Alberta Railway Museum - Edmonton

Mission, Vison and Values

Mission

The Alberta Railway Museum collects, preserves, restores and interprets the railway artifacts and stories that helped shape Alberta and Canada. We share this experience through exhibits, tours, educational programs, publications and heritage train operations to inspire community discovery, knowledge and appreciation of Alberta’s rich railway history. 

Vision

The Alberta Railway Museum seeks to be recognized as an ambassador of railway heritage preservation, a destination that engages and enriches present and future generations about what railways mean in our lives.

Values

• Integrity – we uphold and maintain highest ethical standards and best practices, and are accountable to our communities, members, volunteers, donors, and visitors we serve.
• Curiosity – we foster a spirit of curiosity to encourage exploration and discovery through our collections.
• Inclusion – we are committed to creating an environment that is inclusive for all visitors and acknowledge that we operate on Treaty 6 territory.
• Responsibility – we are responsible stewards of our cultural past, community, and environment. The safety of our operations is paramount.
• Collaboration – we value the contributions of our communities we serve and welcome partnerships to enhance our program outreach and diversity.

The Alberta Railway Museum

​Located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the Alberta Railway Museum (ARM) is a rustic outdoor display of railway equipment and buildings. The museum replicates a small terminal with station, water tank and shops. The main emphasis is on cars and locomotives from the Canadian National Railways (CNR), Northern Alberta Railways (NAR) and industrial and short line railways.

Using the grounds map, take yourself on a self‐guided tour. Allow at least 90 minutes to go back in time – train travel time that is.

• Experience the past in a fun, hands-on and interactive fashion
• Over 75 cars and locomotives on site
• Ride on vintage trains, speeders, and see examples of railwaymaintenance of way equipment
• Archives of railway history
• Third largest railway museum in Canada, largest in Alberta

The Alberta Pioneer Railway Association

The Alberta Pioneer Railway Association (APRA) is a registered Canadian charity as a non-profit organization of volunteers whose interest is in the collection, preservation, restoration, and interpretation of artifacts related to the technology and history of railways in Western Canada. APRA began as a small group of volunteers in 1968 who operated and maintained the Association’s equipment out of the Edmonton Transit System (ETS) Cromdale car barns located at 116th Avenue and 80th Street in Edmonton. In 1976, APRA relocated its equipment to the current museum location, the former Canadian Northern Railway (CNR) Coronado subdivision and created the Alberta Railway Museum. Since the opening of the Museum in 1977, volunteers have maintained and operated the facility with assistance from funding raised trough memberships, admissions, grants, and casinos, along with donations of parts, supplies, equipment or funds from businesses, individuals and other associations. 

Recently, the Association celebrated its 50th Anniversary on July 14, 2018. The anniversary celebration would not be possible without the dedication and determination of the loyal volunteer base who have contributed countless hours in creating the success of the Museum. For 50 years, volunteers have not only preserved and restored artifacts but also provided an immersive display of Alberta’s railway heritage.

Thank you for all your support, the Museum would not be successful without you.