The Reynolds-Alberta Museum is a museum located in Wetaskiwin, that is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the rich history of transportation, aviation, agriculture, and industry in Alberta. The museum’s extensive collection features vintage automobiles, aircraft, tractors, and other artefacts that provide visitors with a glimpse into Alberta’s past and the technological advancements that have shaped this province.
If you have a passion for anything mechanical (I’m talking cars, trucks, motorbikes, airplanes, and farming equipment) then you will be in heaven here… but rest assured, kids will love this place too (our two girls who aren’t the least bit interested in cars, trucks or planes still loved it).
What to Expect When Visiting the Reynolds-Alberta Museum
To be completely honest, as we pulled into the car park and noticed that we were one of only a few vehicles there, I was a little concerned about what to expect inside the museum. However, those worries quickly disappeared as we entered and were warmly greeted by the enthusiastic museum staff, who handed us a helpful map of the exhibits. They checked us in quickly using our Canoo App too, that gives free entry to this wonderful museum (and many others across Alberta) for a whole year!
The Reynolds-Alberta Museum is a huge complex, spanning multiple buildings, that houses a spectacular collection of historical vehicles. From antique farm equipment to vintage cars, classic airplanes, and helicopters, the sheer variety on display was truly impressive. Yet, this museum isn’t just static exhibits to look at. It has really made an effort to offer a range of activities that are designed to engage visitors of all ages.
If your kids are old enough, you can grab an interactive game board at the front desk, that includes six riddles scattered throughout the gallery, using the informative panels within the museum to unravel each one. Once your journey comes full circle, return the completed board to the information desk and claim a well-deserved reward.
Exploring the Reynolds-Alberta Museum
Our adventure began in the main building, where our kids’ excitement grew as they ran off ahead at every turn in search of the next “cool car”. We’d recently taken a trip to Heritage Park in Calgary and the famous ‘gasoline alley‘ so it was fun to compare the collection! We all took turns at voting and choosing our favourite cars, although surprisingly our kids favourite was actually the 1970’s camper van! They then proceeded to try and convince me to buy one a few times on the journey back to Calgary (I don’t think they have fully grasped the concept of money yet)!
The Aviation Hangar
Just beyond the entrance of the East Hall, a set of doors takes you outside, and there is a pathway that takes you to the Aviation Display Hangar (approximately a 200-metre walk, so keep that in mind if you have young children, strollers or a wheelchair).
Stepping into the Aviation Display Hangar was a really cool experience; I’m not sure if I’ve ever witnessed so many planes in one place before! Every corner of the warehouse seemed to be filled with suspended planes and helicopters, some from World War I and II, and others over a century old.
Our kids loved climbing inside some of the aircraft, including a helicopter and a wood-frame two-seater airplane. They enjoyed the wooden plane most as they could play with the controls and actually move the steering wings, allowing them to learn how these planes would have actually been flown back in the day.
The vast majority of the collection in the museum was contributed by Stan Reynolds, an acclaimed collector and successful entrepreneur from Wetaskiwin. His collection stands as the most substantial of its type in the history of Canada! The story goes that he agreed to donate his collection, provided that the Government built a museum to house them all – it took a few years but what a great job they did!
The Main Gallery
After exploring the Aviation Hangar, we made our way back to the main museum, this time stopping to look at some of the planes that are parked outside. Once back inside the building, we arrived at the Starlight Drive-In Theatre. I have to say that this was really well put together as each of the seats were made out of the rear ends of various cars repurposed into comfortable seating for the theatre. With cartoons on loop the kids could have sat there for hours if we didn’t eventually drag them away.
Once in the main section of the museum there is every type of automobile imaginable. Depending on your interest (or how fast you have to move to catch up to your kids), you could spend hours reading through all the information throughout the museum. I certainly wished we had longer to really take all the information in.
It’s pretty cool that the museum is home to one of the only Duesenberg vehicles on display in Canada. One of the staff mentioned that this car would have cost over $10,000 even back then, when most cost less than $1,000.
Special Events at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum
It’s worth noting that the Reynolds-Alberta Museum has a number of special events throughout the year. One of the most popular is the ‘Ultimate Car Show’ where they apparently have almost 2000 vintage cars on show! If we weren’t on our trip to Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick then I think we would have made the effort to go back and see it (maybe next year)!
However they also have a number of other events throughout the year, including a ‘Driving Thru the 70’s’ event, a motorbike show, a harvest show, among others. More information can be found below on the current events that are available:
Tips for Visiting the Reynolds-Alberta Museum:
Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm; see their website for current info.
Admission:
Adults - $15
Seniors (65+) - $11
Youth (7 - 17) - $9
Family – $40
Child (7 and under) – FREE
Canoo Members - FREE
Parking is free, with lots of parking spots
As a family that doesn’t possess a huge interest in cars, trucks or airplanes, we all really enjoyed our time at the museum, and would definitely recommend stopping by if you are in the area. We liked it so much that we have even included it in our top 10 must visit attractions in Alberta using the Canoo App!
The town of Wetaskiwin is also pretty if you have a little extra time to wonder around.
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