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The Best Museums
The Royal Tyrrell Museum: No offense to any of the province's other excellent institutions, but this one holds the trump card. A world leader in paleontology, the Royal Tyrrell (tel. 888/440-2240), in the rich dinosaur fossil beds of Alberta's badlands, near Drumheller, is truly a world-class facility, capitalizing on location to draw some of the world's most accomplished scientists and exhibit designers in the field. No trip to Alberta would be complete without it.
The Royal Alberta Museum: Long on Aboriginal history in the province, Edmonton's Royal Alberta (tel. 780/453-9100) includes the Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture, which showcases 11,000 years of Aboriginal history. There also are extensive displays on the geological forces that shaped the province's spectacular, varied terrain, and, of course, a nod to the dinosaurs that are such a star attraction here.
The Glenbow Museum: Calgary's Glenbow Museum (tel. 403/268-4100) is a multipurpose institution, and it handles its multitasking role as the largest museum in the city with aplomb. It's a must for anyone with an interest in the history and culture of Western Canada. Especially notable is the third floor, with its vivid evocation of Native cultures -- particularly of the local Blackfoot -- and compelling descriptions of Western Canada's exploration and settlement. Other floors contain displays of West African carvings, gems and minerals, and a cross-cultural look at arms and warfare.
The Art Gallery of Alberta: Temporarily set on the main floor of a downtown tower, this public gallery is rightly placed among the most innovative and daring contemporary art institutions in the country. It is a champion of First Nations contemporary art (think artists like Jane Ash Poitras and Carl Beam), and soon its environment will match its ambition: In late 2009, a brand-new, C$88-million facility will double the gallery's space to nearly 30,000 square feet. (tel. 780/422-6223)
The Whyte Museum: A little gem of a regional museum, the Whyte (tel. 403/762-2291), in Banff, chronicles the adventuresome town's founders (none of them among my relations, alas) and the indefatigable pioneer spirit that built it. The Whyte isn't limited to history; interesting touring exhibitions, like a recent show of contemporary landscape painting interpreting the varied Alberta landscape, keep a foot planted firmly in the present.
Remington Carriage Museum: Special interest, to be sure, but this private museum in tiny Cardston has been voted the "best indoor attraction in Canada" by Attractions Canada, and it's a thorough survey of transportation before the combustion engine ruled the roads. Every manner of carriage is present in the collection, along with a healthy dose of history. The museum also has one of the only carriage restoration shops in North America. (tel. 403/653-5139)
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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