Showcasing four distinct time periods of Western Canadian history, Heritage Park Historical Village in Calgary, Alberta, allows students to immerse themselves in the past.
“Our History Relived guided tour is a journey in time into the lives of the pioneers who forged an existence from only what they carried with them from their homelands,” says Sandy Wilde, group tourism manager. “Each participant receives their ‘landing papers’ and becomes an integral part of the story, experiencing the trials and triumphs of those who settled this part of the world.”
Heritage Park’s newly refurbished Natural Resource Area highlights Western Canada’s energy industry: past, present, and future.
“Step into the past and walk deep inside an early 1900s coal mine, with only the glow from your headlamp guiding the way,” Wilde says. “You’ll feel the ground shake as powerful machinery hammers through rock in search of oil at a replica of Alberta’s first oil well and derrick.”
Newly restored exhibits share energy stories from the past, and at a new, state-of-the-art interpretive center, students can learn about modern green technologies and also get a glimpse into the future of energy.
Admission to the attraction includes access to all exhibits, entertainment, and rides, including a paddlewheel boat, antique midway rides, and horse-drawn wagon tours.
“We operate two steam locomotives to move our guests around the attraction, and we’ve restored several one-of-a-kind rail cars, including one of only two remaining colonist cars, which were the cars that immigrants rode to the ‘new West’ after they came to Canada from Europe,” Wilde says.
To learn more, email Wilde or visit heritagepark.ca.
Top photo: Heritage Park Main Street
Top photo by Heritage Park Historical Village
Support for Courier articles provided by:
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
History Colorado
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum
Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
