Current Exhibits

SOIL SUPERHEROES

FEBRUARY 2, 2024 – MAY 20, 2024

Soil Superheroes introduces visitors to the league of superheroes who live beneath our feet and make life on earth possible. Colourfully illustrated characters speak directly to visitors, making the science of soil fun and relevant. Earthworms, sand particles, decomposing poop, and many other superheroes explain how their superpowers not only provide humans with food and medicine, but also clean the water we drink and help us fight climate change. Developed by the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, this interactive exhibition makes the difference between healthy and unhealthy soil much clearer than mud! It also includes a discovery cart rich in hands-on activities that allow visitors to become soil superhero sidekicks. This travelling exhibit is on loan from Ingenium | Canada Agriculture and Food Museum.


SURVIVAL IN PARADISE:
COAL MINING IN CANMORE

ONGOING, OPENS MAY 19

Canmore’s coal mining heritage is integral to the history of this place. This exhibition shares the cohesive story of mining in Canmore, highlighting the timeline of mining in the Bow Valley, the evolution of mining technology and the communities that grew up around the mines. Featuring artifacts from our core collection and innovative community storytelling through digital technology.

Go underground with our virtual reality experience. Visitors are immersed in the sights and sounds of the No. 2 mine as it would have been in the 1950s. Commentary by veteran Canmore miners Ed Latvala and Ernie Lakusta enhances the memorable experience.

Upcoming Exhibits

CANMORE MINERS:
COAL MINER PORTRAITS AND STORIES

This exhibition features over 40 portraits taken of the hard-working people who chose to live and work in Canmore, a coal mining town situated in the magnificent Rocky Mountains of Alberta, by Lawrence Chrismas soon after the mine closed in 1979 after nearly a century of operations. This collection of heart-warming stories and engaging photographs provides the reader with an intimate look at life in a single-industry town at a time of transition.

Past Exhibits

WAGICHIBI ÎHNUTHE:
DANCE REGALIA OF THE ÎYÂRHE STONEY NAKODA

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 TO JANUARY 18, 2024

Wagichibi Îhnuthe will trace the journey of the Îyârhe Stoney Nakoda as they reclaim the cultural traditions of dance, regalia, and ceremony from the very earliest recorded performance for non-Indigenous guests staying at the Banff Springs Hotel in 1894, to the rise of Banff Indians Days and the “Indian Encampment” at Calgary Stampede, to competitive powwows hosted at Mînî Thni (Morley) and Eden Valley today. Featuring regalia and other artifacts on loan to the Canmore Museum from Îyârhe Stoney Nakoda from neighbouring Mînî Thni (Morley), this exhibit is developed in collaboration with members of the Stoney Nakoda Nation.


ALONG THE BOW: THE ART OF THIS PLACE

MAY 19 TO SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

Along the Bow showcases the artistic legacy of the eastern Bow Valley from Canmore to Mînî Thni (Morley). The exhibition will selectively highlight the contributions of resident and visiting artists who have contributed to creating a “picture” of this place along the Bow River. Featuring painting, sculpture, original prints, photography and craft, a sense of place and identity will be a central theme of the exhibition. Curated by Mary-Beth Laviolette, Associate Curator of Art.


FROM COAL TO COMMUNITY

Our permanent exhibit, From Coal to Community, presents Canmore in a variety of perspectives: as an ancient way station for indigenous First Nations, as an integral part of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Western expansion, as a 95-year historic coal-mining community, as an excellent venue to study and observe the geological history of the Earth, and as a modern and vibrant community that attracts artists and athletes from all over the world.

Explore the depths of the Canmore Mine with our virtual reality experience. Visitors are immersed in the sights and sounds of the No. 2 mine as it would have been in the 1950s. Commentary by veteran Canmore miners Ed Latvala and Ernie Lakusta enhances the memorable experience.