This post will highlight small museums, with just a smattering of the over 200 museums found in Alberta. Alberta’s museums showcase a wide range of interests from lamps to trains to planes to farming. These museums tell the story of the region or a unique topic, are often low cost, and make for a more intimate experience while breaking up a long road trip. We will categorize these museums into central, northern, and southern Alberta.
Central Alberta
The Dolanda District Museum features 4000 artifacts from the area, Métis artifacts, and a 1100-piece lamp collection spanning nearly 400 years. The museum is located at: 5001 Main St, Donalda, AB T0B 0A8, Canada, about a two-hour drive Southeast of Edmonton or two and a half hours Northeast of Calgary. Visitors typically spend 30-90 minutes at the museum.
Big Valley offers a triple-play opportunity. The town hosts the Big Valley Creation Science Museum (info@bvcsm.com phone 403-876-2100), a series of historical landmarks including a railway museum, and 23 minutes North in Stettler, a premier attraction, the Alberta Prairie Railway (https://www.absteamtrain.com/) that arrives in Big Valley on some of its trips. If you are in the area towards the end of July, you may also be able to attend the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, about an hour and 20 minutes North. See https://www.bigvalleyjamboree.com/ for more details.
The Alberta Central Railway Museum, located 15 minutes Southeast of Wetaskiwin, is a seasonal favorite off Highway 2 just South of Edmonton. The museum offers train rides on its restored 1926 coaches and engine, model displays, tours, and a grain elevator. At the time of writing, a Railway Day Admission included a pancake breakfast and beaver tail pastries as part of the fare cost. See https://abcentralrailway.com/ for their reasonable fares and seasonal days and hours.
The Historic Markerville Creamery (https://www.historicmarkerville.com/markerville-creamery-museum.html) provides a unique insight (and unique tasty Icelandic mains and treats at the Kaffistofa Café) about the rarely recognized Icelandic immigrants that arrived to the area in the late 1800s. The existing creamery and Buttermaker’s House were built in the early 1900s and recently restored. The creamery is found at 114 Creamery Way, Markerville, Alberta, T0M 1M0. It is only open seasonally. Tours are presently offered at the Creamery.
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, located centrally outside Red Deer, was established in 1957. It is situated just off Highway 2 between Edmonton and Calgary. The museum features prominent sports personalities from Alberta and associated memorabilia. This location offers many unique features that are unlike a traditional museum. First, electric bikes, scooters, and snowshoes are available for rental and use on the adjoining trails. For indoor fun, a treadwall climbing wall that rotates while climbing, a golf putting area, a 200m wheelchair race, an inflatable curling rink, bubble hockey, and a multi-sport area all provide physical challenges and active participation indoors. The museum is open year-round with limited holiday hours. It is also available for private bookings, parties, and corporate events. See https://www.albertasportshall.ca/ for more details.
The Bar U National Historic Site (https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ab/baru), located near Longview, was established by two of Alberta’s four cattle barons. The 70-year-old ranch, having 160,000 acres (65 hectares) at its peak, has been home to up to 35,000 cattle and 1000 horses. Over the years, the ranch was parcelled off and sold to other owners, with the Bar U site being the central remaining part. Since 1995, the site has featured a costumed historical guide, a visitor centre, and various activities to try. We recommend visiting the website to confirm the seasonal schedule, current events, and hours of operation. Please note that certified service animals are permitted on the grounds, but pets are not allowed due to potentially adverse interactions between the livestock and pets.
Northern Alberta
The Grand Prairie Museum, located at Muskoseepi Park (102 Street at 102 Avenue), opened in 1970 and features exhibits from the prehistoric era to the first farmsteads. Admission is free. The adjoining Heritage Village is open seasonally (weather dependent) and features 20 historical and replica buildings. They are presently closed on Mondays, and updates on events and hours can be found here: https://cityofgp.com/parks-recreation/facilities-venues/museums/grande-prairie-museum.
The Philip J Currie Dinosaur Museum is a 20-minute drive West of Grand Prairie and features paleontology exhibits for all ages. The museum was created by one of the founding members of the Royal Tyrell Museum. See https://dinomuseum.ca/ for the most up-to-date hours and events. Plan at least two hours for your visit.
Although not in Alberta, the Fort St John North Peace Museum in Fort St. John, British Columbia, has notable displays on Indigenous history, the fur trade, and local agriculture. Want to learn more about the Alaska Highway? This is your place. The museum offers a multitude of programs ranging from wildlife to history. The museum is closed on Sundays, and updated information can be found at https://www.fsjmuseum.com/.
The Fort McMurray Heritage Shipyard and Heritage Village are found on the opposite side of Alberta, East in Fort McMurray (https://fmheritage.com/). The museum is unique to Alberta, given it is one of the nation’s landlocked provinces. Nevertheless, river travel was an important part of the early Western economy. The sites are seasonal from Victoria Day to Labor Day during business hours.
