Arts, Culture & Museums | Canada's Alberta

Uniquely Albertan.

Uncover history and culture that spans across millions of years, from dinosaurs to Indigenous sites older than stonehenge. It’s all right here in Alberta.

A couple visiting Medalta in the Historic Clay District in Medicine Hat.

Museums and historic sites

From the prehistoric to the post-industrial, Alberta is home to all manner of museums. Combined with cultural sites that date back millennia, there’s no end to the history here.

Jason carter holding painting

Galleries and public spaces

Satisfy your artistic side with our many galleries and public art installations. From the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity to the Art Gallery of Edmonton, you’ll find something that catches your eye.

Theatre and live performances

Delve into our thriving performing arts scene in Edmonton and Calgary by attending a ballet show, a broadway musical, symphony performance or a favourite play at one of our theatres.

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Indigenous history and culture

Experience Indigenous culture first hand through cultural sites dating back tens of thousands of years. From buffalo jumps and ancient pictographs to contemporary art galleries and interpretive centres, Alberta is rich with Indigenous history and culture.

Discover Indigenous cultural experiences

Arts and culture

Galleries, cultural centres and performing arts

The arts and culture scene is alive and well in Alberta, and it doesn’t take long to see why. See a show, visit a gallery or roam a museum and see for yourself.

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Tucked away in the Rockies with over 400 public performances, events and exhibitions per year, there’s always something to see here.

Visitors playing the piano at Studio Bell.

National Music Centre

Discover the history of Canadian music right in Calgary. Check out the Canadian Music Halls of Fame, jam with interactive instrument installations and more.

Art Gallery of Alberta

Explore contemporary and historical art exhibits in the heart of Edmonton. Guided tours provide deeper insight into major displays.

Alberta Ballet

Enjoy a show with Canada’s second-largest ballet company in Edmonton or Calgary. Here you’ll find both classical and contemporary works, plus innovative collaborations.

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

Tune into this celebrated live music ensemble as they present classical masterworks, pop favourites, inventive collaborations and more.

The Empress Theatre and other buildings on Fort Macleod's Main Street.

Empress Theatre

Embrace the past as you enjoy a live concert, festival, movie or play in this iconic Fort Macleod theatre, faithfully restored to its original state from 1912.

Rosebud Theatre

Become the only person you know who’s seen a live musical in dinosaur country.

Public art, urban spaces

From architectural marvels to murals and exhibits showcasing local artists, public art is an important part of Alberta’s cities. Download an official guide, or ask a local and unlock the stories of our cities.

Public art in Calgary

Edmonton Public Art Collection

Giant head known as the Wonderland Sculpture in downtown Calgary. — Truly get to know the city through its art.

Couple walking up staircase at the Central Library.

Museums and historic sites

Dive deep into Canadian heritage with museums and historic sites

Get to know this place on a deeper level. Alberta’s museums and historic sites pack a lifetime of learning into easily digestible, fun experiences to enjoy as a part of your stay.

Museums

Couple leaving the Royal Alberta Museum in downtown Edmonton

Royal Alberta Museum

As the largest museum in western Canada, this is the place to experience the heritage of Alberta’s people and their natural environment.

Two people explore the Indigenous Peoples Experience at Fort Edmonton Park.

Fort Edmonton: Indigenous Peoples Experience

Take in life through First Nations’ and Métis peoples’ histories, cultures, experiences and perspectives informed by elders, historians and educators.

Glenbow Museum

Soak up art, history and pop-culture all in one place. With over a million artifacts and 30,000 works of art, there’s surely something to inspire you here.

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre

Learn how much can change in 90 seconds at the site of Canada’s deadliest rockslide, where the collapse of a mountain forever changed a community.

Medalta Clay District

Get hands on at this industrial museum and arts centre where you can take a ceramics class led by international artists in residence.

Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site

Walk back in time at this historic fur trading post along the North Saskatchewan River, home to many Indigenous stories and tales of exploration.

People on a guided tour at Fort Whoop-Up, inside an old fort store

Fort Whoop-Up

Immerse yourself in the tale of the buffalo robe and whisky trade at Fort Whoop-Up. Commerce, politics, and larger-than-life characters shaped history here.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Meet 6,000 years of Indigenous history up close at one of the world’s oldest and best-preserved buffalo jumps, featuring an interpretive center and hiking trails.

Royal Tyrrell Museum

Explore the past in Canada’s only museum dedicated entirely to paleontology. With hundreds of thousands of fossils on-site, ancient history comes to life here.

Explore museums and historical sites

Did you know?

Alberta is home to some of the best dinosaur fossils in the world, including five Guiness World Record Holders.

Featured stories

People look at a dinosaur display in a museum

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12 Museums and Historic Sites You Can't Miss in Alberta

Did you know Alberta has six UNESCO World Heritage sites? It also has fantastic hands-on museum experiences where you can dig for dino fossils or make your own music.

A woman posing inside Gasoline Alley

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Choose Your Calgary Adventure

Calgary isn't just Stampede city, it also has a lively year-round arts and culture scene. Explore street art, the coolest music museum anywhere, and plenty of historic landmarks.

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You Need to Visit Alberta's Six UNESCO World Heritage Sites

No matter where you travel in Alberta, you won’t be far from one or more of the province’s famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites – these amazing sites are well worth a visit.

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A Day Trip to Wetaskiwin Begins at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum

Celebrate the history of vehicles with a unique collection of more than 500 cars, airplanes, tractors and other industrial equipment at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin.

More to explore

A woman stands in front of vehicles in the Gasoline Alley Museum at Heritage Park Historical Village.

Couple taking a selfie on the street at night with neon signs in the background

Explore Edmonton

Two people walk past a dinosaur mural in downtown Drumheller.

Travel Drumheller

Couple looking towards the river at Fort McMurray Heritage Shipyard.