Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies – A Cultural Treasure The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies is a must-visit for anyone interested in the rich history and culture of the Rocky Mountains. This beautifully curated museum offers a captivating blend of art, photography, and historical artifacts that celebrate the region's Indigenous heritage, pioneering spirit, and natural beauty. The exhibits are thoughtfully designed, showcasing everything from vintage mountaineering gear to stunning landscapes captured by local artists. The rotating art galleries add a fresh perspective with each visit. The museum's archives and library are also a treasure trove for history buffs. Located in the heart of Banff, the museum’s setting perfectly complements its focus on the Rockies. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply curious about the area, this museum offers an enriching and memorable experience. Highly recommended!

It not too bad for the ticket price for a small museum… the staff at the book store are pushy and rude but that Banff … The book store has hiking books, stickers and magnets, cards and so on

Two fantastic photography / multimedia exhibits for the UN's 2015 International Year of the Glacier. Plus all the permanent exhibits. Gift shop has a pretty good range of items, someore traditional looking and others with a fresh take on classic subject matter. Definitely worth a browse. Free locker storage for backpacks.

I’ve been visiting Banff and area for 50 years and this was my first visit to the Whyte Museum, ironically at the recommendations of my associate from Saskatchewan! Beautiful museum, very professionally laid out, with a large gallery as well as a really interesting display of artifacts from the 19-20 C. building of our railway, Indigenous as well as natural photographs and art. Truly a jewel, telling the history of the West, in particular Alberta. Well done! Worth a return visit. Oh, make sure to visit their bookstore and souvenir area; some interesting finds there. Well informed staff member.

Wonderful artwork and exhibits about the history and culture of the Canadian Rockies. If you enjoy art it's a must see in Banff, worth a few hours. Docents are friendly and knowledgeable. The bookshop is top tier.

An amazing museum. As a historian I enjoyed learning about the CPR days of the rocky mountains. Though most of it may have been more coal mining related there are a few stories of families who worked with other communities, wrote books or just ventured through the rockies. These mountains have many stories to tell but banff, bankhead and canmore along with lake louise have stories to tell. I hope anyone who visits this museum visits the archives and looks at the photos of what use to be. The faces and structures of then vs. Now tell many stories. Also take the house tour. It's definitely Wirth it.

We always enjoy a visit to the Whyte Museum but yesterday’s visit was extra special. The JEH MacDonald exhibit was fantastic! We also went on a historical tour of two homes next to the museum that was offered for a modest fee (I think it was $9) in addition to the museum entrance cost. Our host, Gia was knowledgeable and personable. The only way I can think of to improve the tour would be to make it a bit longer because there was so much to look at and learn about. Thank you Whyte Museum for a wonderful afternoon!!

I already loved the Whyte Museum AND Lake O'Hara before I went to its most recent exhibit, J.E.H. MacDonald: The O'Hara Era, but now having seen this brilliant exhibit, I have an even stronger connection to Lake O'Hara and love the Whyte all the more for putting this on. The exhibit shows over 100 original paintings by Group of Seven artist, J E.H. MacDonald, almost all of them painted in the Lake O'Hara area. This would be reason enough to go but the exhibit is further "strengthened by original research conducted by geologists Patricia Cucman and the late Stanley Munn, who meticulously identified the exact locations of MacDonald's works" and took photographs designed to accompany many of them. I wish I could go back and see it again but I see, as I look up the Whyte Museum website, that the exhibit is closing on Oct 20. Pity, that.