include international travelling exhibitions. The museum houses the largest collection of western art in Canada.
Heritage Park is Canada's largest living historical village. On 66 scenic acres you can journey back in time and experience life as it was at the turn of the century. Three different time periods in Western Canada's history await: an 1860's Fur Trading Fort, a 1880's Pre-Railway Settlement, and a 1910 Western Prairie Town. Hop on board an authentic steam train, visit a blacksmith, enjoy the goodness of home baked fresh bread, discover the fun of old fashioned midways and take a reservoir cruise on the S.S. Moyie.
Inglewood Historic District was established in 1875. Home to Calgary's original main street, the area continues to thrive, boasting more than 17 buildings that have been restored to their original splendour. The neighbourhood is a mecca for antique hunters and for shoppers looking for the unique and unusual, old and new in clothing jewellery and art. Spend the day strolling and stop in at one of the many pubs and eateries.
The Military Museums is four museums under one roof—Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, the Calgary Highlanders and the King’s Own Calgary Regiment. This facility has permanent and changing exhibits to captivate any military history buff. The organization has wonderful interactive programs for children.
Canadian Rockies
The 1903 architecture of the Banff Park Museum, with its decorative cross-log construction, is reason enough to stop by. More than 5,000 natural history exhibits—some dating back to 1860—give a glimpse of how animals were studied in the Victorian era.Just south of Banff, the Canmore Museum & Geoscience Centre displays historical artifacts, teaches about the local geology, offers guided hikes and brings in guest speakers. The Centre is run by the Centennial Museum Society, which also maintains the restored North West Mounted Police barracks on the town’s main street and a heritage garden.
Cave and Basin National Historic Site commemorates the discovery of the hot springs in Banff that led to the establishment in 1885 of Canada’s first national park. Visit the cave, with its original vent hole, the outdoor basin’s emerald pool, the restored bathhouse, the exhibits and the nature trails.
The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies is devoted to the cultural history of the Rocky Mountains. Soon to celebrate 50 years in Banff, the museum is a must see. Explore its extensive archives and library where you can learn about the mountain communities from the late 19th to late 20th centuries. Visit the gallery which houses more than 4000 works that reflect the nature of the visual arts in the Rockies. Ask about the Museo Packs - everything you need to get children ages 6 to 12 excited about heritage.
When visiting Jasper, be sure to make a stop at the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives. Numerous galleries, archives and collections showcase the colourful history of Jasper National Park and area. The museum is open daily during the summer. In the winter months, it is open Thursdays through Sundays and features local artists and guild shows.
Edmonton & Area
If you’re a railway enthusiast or looking to take the family on an interesting outing, the Alberta Railway Museum has more than 50 old locomotives and railway cars, including the only complete set of a Northern Alberta Railways work train. In the summer take a ride on a speeder car. Locomotive passenger service is available on holiday weekends.
Take a look at how Alberta's oil and gas industry began. Visit the Canadian Petroleum Discovery Centre in Leduc, just south of Edmonton. The Leduc #1 Historical Site relives the now-famous find on February 13, 1947 that heralded the beginnings of Alberta's oil patch and paved the way to our status today as a global producer.
Fort Edmonton Historic Park features 75 structures, many of them originals. The past comes to life from Edmonton’s fur trading days. Costumed interpreters recreate the 1846 Hudson’s Bay Fort and the Native Encampment. Learn about the lives and experiences of the Métis who played a role in Edmonton's development. Overnight accommodation is available right in the park, at the elegantly restored Hotel Selkirk.
The Old Strathcona District is steeped in history. This area, south of the North Saskatchewan River, was developed in 1891 as a commercial challenger to downtown Edmonton. The district thrived but by the early 1970s it was in danger of being demolished for an ambitious freeway system. The community rallied, creating the Old Strathcona Foundation and prevented the plan from happening. Stroll along Whyte Avenue and see historic buildings such as the Strathcona Telephone Exchange, Cowles' Drug Store, the Ross Block, the Strathcona Hotel and the Canadian Pacific Railway Station.
At the Royal Alberta Museum the permanent exhibits include the Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Cultures, which tells the story of 11,000 years of First Nations settlement on this continent; the Natural History Gallery and Wild Alberta. Feature exhibitions change regularly so there is always something new to see.
Take afternoon tea at the Arbour Restaurant at Rutherford House, the restored Edwardian mansion that was home to Alberta’s first premier. Interpreters in period costume perform household duties of the time and lead tours.
The Telephone Historical Centre is a hands-on museum with an amazing collection of vintage telephone and telegraph equipment. You can even work an early switchboard. Its archives include Edmonton telephone directories dating back to the early 1900s.
More Info...
Alberta has so many excellent museums, heritage and historic sites—it's impossible to list them all here. For access to a comprehensive list, click on Advanced under the search window on the top right corner of this page. Choose the Categories tab, click on Attractions and select Historic/Cultural/Religious Sites/Museums. You can also add a region to narrow your search.
Another excellent resource is Virtual Museums of Canada.
