Experience Alberta’s History Alberta’s Provincial Historic Sites and Museums Dive into Alberta’s vibrant history and let the excitement of our past carry you away! Travel back in time through vast lands where dinosaurs once ruled the earth, experience the sacred traditions of our Aboriginal people, or feel the blood, sweat and tears of those who toiled to make Alberta the great province is it today – all at Alberta’s provincial historic sites, museums, interpretive centres & archives.
Just log on to experiencealbertahistory.com, chose your destination(s), pick up your “Experience Alberta History” Pass at all major provincial historic sites, museums, and interpretive centres, Alberta Motor Association’s offices throughout the province and Edmonton Visitor Information Centres and you are good to go.
Historic Dunvegan
Aboriginal HISTORY
Canada Day
Historic Dunvegan, Near Fairview
Come take a tour through St. Charles Mission Church and the Hudson’s Bay Company factor’s house and glimpse the life of the fur trade. Or drink in the nature that surrounds this site including a provincial park, perfect for day use or weeklong stays.
Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton
Eleven thousand years of Aboriginal history is showcased at the internationally acclaimed Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture, while rocks and minerals, insects and Alberta’s diverse landscapes are yours to explore in this truly unique Alberta museum.
Friday, July 1, noon – 4pm
Celebrate Canada’s special day by exploring some of the historic events and activities that led to its birth. Tour three restored historic buildings, play games and enjoy cake and entertainment. Admission is half price!
26k m south of Fairview • 780-835-7150
Father Lacombe Chapel
Fort George and Buckingham House (near Elk Point)
The location of two competing fur trade posts, Fort George and Buckingham House illustrates the significant impact that the fur trade had on Aboriginal people. Learn about the dreams of Louis, the voyageur; William Tomison, the Chief Factor of Buckingham House; and “The Country Wife” linking the two cultures.
Oh Canada! Friday, July 1, noon – 4 pm Join us on Mission Hill as we celebrate “Oh Canada!” alongside the City of St. Albert. Visit us as we celebrate with historic demonstrations, an old-fashioned craft, tours, games, and home-made ice cream! We look forward to showing you around on this special day in Canada. Admission is by donation.
Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump (near Fort Macleod)
Learn about the buffalo-hunting culture of the Plains Peoples. For close to 6,000 years, they stampeded herds of mighty buffalo to their deaths at special jump sites; this jump is the oldest, largest and best-preserved buffalo jump site in North America.
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Drumming &
Dancing
Every Wednesday, July 6 – August 31 Daily performances: 11 am & 1:30 pm Join us on the plaza to watch spectacular dance performances. Listen to live Blackfoot drumming and singing while watching some of the best First Nations dancers in Western Canada. No charge for performances.
90 minutes from Calgary near Fort Macleod, secondary Hwy #785 • 403-553-2731
St. Albert • 780-459-7663
Alberta legends
Father Lacombe Chapel, St. Albert
Alberta’s oldest building, Father Lacombe Chapel was constructed in 1861 by Father Lacombe and his Métis helpers to serve as the new St. Albert Roman Catholic Mission, and became the centre of a thriving French-speaking settlement.
Rutherford House, Edmonton
Alexander Rutherford, Alberta’s first premier, built this post-Edwardian mansion in 1911. Today, enjoy the gentility of the First World War era, as costumed interpreters recreate daily life.
Lougheed House, Calgary
Built in 1891 and enlarged in 1907, Lougheed House remains a bustling icon of activity amid the modern surrounding buildings. Dine in the restaurant, wander through the opulent gardens, and explore the architectural grandeur of this elegant sandstone mansion.
Provincial Archives of Alberta
Provincial Archives of Alberta preserves and makes available private and government records related to the history and culture of Alberta, and serves as the permanent repository of the Government of Alberta.
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Canada Day Friday, July 1, 10 am – 5 pm
Come Celebrate Canada Day at the Ukrainian Village! There will be a display of vintage cares, exhibits, roving musicians and a Village Market. Visit the historic village; enjoy wagon rides and traditional Ukrainian food.
25 minutes east of Edmonton on Hwy 16 • 780-662-3640
Victoria Settlement
Jamboree
Science and Technology
Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin
One of Alberta’s “must see” attractions, this international award-winning museum celebrates the “Spirit of the Machine!” There’s lots to see and do, like taking a tour of the museum grounds in a chauffeur driven vintage vehicle, or taking to the skies in an open cockpit bi-plane.
Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, Crowsnest Pass
At 4:10 a.m. on April 29 in 1903, 82 million tonnes of rock fell from Turtle Mountain and buried part of the coal mining town of Frank – in less than 100 seconds – killing at least 90 people. Come hear the story, and marvel at the huge pile of rubble that remains.
