Experience Alberta's History
at these Provincial Historic Sites
and Museums 

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

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
It was 4:10 a.m. on April 29 in 1903. In less than 100 seconds, 82 million tonnes of rock fell from Turtle Mountain and buried part of the coal mining town of Frank. At least 70 people died. 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 presentation, "In The Mountain’s Shadow," and "On the Edge of Destruction." Enjoy the Centre’s exhibits and walking trails and pause to picnic or shop at Rumbler's Gift Shop.
Location: Hwy 3, Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
Phone: (403) 562-7388

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

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 special jump sites; this jump is the oldest, largest and best-preserved buffalo jump site known.
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

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. And where else can you visit an "industrial garden" complete with a seven-storey high bucket wheel and a 150-tonne hauler and a dragline bucket the size of a double garage?
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
The museum’s long-term exhibitions include 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 exhibits some of the world’s biggest insects - alive. The Wild Alberta gallery takes visitors across, over and under Alberta’s diverse landscapes and is like no other museum experience in Canada. With new touring exhibitions featured each year, there’s something new to discover with each visit!
Location: 12845 102 Avenue, Edmonton
Phone: (780) 453-9100

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. For many years, this home welcomed the political and social elite of Alberta. 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 and respected 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 for the 2006 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).
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