Claresholm is the ideal location to soak in Southern Alberta history while also being able to branch out to numerous regional attractions from Waterton Lakes National Park to the south and the Calgary Stampede to the north. Be sure to start with the Claresholm & District Museum and Visitor Information Centre to explore their unique displays and get all the information you need to navigate the beauty and history of the area.
The Claresholm & District Museum is one of the best community museums in southern Alberta. For a town the size of Claresholm, the collection and quality of exhibits and displays are remarkable.
The Claresholm & District Museum comprises a 1912 CPR train station, which is a provincially designated historic resource, an 8,000 square foot Exhibit Hall, Claresholm’s first school from 1903, a 1920s log cabin, and a CPR caboose. Established in 1969, the museum has long been committed to preserving and exhibiting the history of the community.
The historic sandstone railway station, which was originally part of Calgary’s 9th Avenue C.P.R. depot in 1886, was rebuilt in 1912. The CPR depot is home to the Visitor Information Centre and gift shop, the original Station Master’s office, other exhibits such as the Louise McKinney and Pink Tea Exhibit, and a free old fashioned photo booth complete with historic costumes. The Exhibit Hall, constructed in 2008, interprets the history of Claresholm through tableaux from Blackfoot culture to military history, including the RCAF and NATO training schools. There are several transportation artifacts on display including a rare local school bus (believed to be Canada's oldest motorized school bus), cars, and one of Claresholm’s fire engines. Researchers may access the archival holdings by appointment (phone 403.625.1742).
Claresholm Rail Station circa 1912
The Visitor Information Centre located in the CPR Depot and the Museum Exhibit Hall is open from May through September, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. The Museum is also open by appointment (to researchers, school or tour groups) by phoning the Museum at 403.625.1742 or 403.625.3131 or by e-mail.
