Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

2005 award for best heritage related experience

For decades, the Whyte Museum has made the history and culture of the Canadian Rockies accessible to visitors through its art collections, archives, programs and exhibits. Founded in 1958 by Banff artists Peter and Catharine Whyte, the museum created the 2005 award-winning Museo Packs to make history and art fun and engaging for families with small children.

Heritage tourism award judges remarked that the Museo Packs are interactive and have a broad appeal to multiple generations. The park’s natural and human histories are translated into something that will live on with every exhibit, complimenting the relationship that the Whytes had with the community and continuing their legacy.

“In a society where families have very limited time to spend together, we wanted to create something that would not only make learning about history fun for children, but would allow parents to learn about the heritage, culture and environment of the Canadian Rockies along with their children through interactive games,” explained Tanya Bouchard, head of education and interpretation.

Publicity surrounding the award-winning Museo Packs has helped the Whyte Museum shed its image of a mostly adult attraction and entice both local and visiting families for an afternoon of discovery and learning together.

“We’ve seen an increase in family traffic into the museum now that we’ve broadened our appeal and because the kids are having so much fun, the parents have more time to fully see all the exhibits and spend quality time with their kids.”

“It’s important for kids to take an interest in heritage because they need to appreciate the past in order to successfully move into the future. The Whyte Museum is the essence of heritage tourism and our mandate is to communicate all aspects of the community’s heritage to visitors of all ages and the Museo Packs help us accomplish that,” said Bouchard.