Fort McMurray also hosts the Oil Sands Discovery Centre at 515 MacKenzie Blvd. The centre regularly has films, demonstrations, and exhibits showcasing the naturally occurring oil sands, their extraction, and the environmental reclamation efforts encompassing one of Alberta’s key natural resources. The centre is closed on Mondays, but open year-round. See https://oilsandsdiscovery.ca/ for current exhibitions, admission prices, and schedule.
Far south of Fort McMurray, but still considered part of Northern Alberta, sits Canada’s largest Air Force base and military range in Cold Lake. The accredited Canadian Forces Air Force Museum opens seasonally for visitors to learn about the history of Canadian military aircraft. For current details, see https://www.coldlakemuseums.org/about/air-force-museum/. If you are lucky, they may even have an airshow in the summer. For GPS addresses use: 3699 69 Ave, Cold Lake, AB T9M 0B5.
Southern Alberta
Nanton Bomber Command Museum of Canada is a longstanding highlight along Highway 2. Its 26,000 square-foot hangar and 3000 square feet of display space for smaller artifacts and art highlight the sacrifice and endurance of Canada’s aircrews and the work of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan that featured prominently on the Canadian prairies. Check out their website for the most recent hours and opening dates as they change seasonally (https://bombercommandmuseum.ca/). At the time of writing, the museum was only open Thursday through Monday, 1 May to 31 August, and Saturdays and Sundays the rest of the year.
The Remington Carriage Museum, with its 330 carriages, has been open for decades and is located in the small town of Cardston (623 Main Street, Cardston, Alberta). It features the world’s largest collection of carriage displays and carriage rides. Rides are available seven days a week from 1 July through 31 August. The museum’s hours change by the season, so it is best to call ahead or visit their website at https://remingtoncarriagemuseum.ca/. Carriage rides can be booked at the front desk or by phone at 403-653-5141. At the time of writing, admission for military members with a CFOne card was free. Two hours are recommended to see the museum.
The Birds of Prey Foundation in Coaldale (https://burrowingowl.com/content.php?p=home) is Canada’s largest birds of prey facility. Housed on a 70-acre wetland site, the central features many types of birds including hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls found in Alberta. The organization does not receive government tax dollar funding, so donations and the reasonable entrance fees from visitors are essential to help rehabilitate and care for the wild birds. The facility is open seasonally from May (exact dates are announced in May) to early September, so check their website for updated opening times and events.
Eastern Alberta
The Vermilion Heritage Museum off Main St. Vermilion (about two hours East of Edmonton) showcases local rural life with a focus on agriculture and the early immigrants who settled in the area. It is housed in a former high school built in 1928 and takes about 1-2 hours to visit. A playground for kids is found on the grounds, and old farm implements are also displayed outside. The museum is staffed by volunteers and is open Thursday to Sunday from the May long weekend to September or by appointment at 780-853-6211. While visiting, the Vermilion Provincial Park, a five-minute drive from the museum is worth a visit with a lake for canoeing and kayaking, camping, and trails. If you are lucky, you may spot a yellow-headed blackbird found in the river valley. If you are in town at the end of July, take in the Vermilion Fair, a regional event including agricultural displays, tractor pulls, a midway, chuckwagon racing, chariot racing, tons of food, animals on display, and a business showcase.
The Lloydminster Museum and Archives exhibits the region’s local history and culture, including that of the city’s founding fathers, the Bar Colonists—a 2000-strong settler group that immigrated in 1903 to what later became Lloydminster, Canada’s border town split by two provinces. The English, in a disorganized and ill-prepared colony led by Anglican minister Montgomery Barr, arrived in Canada on overcrowded ships, transferred to trains, and eventually arrived with reduced numbers. Of the 2000 colonists, only 22 had agricultural backgrounds, requiring assistance from the Onion Lake Cree Nation for survival. Although sod homes are no longer seen, the history of the region and the Barr Colonists are found at the museum. More information on the Onion Lake nation can be found at their virtual museum at https://www.metismuseum.ca/resource.php/04096.
Climb Thru Time is a unique Eastern Alberta museum in the form of a preserved grain elevator. These structures, now scarce due to modern grain-handling equipment, once dotted the prairie landscape. This one features a museum where visitors walk to the top through various stages of history. The site is found 35 minutes South of Lloydminster at 405 Railway Ave, Paradise Valley, AB T0B 0G9, Canada. Check their Facebook posts for the most updated information (https://www.facebook.com/ClimbThruTimeMuseum?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=X0TUjgQ94fbyrl5d&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1BvLqCSkWv%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr# )
