Edmonton’s new Royal Alberta Museum opens to the public

More than 24,000 people have already checked out the new state-of-the-art, Royal Alberta Museum, since its opening Wednesday.

Opening signs welcome guests into the museum

Following a lengthy and tedious move from the old Glenora site, the new Royal Alberta Museum sits in the heart of downtown. After the closure of the old building, the opening day and details of the new and expanded museum were kept under tight wraps.

“Our research focus here at the museum is really on ice age paleontology, as opposed to some of the older dino paleontology that everybody is familiar with here in Alberta. This is our chance to show off the strengths of our collections,” says curator of Ice Age paleontology, Chris Jass.

Unveiled giant mammoth statue

Following the opening day event, the museum unveiled two mammoth statues in the main lobby. The mammoth has been a constant symbol of the museum, both old and new. In 2011 a competition for a design-builder generated high international interest. The project was awarded to DIALOG, for their design that elevates the experience of both visitors and staff, and incorporates the rich history of the museum’s site.

T-Rex fossil await guests in the entrance

The renovations had many people excited to share this momentous occasion with their families. “I thought it was important just to be apart of the history that is going to start here. I know we really loved the old location. When my oldest was a little bit younger it was perfect for her to get out of the house in the winter and have an activity to do. We just wanted to be apart of the first big year,” one stay at home mom explains.

Guests check out the new insect section of the museum

Tickets for opening weekend were available in advance for free, however, it was hard to get your hands on them as they sold out within moments of going live. The museum had a reserve of 10,000 tickets that guests could try and obtain, if available upon arrival. Museum scheduling is back to normal and is open daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Thursdays 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. To plan your visit go to royalalbertamusuem.ca.

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