Hours + Admission
BARRACKS HOURS + ADMISSION
The Canmore NWMP Barracks Provincial Historic Site is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm beginning June 15th, 2024 until August 31st, 2024.
The Canmore Museum stewards this historic site on behalf of our community, and runs a number of programs and events at the Barracks throughout the year. Check out our events calendar for a listing of upcoming programs and special events.
A highlight during the summer is the Indigenous Stories Program, which runs most Saturdays from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm on a drop-in basis. Visit the tipi on the Barrack’s lawn to learn more about the history, living culture, language, and traditions of the Îyârhe Nakoda.
During the remainder of the year, educational programs for school groups are held at the Barracks.
Museum Admission fees are:
Museum Admission fees are:
- Adults (age 18-64) | $10
- Seniors (65+) | $8
- Postsecondary Students (18+ with student ID) | $8
- Youth (13-17) | $5
- Children (age 12 and under) | free
- Indigenous Folks | free
- Canmore Museum Members | free
- Canmore/Banff Affordability Services Cardholders | free
Admission ticket is valid same day for both the Canmore Museum and the NWMP Barracks Provincial Historic Site.
Visitor Services + Amenities + Location
VISITOR SERVICES
Barracks staff are on hand to help guide your experience as you explore our museum, community and the natural landscapes around us.
For further information about Canmore, please contact Visitor + Membership Services at (403) 678-2462 x 4 or by email via info@canmoremuseum.com.
VISITOR AMENITIES
- Picnic facilities are located on the NWMP Barracks grounds
- A number of excellent coffee shops, restaurants, and shops are located nearby; visit the Tourism Canmore + Kananaskis website to explore the variety of shopping, restaurants, accommodations and services that our community and region has to offer
LOCATION + PARKING
The NWMP Barracks Historic Provincial Site is located on Main Street at 609 8th Street, Canmore, Alberta. Paid street parking and surface lot parking are available nearby.
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History
Built in 1893, the Canmore North West Mounted Police (NWMP)Barracks brings to life the story of the North-West Mounted Police.
The Canmore NWMP outpost was established to keep these in check for the benefit of both the mine companies and the local community.
In 1888, the president of the Canadian Anthracite Coal Company petitioned the Comptroller of the NWMP in Ottawa for more police to control the importation of liquor from the United States, which was causing problems with the miners and railway workers.
One constable was stationed in the town in rented quarters, but by 1892 it became obvious that more permanent quarters were needed and the existing Canmore NWMP Barracks were constructed in 1893. Occupied by one or two officers at a time between 1893 and 1929, their duties included patrols, checking the trains for illegal liquor and monitoring the strikes that occurred in Canmore, particularly in 1911.
The NWMP Barracks was in operation until 1929 when it was decommissioned. The property was reverted back to the government and then became a private residence until the late 1980s. It was purchased by the Town of Canmore in 1989 and declared a Provincial Historic Site in 1990. The Canmore NWMP Barracks is one of the oldest surviving NWMP buildings in Alberta, one of only three remaining from before the creation of so-called Alberta in 1905.