Royal Alberta Museum

The Royal Alberta Museum is a very big place.

It is in a city called Edmonton. You can see many things there.

There are old bones and fossils.

You can also see bright gems and rocks.

Do you like bugs? There is a room with live bugs to see.

There is a special place for kids to play. It helps them learn while they have fun.

It is a great place to explore the world.

The Royal Alberta Museum is a very big place.

It is in downtown Edmonton, Alberta. This museum is the largest in western Canada. It tells stories about nature and people.

You can see many fossils and old bones. There are also bright gems like rubies and diamonds. One hall shows animals from the Ice Age. Another hall shows the history of Alberta.

You can learn about Indigenous peoples and their lives. There is even a room for bugs. This bug gallery has live invertebrates. These are small animals without backbones, like spiders. Kids have a special place to play and learn. It is called the Children Gallery. It has a dig pit and a makerspace. The museum moved to this new building in 2018. It used to be in a place called Glenora. Now, it has much more space to show its many treasures.

The Royal Alberta Museum is a very special place in downtown Edmonton, Alberta.

It is the largest museum in western Canada. This museum tells the big stories of both nature and people. It helps us understand the natural and cultural worlds of Alberta. People visit to see amazing things from the past and the present. It is a place where history feels alive and exciting.

Inside the museum, you can explore many different galleries. The Natural History hall has fossils, plants, and animals. You can see gems like rubies and diamonds there. The Ice Age Alberta section shows life from 10,000 years ago.

There is also a Human History hall. This hall tells stories of Indigenous people and how they lived. You can learn about how Alberta became a province. A special Bug Gallery shows insects and spiders. Some of these invertebrates are even alive in a nursery. There is also a Children Gallery with a dig pit for playing.

Planning for this museum started a long time ago in 1950. The Canadian Federal Government and the Alberta government worked together. In 1962, they hired an architect named Raymond O. Harrison. He was from Australia and had designed other museums. The museum first opened in December 1967. At that time, it was called the Provincial Museum of Alberta. It stayed in a neighborhood called Glenora for many years. In 2005, Queen Elizabeth II gave it royal patronage. This changed its name to the Royal Alberta Museum.

Moving to a new home was a huge job. The museum closed its old doors in December 2015. This was to prepare for a move to a brand new building. The new building was finished in August 2016. It finally opened to the public in October 2018.

The total cost for the building and the move was about $375.5 million. The Alberta government gave $253 million for this project. The federal government also helped with $122.5 million. This new building has twice as much space for exhibits.

This museum holds a massive collection of treasures. There are over 9 million objects in the Earth Science group. This includes things like rocks and fossils. The museum also has over 577,000 objects for Life Science.

The Human History collection has more than 137,000 items. These include things like clothing and tools. The museum even hosts traveling shows from all over the world. Some shows have been about sharks or even Genghis Khan. It is a place that connects us to our world.

The Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) is a major institution for human and natural history.

Located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, it stands north of City Hall. The museum serves as a massive archive for the province's biological and cultural heritage. It is currently the largest museum in western Canada. The facility provides vast exhibition spaces to educate the public. It helps visitors connect with the natural and cultural worlds of Alberta.

Through its various galleries, the RAM preserves the stories of the land and its people.

To understand the museum, one must look at how it organizes its massive collections. The staff divides the items into four distinct scientific and historical categories. The first category is Life Science, which includes botany and zoology. This group contains 577,745 objects such as plants and animals. The second category is Earth Science, covering archaeology and geology. This is the largest group with 9,224,075 objects. The third category is Human History, which includes ethnology and military history. This section holds 137,610 objects. Finally, Collections Services manages 70,103 items related to conservation and research.

The museum features several specialized galleries for different interests. The Natural History hall uses dioramas and fossils to represent Alberta's wildlife. It includes sections like Ice Age Alberta and a Gems and Minerals area. The Human History hall shares stories of Alberta's past and its diverse people. This hall contains sections such as Ancestral Lands and Alberta Transforms. There is also a dedicated Bug Gallery for invertebrates. This gallery features live insects and topics like metamorphosis. For younger visitors, the Children Gallery provides an interactive environment.

This includes a dig pit and a makerspace for hands-on learning.

The history of the RAM began with long-term planning in 1950. The Canadian Federal Government and the Alberta government started this process. In 1962, they hired an Australian architect named Raymond O. Harrison. He was given 5 million dollars to build the collections and staff the museum. The institution originally opened on December 6, 1967. At that time, it was known as the Provincial Museum of Alberta. It operated out of the Glenora neighborhood for many decades. In 2005, Queen Elizabeth II provided royal patronage. This event led to the museum being renamed the Royal Alberta Museum.

Moving to a new location was a significant historical event for the institution. In 2011, officials announced plans to build a new facility in downtown Edmonton. The museum closed its original Glenora doors in December 2015. While closed to the public, staff continued fieldwork and prepared collections for the move. Construction on the new building was completed in August 2016. The new facility finally opened to the public in October 2018. This new building offers twice as much gallery space as the old one.

It stands on land formerly used by the Canada Post Edmonton station.

The scale of this move required a massive financial investment. The total cost for the new building and the move was approximately CAD $375.5 million. The Government of Alberta contributed $253 million to the project. The federal government provided $122.5 million through the Building Canada Fund. This investment allowed for much larger and more modern exhibition spaces. The museum also hosts traveling exhibitions from around the globe. Between 1989 and 2001, the museum displayed 175 different traveling shows. These shows have covered topics ranging from sharks to Genghis Khan.

One notable moment in the museum's history involved the acquisition of Indigenous artifacts. In 2006, the museum purchased the James Carnegie Collection at a Sotheby's auction. This was described as a very significant sale of North American Indian artifacts. The collection included a prized beaded dress from 1859. This single item cost US$497,600. Such acquisitions help the museum fulfill its mission of preserving cultural history. The RAM connects local history to broader global and scientific systems. It remains a vital center for learning in western Canada.