Heritage Park Historical Village

Heritage Park Historical Village is a historical park in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on 127 acres (51 ha) of parkland on the banks of the Glenmore Reservoir, along the city's southwestern edge. As Canada's second largest living history museum, it is one of the city's most visited tourist attractions.[1] Exhibits span western Canadian history from the 1860s to the 1950s. Many of the buildings are historical and were transported to the park to be placed on display. Others are re-creations of actual buildings. Most of the structures are furnished and decorated with genuine artifacts. Staff dress in historic costume, and antique automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles service the site. Calgary Transit provides regular shuttle service from Heritage C-Train station. The park opened on July 1, 1964.[2]

Heritage Park Historical Village
Location in Calgary
Established1964
Location Calgary,  Alberta
Coordinates50.98404°N 114.10554°W / 50.98404; -114.10554
TypeLiving History Museum
CEOAlida Visbach
Public transit accessHeritage C-Train station
WebsiteHeritage Park

The Park has two operating seasons: the Historical Village is open from May to October; Gasoline Alley Museum is open year-round.

Park structure
Canadian Pacific Railway 0-6-0 no.2024 at Heritage Park

The park is divided into four distinct areas reflecting different time periods in Western Canadian history: the Hudson's Bay Company Fur Trading Fort, c. 1864; the Pre-Railway Settlement Village, c. 1880; the Railway Prairie Town, c. 1910; and the newly opened (2009) Heritage Town Square, depicting the 1920s to 1950s.

Exhibits
Prairie Town at Heritage Park
Streetcar

Heritage Park Historical Village has over 100 exhibits including:

  • A passenger train, drawn by one of the park's two working steam locomotives, that takes visitors around the park.
  • A roundhouse built in 1981,[3] which has an operational turntable and houses various railway equipment.
  • A streetcar from Calgary's former streetcar system, Calgary Street Railway, that shuttles passengers to and from the parking lot. This was taken out of service in 2006 in preparation for the park's expansion, and returned to service in May 2010, taking passengers from the parking lot to the newly built CPR replica station and front gate.
  • A re-creation of a paddle steamer, S.S. Moyie, that traverses the Glenmore Reservoir
  • An antique midway that features working historical amusement park rides
  • An aboriginal encampment representing the First Peoples in southern Alberta in the 19th century
  • A working smithy, bakery, hotel, and several shops and restaurants
  • Horse-drawn wagons
  • A Hudson's Bay Company trading fort
  • The 1913 Little Synagogue on the Prairie
  • The Town Square, located in front of the park gates, contains Haskayne Mercantile Block, Selkirk Grille and Big Rock Interpretive Brewery flanked by the Bissett Wetlands.[4] It was opened in 2009 and admission is free in this area of the park.

Expansion

In March 2009, Heritage Park opened a major new expansion, the Heritage Town Square. The addition features several new buildings depicting a larger 1930s and 1940s western Canadian town. Heritage Town Square is open year-round, unlike the rest of the park, which is seasonal.

Some of the new attractions include:

  • The Famous 5 Center of Canadian Women - A replica of Nellie McClung's Calgary home which tells the story of influential women in Canadian history.
  • a new year-round Gasoline Alley Museum showcasing the park's extensive antique car and memorabilia collection
  • an orientation/visitor's centre (within a replica railway station)
  • a 1930s town square (which includes shops, and food services)
  • a re-creation of a CPR railway station restaurant

See also

References
  1. Travel Alberta. "Travel Alberta". Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2010-09-19.
  2. Foran, Max (1982). Calgary, Canada's frontier metropolis : an illustrated history. Windsor Publications. p. 264. ISBN 0-89781-055-4.
  3. Heritage Park Historical Village - Railway Roundhouse
  4. CalgaryPlus. "Heritage Park Historical Village". Retrieved 2010-07-20.
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