With only a few weeks left in the official visitor season for Alberta’s historic sites, museums, interpretive centres and archives, there is still time for you and your friends and family to hit the highway and discover the fascinating stories from Alberta’s past. But don’t fret if you didn’t make it out this summer — some sites are still open year-round!
Discover history on the North Saskatchewan River along the Victoria Trail, where Reverend George McDougall founded a Methodist Mission to the Cree in 1862. This is where the Hudson’s Bay Company established Fort Victoria in 1864 to trade with the local natives. The Mission and Fort became the nucleus for a Métis community whose river lots extended six miles along the bank of the river.
Admission: $5 adults, $4 seniors, $2 youth, $14 family, kids 6 and under and Canadian military members (with CFOne card) are free.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p .m. Thursday to Tuesday, Wednesdays are self-guided. May 15 to Labour Day
Fort George and Buckingham House
Fort George and Buckingham House were two competing fur trade posts, and an important part of Alberta’s earliest fur trading history. Wander through the gallery and let modern technology offer you a glimpse of the dreams of Louis, the voyageur. Listen as William Tomison, the Chief Factor of Buckingham House, reflects and writes in his journal, and step into the world of the indigenous people whose lives were so affected by the arrival of the fur traders.
Admission: $5 adults, $4 seniors, $2 youth, $14 family, kids 6 and under and Canadian military members (with CFOne card) are free.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p .m. daily, May 15 to Labour Day
Alberta is steeped in history of Indigenous Peoples, the fur trade and missionaries. Historic Dunvegan, a provincially and nationally designated historic resource, is nestled in the stunning Peace River valley and brings their stories to life. Four original, authentically-restored and furnished buildings are still located in the same places they were over 100 years ago, and historic interpreters are waiting to share the stories that helped shape the province we know today.
Admission: $5 adults, $4 seniors, $2 youth, $14 family, kids 6 and under and Canadian military members (with CFOne card) are free.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p .m. daily, May 15 to Labour Day
The Oil Sands Discovery Centre in Fort McMurray is located in the heart of the world’s biggest single oil deposit – the Athabasca Oil Sands. The Centre is an educational facility committed to increasing public awareness and knowledge about the oil sands. Come to the Oil Sands Discovery Centre and experience the history, science, and technology of the oil sands. It’s the closest you can get without boots and a hard hat!
Admission: $11 adults, $8 seniors, $7 youth, $29 family, kids 6 and under and Canadian military members (with CFOne card) are free.
Summer hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, May 15 until Labour Day
Regular hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Labour day until May 14
RETROactive 