The Best Museums to Visit in Edmonton, Alberta

Posted by EdmontonRealEstate .ca on Friday, November 9th, 2018 at 9:13am.

Visit an Edmonton MuseumWhen it comes to museums the problem you'll find when living in or visiting Edmonton is not that we have a lack of them, but instead that we have an abundance of them for you to visit. Even if you've never been a fan of culture as such you'll still find a museum in the city that will interest and maybe even intrigue you - remembering that not every museum is about displaying works of art.

The Royal Alberta Museum

The largest museum in the city is the Royal Alberta Museum, which was actually known as the Provincial Museum of Alberta until it was renamed as part of a visit by HRH Queen Elizabeth in 2005. To give you some idea of just how impressive this museum is it acts as home to over 10,000,000 (10 million) different objects from both Canada, North America and elsewhere in the world. You could spend an entire day here and not even sample a small fraction of what's on display.

Up until 2005 this museum was actually known as the Provincial Museum of Alberta but after a visit by Queen Elizabeth II the museum was given royal patronage and renamed in the process. The museum itself has been in existence since 1967 and contains several large exhibits including natural history, wildlife, Native culture and several other smaller exhibits too. There are 3 permanent galleries in the museum but it does also have galleries which are left open to feature travelling collections and/or other such events.

A museum of this quality has a lot of benefits for anyone living in our city both in terms of education for the children of the city, plus the prestige of having a "Royal Museum" also adds something to the city itself too.

The Telephone Historical Centre

The Telephone Historical Centre is one of the most unique places to take the entire family over the summer. It features many outreach programs, collections and even a presentation from Xeldon, the talking robot. Whether you live history, telephones or you're just looking for something unique, this is a great place to visit.

Explore the many collections from antique telephones to the hands on exhibits throughout the center. You can experience history for yourself with a self-guided tour, which includes the ability to scan QR codes for information about the many exhibits. Some of the replicas and artifacts go all the way back to the beginning when the telephone was introduced in Edmonton. You'll get to sell a manual phone system from 1885 along with a model from each part of the evolution. Some of the phones in the collection include:

  • A Mickey Mouse Rotary Dial
  • Wall Phones with Manual and Automatic switching
  • Candlestick Phones
  • Wooden three box phone
  • Original coffin style phone
  • Model 554 Northern Electric Single Line Phone
  • And Many More!

Programs and tours include special school tours for those looking to take a field trip and senior programs. The senior programs are about an hour long and includes a theatre show, while the school tours are a little longer. All tours and programs include the regular multi-media show with Xeldon, which is full of great historical footage of the telephones throughout Edmonton.

Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre

If you're more of a military history buff then you'll enjoy visiting the Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre in Edmonton. Obviously everything within this museum is a tribute to the military service of the people of Edmonton and Alberta, as part of the Commonwealth, in general across a number of global conflicts. You'll find uniforms, firearms and memorabilia from conflicts dating back to before World War I for example and this museum even has its own small theatre which shows a short informational film.

The Telus World of Science

The Telus World of Science museum will appeal to all the junior and more senior boffins of the world and has proven to be so popular it's been expanded several times since it first opened. Inside you'll find an observatory, a planetarium, an amateur radio station and even an IMAX theatre, in addition to all of the various exhibits on display in any of the five permanent galleries. You won't have any trouble finding the World of Science because it resembles a giant plasma sphere.

The Prairie Gardens Museums

The Corn Mazes at Prairie GardensPrairie Gardens is an adventure waiting to entertain your children and this is the perfect time of year for a trip to the farm. If you're looking for a great way to entertain your children or the perfect field trip for your class, this farm is a great choice.

Prairie Gardens is home to six cornfield mazes including a Montour Kids Maze and a Mindbender Maze. These mazes provide all types of fun as you discover the way through. Along with the mazes, you can enjoy over 50 activities including:

  • Petting Farm
  • Little Tykes Tractor Track
  • Rope Maze
  • Duck Races
  • Bale Maze
  • Hill Slide
  • Kids Playgrounds
  • Duck Races
  • Peacock Observatory
  • Bunnyville
  • Living Checker Game
  • Pirate's Cover Kids Zone
  • Bale Jump
  • Crab Apple Trail
  • Garden Centre
  • And More!

These are some of the highlights coming up and you can also schedule a weeknight for your Youth Group Flashlight Adventure or schedule a birthday party. They also hold many school field trips.

The Alberta Aviation Museum

Found in Edmonton, the Alberta Aviation Museum is full of history. Enjoy the progress of technology on display through the museum by taking a group tour with a guide or plan your own self-guided tour. The interactive tour will walk you through the evolution of flights from wood aircrafts to fabric to the planes we see today. Whether you visit with the family or a special group, there's something everybody will enjoy.

The museum includes the following:

  • Over 50 Aircrafts
  • Over 40 Exhibits
  • Guided Tours
  • Lectures
  • Kid's Activities
  • Flight Simulators
  • Cold War Jet Fighter
  • Canadian Aviation Display
  • Public Interest Activities

The Alberta Aviation Museum offers many different events throughout the year, along with school programs, summer camps, facility rentals and birthday parties. Whether you want to celebrate your birthday or take a field trip with your class, this is a great place to learn about aviation history.

Enjoy sitting in the cockpit of a 737 or just taking the tour as you learn all about aviation in Canada. You can listen to different stories about the displays, attend lectures or take a guided tour of the entire facility.  

Visit an Edmonton Museum Today

Regardless of the type of museum you prefer visiting you can be certain that Edmonton can fulfill that need for you.

Leave a Comment