Alberta's Provincial Historic Sites,
Interpretive Centres and Museums
The network of historic sites, interpretive
centres and museums operated by the Government of Alberta.
Brooks Aqueduct
This 3 km long, centipede-like structure was a vital link in an extensive
irrigation network that provided water critical to the dry lands of southern
Alberta.
Location: 8 km southeast of Brooks, off Trans-Canada Highway 1
Phone: (403) 362-4451
Father
Lacombe Chapel / Chapelle du Père Lacombe
Take an interpreter-led tour of this simple log chapel, the oldest building
still standing in Alberta. Built by Father Albert Lacombe in 1861,
this became the center of the thriving Metis settlement of St. Albert.
Location: St. Albert
Phone: (780) 459-7663
Fort George and Buckingham House
Wander through time with a visit to the gallery to learn about the lives
of the early fur traders. Meet the country wife - the link between
two cultures. Stroll down the interpretive path to the archaeological
sites of the Forts. The view will take your breath away!
Location: 13 km southeast of Elk Point
Phone: (780) 724-2611
Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
The Centre tells the
story of the Frank Slide against the backdrop of the rich history of
the Crowsnest Pass and the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies. View the
award winning audio-visual presentations, In The
Mountain’s Shadow,
and On the Edge of Destruction.
Location: Hwy 3, Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
Phone: (403) 562-7388
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Don’t miss an opportunity to see this UNESCO
World Heritage Site, National Historic Site and Provincial Historic Site.
Learn about the daily life and special ceremonies of the bison-hunting
culture of the plains (Blackfoot) peoples of ancient times. For more
than 10,000 years, they stampeded herds of mighty buffalo to their deaths
at jump sites like this one.
Location: 18 km north and west of Fort Macleod on Secondary Hwy 785
Phone: (403) 553-2731
Historic Dunvegan
Take a tour through St. Charles Mission Church and the Hudson’s Bay Company
factor’s house and glimpse life in this gateway to western expansion
of the fur trade. Enjoy a hike and picnic along the beautiful mighty
Peace River.
Location: 26 km south of Fairview
Phone: (780) 835-7150
Leitch
Collieries
This was one of the largest and most ambitious coal mines in the Crowsnest
Pass. Active from 1907 to 1915, ruins of the impressive sandstone buildings
that formed the surface operations of the mine are still standing.
Walk among the ruins of the powerhouse, mine manager’s house and coke
ovens. Interpreter-led guided walks are available.
Location: Hwy 3, Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
Phone: (403) 562-7388
Lougheed House
Lougheed House, a grand sandstone prairie mansion, was built in 1891
and enlarged in 1907. The impressive scale and the high quality of
the design, materials and interior furnishings of the house reflected
the wealth and prestige of the Lougheeds. Come and explore the architectural
grandeur and rich history of Lougheed House.
Location: 707-13 Avenue SW, Calgary
Phone: (403) 244-6333
Oil Sands Discovery Centre
The Centre tells the exciting story of the Athabasca Oil Sands, the world’s
biggest single oil deposit. Discover how oil was formed millions of
years ago, perform experiments used by oil sands pioneers, and see
how bitumen is extracted and changed into synthetic crude oil.
Location: 515 Mackenzie Blvd, Fort McMurray
Phone: (780) 743-7167
Remington
Carriage Museum
Experience authentic 19th and early 20th century horse-drawn transportation.
Using state-of-the-art techniques, the Remington Carriage Museum brings
this bygone era to life. The Museum's interactive galleries tell numerous
stories of turn-of-the-century society and the carriage industry.
Location: Cardston
Phone: (403) 653-5139
Reynolds-Alberta Museum
Join us in celebrating the "Spirit of the Machine!" This outstanding
collection of vehicles, aircraft, tractors and industrial machines pays
tribute to mechanical genius. Cruise in a 1927 Model-T Touring car or
soar in an open cockpit biplane! Enjoy our display galleries on your
own, watch museum-quality restoration in progress or take in one of our
special events.
Location: 2 km west of Wetaskiwin on Hwy 13
Phone: (780) 361-1351
Royal Alberta Museum
Enjoy the internationally acclaimed
Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture, showcasing 11,000 years of
Aboriginal history. The Natural History Gallery explores one billion
years of powerful forces that have produced Alberta's rocks and minerals.
The Bug Room has some of the world’s biggest insects and the Wild
Alberta gallery takes visitors across, over and under Alberta’s diverse
landscapes.
Location: 12845-102 Avenue, Edmonton
Phone: (780) 453-9100
Royal Tyrrell Museum
Head for Drumheller's badlands and discover this world-renowned museum.
See more than 35 skeletons of real dinosaurs like Albertosaurus, T.
rex and Triceratops. Journey through time, as different life forms
emerge, evolve and in some cases, face extinction. Watch technicians
painstakingly remove rock from around fossils.
Location: 6 km northwest of Drumheller
Phone: (403) 823-7707
Rutherford House
Afternoon tea in the sun porch. Dinner in the oak wainscotted dining
room. The austere private chambers upstairs. The gentility of the pre-First
World War era is yours to experience at Rutherford House. Alexander
Rutherford, Alberta’s first premier, built this post-Edwardian mansion
in 1911. Costumed interpreters recreate daily household life
and lead guided tours.
Location: 11153 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton
Phone: (780) 427-3995
Stephansson House
Renowned as one of the greatest poets in the western world, Icelander
Stephan G. Stephansson managed to tend this homestead by day and write
his famous poetry by night. Costumed interpreters recreate
daily chores of this 1920s household, like spinning wool and baking,
combined with leisurely poetry readings.
Location: 30 minutes southwest of Red Deer, off Hwy 592 & 781
Phone: (403) 728-3929 or (780) 427-1787
Turner Valley Gas Plant
Closed to the public during this visitor season.
The cornerstone of Alberta’s early gas and oil industry, the Turner Valley
Gas Plant provides a look into the past of one of the British Empire’s
major suppliers and a glimpse into the colourful lives of the workers
who were part of this era.
Location: 60 km south of Calgary in the Town of Turner Valley
Phone: (403) 562-7388
Tyrrell Field Station
Walk the trail of the dinosaurs at Dinosaur Provincial Park, one of the
richest fossil sites in the world or stop in at the station and take
a guided hike or bus tour (Reservations recommended). For more information
contact the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
Location: 50 km northeast of Brooks off Trans-Canada Hwy 1
Phone: (403) 378-4342
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Visit the farmsteads, shops and churches of this living-history village.
Chat with costumed interpreters who play the roles of real-life Ukrainian
settlers. They will share the compelling stories of the triumphs and
hardships of Ukrainian immigrants who came to the Bloc Settlement in
east central Alberta from 1892 to 1930. Tour the site on foot or hop
on a horse-drawn wagon. Our food kiosk features authentic Ukrainian
fare.
Location: 25 minutes east of Edmonton on Hwy 16
Phone: (780) 662-3640
Victoria Settlement
Step inside the 1864 Clerk’s Quarters or the 1906 Methodist Church. Learn
about the growth and decline of this once-bustling community from costumed
interpreters. This is where,in 1862, Reverend George McDougall founded
a Methodist mission to the Cree. The Hudson’s Bay Company later established
Fort Victoria to trade with the natives.
Location: off Hwy 855, near Smoky Lake
Phone: (780) 656-2333
Last reviewed/revised: April 2, 2012