Oddities of Alberta – 7 Unique Places to Visit

ByCrystal

Alberta is a Canadian western prairie province that offers a range of stunning scenery, landscapes, and sights for the tourist to explore. From spending a day taking in the majestic Rocky Mountains to exploring the Badlands, seeing the Northern Lights and exploring one of Alberta’s many picturesque towns – there’s so much to do!

Filled with the history of the wild west, Alberta is a province that I would recommend to tourists of all ages and interests. So, without further ado, here are my top seven unique sites to visit in Alberta!

Diorama of two stuffed prairie dogs at the Gopher Hole Museum. The left prairie dog is dressed up in a hat and an apron carrying a brown paper bag filled with groceries. The prairie dog on the right is dressed in yellow shorts with a red and yellow scarf and is on the ground picking up the bag of groceries he dropped. Both prairie dogs are standing outside of a tiny general store with trees and hills painted on the wall behind them.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please see my Privacy Policy for more information.

Gopher Hole Museum

Visiting the Gopher Hole Museum is an absolute must for anyone interested in learning more about Alberta’s quirky past! The museum is located in Torrington and features a number of taxidermy “gophers” (actually Richardson’s ground squirrels!) in diorama-style displays. Each diorama offers a glimpse into the social history of the tiny hamlet of Torrington, and the exhibits include a scene from a beauty salon, a fashion show, the bank, a fishing hole and a parade!

Fuch’s Wildlife Exhibit

A stuffed coyote sitting in a winter scene in a museum. The coyote has a weird smile due to bad taxidermy at Fuch's Wildlife Museum in Lloydminster.

Another great way to explore the rich history of Alberta is by visiting Fuch’s Wildlife Exhibit located in the Alberta/Saskatchewan border city of Lloydminster at the Lloydminster Cultural and Science Centre. Technically the science centre is located in the Saskatchewan side of Lloydminster, but it’s just over the border so I am still going to include it!

Fuch’s Wildlife Exhibit is a permanent fixture at the Cultural and Science Centre, and the exhibit has amassed over 1200 pieces of taxidermy from all over the world. Each specimen has been stuffed and mounted by Nicholas Fuch himself, making his collection the largest one-man taxidermy collection in North America! It features a number of different animals at different stages of processing (definitely one for the kids!)

Museum of Fear and Wonder

Various dolls on display in the Museum of Fear and Wonder

The Museum of Fear and Wonder is located in Southern, Alberta about an hour and a half from Calgary by car. The museum features a collection of waxworks, terrifying dolls and toys from the past. These objects are meant to provoke feelings of fear. If you want to visit, make sure that you plan your trip during the summer months; the museum is only open in June through August and you have to make an appointment in advance.

Royal Tyrrell Museum

Entrance to Royal Tyrell Museum. Museum sign with a large dinosaur on the sign.

Nestled in between the hoodoos of the badlands in Drumheller, the Royal Tyrrell Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils. Each fossil has been assembled and displayed for full effect, and you can look straight into the eyes of some of the most awe-inspiring dinosaurs to ever roam our planet!

The Banff Merman

Banff Merman which is half monkey and half fish posed on his stomach with his head in the air in front of the Rocky Mountains in Banff.
credit: Calgary Herald

For those looking to get outdoors and explore the beautiful Rocky Mountains town of Banff, the Banff Merman is a must! The Banff Merman is located at the Banff Indian Trading Post on Cave Avenue.

The mystical creature is half man and half beast and actually looks like a bad taxidermy job – (seems to be a theme in Alberta!) – of the top half of a monkey species and the bottom half of a mackerel.

This merman was made public in 1915 by Banff pioneer Norman Luxton. Where the merman really came from is still a mystery!

Alberta’s Giant Roadside Attractions

The giant roadside attraction of a large red meat color Ukrainian sauage in Mundare Alberta. The Sausage is in a U shape with the base of the sausage close to the ground. Stairs are leading up to the sausage so it can be touched and posed with.

Alberta is home to many giant roadside attractions, but my personal favourites are the giant pieces of food! Just a few hours from each other are the giant sausage (known as a kubasa or kielbasa) in Mundare, the giant Easter egg (known as a pysanka) in Vegreville and the giant perogy in Glendon.

Vulcan

Giant roadside attraction in Vulcan Alberta is the Star Trek Enterprise Replica sitting on a concrete slab with the Canadian Flag flying behind it with an incredibly blue bright sky on a sunny day.

For the TV and sci-fi geeks, the Star Trek-themed town of Vulcan located in southern Alberta has embraced all things Trekkie! You can immerse yourself in the world of Star Trek by viewing the replica Enterprise ship, the copper bust of Spock with an imprint of Leonard Nimoy’s hand, and an information centre shaped like a spaceship that displays a multitude of Star Trek memorabili

Alberta is a fantastic feast for the eyes and the soul! The varied landscapes are truly stunning, and the quirky little towns throughout the province blow me away! Take a visit for yourself and explore everything that Alberta has to offer!

More information on Things to do in Alberta Canada

Sharing is caring!