The fascinating, one-storey Badlands Historical Centre, Drumheller’s original museum, was founded in the 1950s. This off-beat museum, with an outdoor dinosaur sculpture & other unique displays, was designed to showcase the rich history and geological significance of the Badlands region. Located in the heart of downtown Drumheller, it features informative displays and exhibits that detail the area’s prehistoric past, including dinosaur fossils and the unique landscape shaped by erosion. Here, you can learn, in a neat retro setting, about the Valley’s rich history, from dinosaurs to its indigenous peoples, pioneering to coal mining and more.
The center serves as an entry point to discover the captivating natural beauty and history of the surrounding landscape. On display at the main gallery are an awesome Pachyrhinosaurus skull (fondly called Pachioni); tanned horsehides; a statue of Tom Three Persons (rodeo legend) a large coprolite; a half scale, 1927 John Deere Model D tractor; office and home furniture; and old office equipment (National cash register, typewriters, etc.); old photos; old newspaper clippings, and movie posters.
“W.G. Hodgson Juniper Root Carvings” features works of Alberta rancher and self-taught wood worker Wolfgang G. Hodgson. “Murray Olsen: Artisan” spotlights Murray James Olsen who is often credited, with Tig Seland, with building the various iconic roadside dinosaur sculptures that now decorate the streets of Drumheller. “Stars in the Valley” features major movies done or partially shot in the unique badlands landscape of Drumheller such as Superman (1978), Unforgiven (1992), Shanghai Noon (2000), Knockaround Guys (2001), Brokeback Mountain (2005), (Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), The Revenant (2025), and Rat Race (2021).
The private collection of pioneer Lawrence A. Duncan includes art (“Art by L.A. Duncan”), frontier antiques (“Curios of L.A. Duncan), regional fossils and indigenous Indian artifacts from the around the Red Deer River valley (“Indigenous Collection of L.A. Duncan”).
The fossil collection of William M. Fulton includes heavily crystallized petrified wood, amber fossils, an oyster shell with crystals, large fossil cones of sequoias, seeds of Carpolithus fultoni bell (gingko), crocodile teeth, a dinosaur toe bone, Tyrannosaurus rex teeth, a dinosaur bone with marrow replaced with crystals, a branch imprint in sandstone, a Champosar tail vertebrae, ammonites, and a dermal scute from an Ankylosaur.
Other informative displays include the “King of the Badlands;” “Dinosaurs;” “Petrified Forest;” “Native Culture;” “Pioneers,” “Badlands Geology,” “Agriculture of the Past,” “C.A. (Charlie) Smith,” “Drumheller First Responders,” “Drumheller the Coal City,” “History of Oil and Gas,” and “Sports in the Valley.”
On display at the adjoining Duncan Room are Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) uniforms, medals and insignia; a statue of Herman Linder (a Canadian rancher, rodeo promoter and competitor); a bust of politician Gordon E. Taylor (1910-2003); a scaled model of a village, train station and railway tracks; rock samples; firefighting equipment (fire extinguishers, gas masks, etc.); old photos; artwork; and porcelain figurines.
A magnificent car, hand-built by Murray Olsen, uses a hydraulic drive and requires no supports of skid drives, defying all logic. The car balances entirely on two wheels and can operate at speeds of up to 5 miles per hour and can take slopes of up to 45 degrees.
The scaled replica of a No. 6015, made by Charlie Smith, has a steam engine that weighs over 400 kgs. and, when running, can carry up to 7 people. Informative displays include “Baseball in the Valley,” “Drumheller Curling Club 1919 – 2025,” “Hockey in the Valley,” and “Sports in the Valley.”
Visitors can also explore educational resources, participate in guided tours, and learn about the indigenous cultures that have inhabited this area. Its gift shop sells select dinosaur fossils. amethyst and peacock ore samples ($20), bags, jewelry as well as other souvenirs.
Badlands Historical Center: 335 1st Street East, Drumheller, Alberta T0J 0Y0. Tel: 403-823-2593. E-mail: badlandshcinfo@gmail.com and badlandshistoricalcentre@gmail.com. Website: www.badlandsmuseum.wordpress.com. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 9 AM to 5:30 PM, and Sundays,10 AM to 5 PM. Admission: $20/person.