Is The Alberta History Pass Worth Your Money?
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What Is The Alberta History Pass
A couple years ago I visited The Royal Tyrell Museum with some friends I decided to purchase an Alberta History Pass. This pass is valid for 1 year and gives you general admission to several historical sites in Alberta. It costs $125 for a family, $55 for an adult, $40 for a senior, and $30 for a youth. I wanted to use it in Drumheller, and a few places around Edmonton, so I thought it’d be worth getting.
What to Know Before Buying an Alberta History Pass.
- A few sites on the pass don’t charge admission or are by donation. If you get the pass prioritize visiting paid admission sites first.
- Special exhibits at historic sites may incur extra charges not covered by the Alberta History Pass.
- The sites on the Alberta History Pass are spread across the province, from Cardston in the south to Fort McMurray in the north.
- The pass is valid only for Government of Alberta run historic sites; federal and municipal run historic sites are excluded.
- Some sites are mainly outdoors; be sure to dress for the weather conditions.
- Some sites are in rural areas and you’ll need a vehicle to visit them.
- The pass can be used to visit the same site multiple times.
- The pass is only valid for 12 months, and is non-transferable. Lost or damaged passes must be replaced at full cost.
- The Alberta History Pass is only available for purchase at select locations (see the chart below). This pass cannot be purchased online.
- Some sites are only open seasonally (May to September). See below for more details.
Historic Sites in the Alberta History Pass
I’ve put together two tables breaking down the Alberta History Pass sites by region. Any sites that are listed as “no” in the Is the site open year round? column are only open from the May long-weekend to September long-weekend. Confirm the hours of operation on their website or by phone before visiting any site on the Alberta History Pass.
North
These are attractions in the Alberta History Pass that are in either in Edmonton or are located north of Edmonton. I’ve also included the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, east of Edmonton. The site name will link to the official website for more details including hours of operation. The location will open a link in Google Maps.
| Site Name | Location in Alberta | General Adult Admission without the Alberta History Pass | Can you buy the Alberta History Pass here? | Is the site open year round? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Father Lacombe Chapel | 2 St. Vital Ave, St. Albert | $0 (by donation – cash only) | No | No |
| Fort George and Buckingham House | 6015 Township Rd 565, Elk Point | $5 | No | No |
| Frog Lake Provincial Historic Site | Fish Lake Road, Frog Lake | $0 | No | Yes, but is outdoors. |
| Historic Dunvegan | Outside of Fairview | $5 | Yes | No |
| Oil Sands Discovery Centre | 515 MacKenzie Blvd, Fort McMurray | $11 | Yes | Yes |
| Provincial Archives of Alberta | 8555 Roper Road NW, Edmonton | $0 (by donation) | Yes | Yes |
| Royal Alberta Museum | 9810 103A Ave NW, Edmonton | $25 | Yes | Yes |
| Rutherford House | 11153 Saskatchewan Dr NW, Edmonton | $7 | Yes | Yes |
| Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village | 195041 Highway 16 East, Lamont County | $18 | Yes | No |
| Victoria Settlement | 58161 Range Road 171A, County of Smoky Lake | $5 | No | No |
| Minimum total you’ll spend at these Northern Alberta Attractions/Sites without the Alberta History Pass | $76 |
South
These are attractions in the Alberta History Pass that are south of Edmonton. The site name will link to the official website for more details including hours of operation. The location will open a link in Google Maps to the site.