Sunday, July 3, 11:00 am start
Bring your banjo, guitar, fiddle, or spoons. This Sunday starts with a church service at 11 am followed by a tea. The afternoon is full of entertainment in a jamboree format: music, dance, poetry and drama. Bring a lawn chair to just sit back and enjoy or sign up to take your turn on stage. Hot food, historic demonstrations, tours, and kids’ activities all afternoon
Located off Hwy 855, near Smoky Lake • 780-656-2333
Remington Carriage Museum, Cardston
Learn about the triumphs and hardships of Ukrainian immigrants who came to the bloc settlement in east central Alberta from 1892 to 1930. Visit the farmsteads, shops and churches, and best of all – taste the authentic Ukrainian fare.
Using state-of-the-art techniques, the Remington Carriage Museum brings the bygone era of horse-drawn transportation to life. The Museum’s interactive galleries tell numerous stories of turn-of-the-century society and the carriage industry.
Victoria Settlement (near Smoky Lake)
In 1862, Reverend George McDougall founded a Methodist mission for the Cree. The Hudson’s Bay Company later established Fort Victoria to trade with the Aboriginal people. Learn about the growth and decline of this once-bustling community.
Reynolds-Alberta Museum
Luxury Cars of thE
Roaring Twenties
Until February 29, 2012
Find out what made the Roaring Twenties “ROAR” by taking in the Reynolds-Alberta Museum’s feature exhibit “Luxury Cars of the Roaring Twenties”. This glimpse into the life style of this decade includes more than 25 luxury cars that reflect not only the technology, but the wide spread prosperity of this short exciting era. The exhibit is supported with examples of fashion and music. The featured luxury vehicle is the 1918 Winton Six Model 48. This 1918 Winton was restored by the experts in our Restoration Shop to its 1922 condition. Other luxury cars on display include Rolls-Royce, Packard, Marmon, and Duesenberg.
Wetaskiwin • 780-361-1351
Early Settlement
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village (near Edmonton)
Stephansson House (near Red Deer)
Industry
Oil Sands Discovery Centre, Fort McMurray
One of the greatest poets in the western world, Icelander Stephan G. Stephansson managed to tend this homestead by day and write his famous and respected poetry by night.
Discover how oil was formed millions of years ago, and learn the exciting story of the Athabasca Oil Sands, the world’s biggest single oil deposit.
Experience Alberta History Pass
Brooks Aqueduct, Brooks
Erected over 90 years ago to serve as a vital link in the Canadian Pacific Railway’s expansive irrigation network, the Brooks Aqueduct stretched the limits of engineering design and technology.
an offer you can’t Refuse!
This easy-to-use pass provides unlimited access for one year from the date of purchase and opens doors to the fascinating world of Alberta’s rich history and culture. Besides offering a variety of educational and learning activities for visitors of all ages, many heritage facilities have a wide range of special events and interactive programs throughout the year. They are exciting places to stop on a vacation where visitors come to learn and have fun.
Dinosaurs
Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller
Head for Drumheller’s badlands and discover this worldrenowned museum, featuring one of the world’s largest collections of dinosaur skeletons. Canada’s only museum devoted entirely to palaeontology the Museum showcases the 3.9-billion-year history of plant and animal life on Earth.
Tyrrell Field Station, Near Brooks
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.
Provincial historic sites, museums, interpretive centres & archives in alberta • Brooks Aqueduct • Father Lacombe Chapel • Frank Slide Interpretive Centre • Fort George & Buckingham House
• Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump • Historic Dunvegan • Leitch Collieries • Lougheed House • Oil Sands Discovery Centre
• Provincial Archives of Alberta • Remington Carriage Museum • Reynolds-Alberta Museum • Royal Alberta Museum • Royal Tyrrell Museum
Enjoy unlimited access to all 19 Alberta Government historic sites, museums, interpretive centres & archives.
Family $75 / Adult $30 / Senior $25 / Youth $15 / Under 7 free EXPERIENCE ALBERTA PASSES are available at all major provincial historic sites, museums, and interpretive centres, Alberta Motor Association’s offices throughout the province and Edmonton Visitor Information Centres.
ExperienceAlbertaHistory.com
• Rutherford House • Stephansson House • Tyrrell Field Station • Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village • Victoria Settlement
In Alberta, call any museum or centre toll-free through 310-0000 Check out other cultural events throughout the province on the Alberta Culture Calendar or submit your own events at
www.culture.alberta.ca/events