Museum sights in Banff Town
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Museum
Be sure to join Babe Ruth as one of the visitors who've signed the guest book at the Banff Park Museum - he did so in 1922. Near the Bow River Bridge at the southern end of town, this lodge-style wood building was built by the CPR in 1903. Check out the surprising inner atrium.
Before trails first led curious wildlife watchers into the bush, the museum housed a zoo and aviary, so Victorian visitors to Banff could catch a safe glimpse of the park's wildlife. The museum, a National Historic Site, contains a collection of animals, birds and plants found in the park, including two small stuffed grizzlies and a black bear, plus a tree carved with graffiti dating back to 1841. …
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B
Whyte Museum Complex
The Whyte Museum complex features an art gallery and a vast collection of photographs telling the history of early explorers, artists and the CPR. Many of the exhibits rotate, but be sure to check out the Heritage Gallery with its story of the unlikely romance of Peter and Catherine Whyte, the museum's founders. On the property are four log cabins and two Banff heritage homes, one dating from 1907 and the other from 1931.
The museum conducts tours of the complex and walking tours of the town year-round.
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C
Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum
The Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum is in the fort-like wooden building. Popular with kids, it mainly explores the history of the First Nations of the Northern Plains and the Rockies, but also covers indigenous groups from all over Alberta. Through life-sized displays, models and re-creations, it depicts traditions such as buffalo hunts. The museum was started by Norman Luxton in 1952; he had lofty inclinations after years running a souvenir shop on the site.
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D
Canadian Ski Museum West
Scattered throughout the Cascade Plaza Mall, Canadian Ski Museum West exhibits chronicle Banff's ski history through bronze statues of skiers and panels describing the evolution of the sport and its growth in Banff. If you can survive the smells of potpourri from the boutiques, you can learn about everyone from the charming Swiss guide Bruno Engler to modern national ski greats such as Ken Read and Karen Percy.
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E
Canada Place
You'll want to wave a maple leaf - or rent the South Park movie with the 'Blame Canada' song - after you visit this unusual, almost jingoistic location. Various exhibits and interactive displays celebrate all things Canuck. You can sit in a birch-bark canoe but try as we might, we couldn't find a Tim Hortons doughnut anywhere.
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