| Site Name | Location in Alberta | General Adult Admission without the Alberta History Pass | Can You Buy the Alberta History Pass Here? | Is the site open year round? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooks Aqueduct | 142 Range Road, Outside of Brooks | $0 | No | Yes, but is outdoors. |
| Frank Slide Interpretive Centre | 2325 153 St, Blairmore | $18 | Yes | Yes |
| Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump | Secondary Highway #785, Fort MacLeod, AB | $18 | Yes | Yes. |
| Leitch Collieries | Off Highway 3, Municipality of Crowsnest Pass | $0 | No | Yes, but is outdoors. |
| Lougheed House | 707 13 Ave SW, Calgary | $8.50 | No | Yes |
| Okotoks Erratic | AB-7, Foothills County | $0 | No | Yes, but is outdoors. |
| Remington Carriage Museum | 623 Main St, Cardston | $18 | Yes | Yes |
| Reynolds Alberta Museum | 6426 40 Ave, Wetaskiwin | $18 | Yes | Yes |
| Royal Tyrrell Museum | 1500 N Dinosaur Trail, Drumheller | $25 | Yes | No |
| Stephansson House | 2230 Township Rd 371, Red Deer County | $5 | Yes | No |
| Turner Valley Gas Plant | Sunset Blvd SE, Diamond Valley | $12 | No | No |
| Minimum total you’ll spend at these Southern Alberta Attractions/Sites without the Alberta History Pass | $122.50 |
My Experience With The Alberta History Pass
I started using my pass at the Royal Tyrell Museum in June 2024. Even if you’re not into paleontology or know much about it the museum is excellent, well designed with great information that’s accessible to all ages. The Royal Tyrell Museum is definitely worth checking out if you’re around Drumheller.
In Edmonton I used the Alberta History pass to visit the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) three times. First, was on my birthday to visit a temporary exhibit on Angkor Wat. A few months later my friends wanted to visit the RAM for her birthday, so I went back then. My last visit with the Alberta History Pass I went back to see an exhibit on Orcas. Aside from these changing exhibits their regular exhibits includes the Human History Hall (with a particular focus on the Indigenous history in Alberta), Natural History Hall, A Children’s Gallery, and a Bug Gallery. The RAM is the largest museum in Western Canada and well worth a visit if you’re in Edmonton.
I used the Alberta History Pass to visit the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, a museum that’s all about the history of vehicles. Therey have a variety of displays about different motorized vehicles, and even carriages and buggies before motorized vehicles were a thing. They also have an airport hangar with old planes that is included in the admission. I’m not a huge “car” person, but it’s fun to wander around and see how transportation has changed over the years. It took me about 90 minutes to go through both the main museum and the airport hangar. If you’re more of a car person I’m sure you could spend more time here.
In May I took a road trip to southern Alberta with the main purpose to visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre. I recently wrote about my visit to Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump. However; this was my first visit to the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, a place that’s been on my travel bucket list for years. On April 29, 1903 the worst rockslide in Canadian history happened when 44 million cubic metres (110 million tons) of rocks came crashing down Turtle Mountain. It buried part of Frank, a mining town in the Crowsnest Pass and resulted in the deaths of over 70 people. The Interpretive Centre details the history of Frank as a mining town, the conditions that led to the rockslide, and whether something like this could happen again.
Alberta History Pass Final Thoughts
If I decided to visit all of these historic sites, including multiple visits to the RAM, I would have paid over $150. To me the Alberta History Pass is definitely worth purchasing, as long as you’ll use it and get your money’s worth. For someone only visiting a small part of Alberta for a short period of time it might not be worth buying. If you’re only visiting Calgary (which only has one site on the Alberta History Pass) and Banff (which has none) then spending the money on the pass might not be worth it. If you live in Alberta or will be visiting for a longer period (or visiting an area where there are several sites on the pass or close by) the Alberta History Pass can be a good investment.
In fact I recently went back to the Royal Alberta Museum to check out their recent temporary exhibit Death: Life’s Greatest Mystery (running until September 7, 2026), and I bought another Alberta History Pass. I want to go back to the RAM after September to see their next exhibit. Plus, there were a couple local sites I didn’t visit last time with my Alberta History Pass that I want to visit again, including Rutherford House in Edmonton, the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village (they’ve reopened for 2026). I have friends in Red Deer and could visit the Stephansson House this summer. I’m also taking a trip to Southern Alberta so there are some more sites like the Turner Valley Gas Plant and the Remington Carriage Museum I might be able to visit. I’ve got 12 months and some motivation to do some more local travel in the province.
Things To Know
The Alberta History Pass is $125 (family), $55 (adult), $40 (senior), and $30 (youth) and is valid for 12 months from issue. Check the Alberta History Pass website for more information and to find out where to purchae the pass in person (not available online).
If you are looking for a hotel when traveling in Alberta you can book one here.