Strathcona County Museum & Archives

The Best Kept Secret in Strathcona County!

The building where the Museum is located was built in 1959 as the first Fire Hall in Sherwood Park.  In 1967, the first RCMP station moved into the Fire Hall. They shared facilities until 1975 when the Fire Department built a new building on Sherwood Drive.  The RCMP station remained until 1992 when it was moved to a new facility at 911 Bison Way.

In 1985, Reg Gray was approached by Jim Common about starting an organization responsible for preserving the history and heritage of Strathcona County.  The Strathcona County Heritage Foundation was established in 1986. For the next 10 years the Foundation gathered historical data (archives) from long-standing residents of the area and searched for a proper facility to house artifacts and archival materials.

In March 1995, the Foundation approached the County about a home for the Museum. The County agreed that the Foundation could use the old RCMP building. When the construction of the exhibits got underway, Museum supporters donned coveralls and put their skills to work. The Museum officially opened July 12, 2021 with exhibits of settlers and pioneers from the early 1900s. Today our exhibits consist of a Pioneer Train Station, Grain Elevator, Dairy Barn, Black Smith/Woodworking Shop, General Store/Post Office, Barber Shop, Parlour, Kitchen, One-Room School, Country Church, Natural History, First Nation, RCMP, Firefighting and Communications.

The Museum has been very successful and beneficial to residents and visitors of Strathcona County. It has received thousands of visitors and hosted hundreds of guided tours, including schools, seniors, clubs and organizations.  With the assistance of thousands of hours donated by volunteers, the Foundation has collected over 18,000 artifacts and metres of archives. In tribute to these contributions a Commemorative Lasting Recognition wall is located in the lobby of the Museum.