By Jennifer Royal, Manager of Education
It has been a great start to summer for the Whyte Museum! The Education Department has five fabulous Museum Interpreters who are delivering tours daily and roving the galleries (until August 31) and they have been busy. Some museum guests want to spend all afternoon here, but some only have an hour. Either way, there are many tour options for all visitors. There are three daily tour opportunities on site at the museum, and one longer tour that takes guests offsite and around the town. The three on site are the Heritage Homes Tour, the Art Gallery Tour, and the Gateway to the Rockies Tour.
The 45-minute Heritage Homes tour occurs once a day and takes guests through the historic homes of Philip Moore and Pearl (Brewster) Moore as well as the home of Peter and Catharine Whyte. This gives the visitor a glimpse of two vast and captivating collections. It also provides a deeper look at each couples lives and interests. The tour finishes with the historic cabins on the museum grounds. In June, there were 65 participants on this tour.
The Art Gallery Tour takes place three times a day and focuses on the summer exhibition, Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte: An Eclectic Eye for Collecting. Since this tour started on June 22 and there has been over 67 participants who've wanted to learn more about Peter and Catharine, their artistic influences, and their “insatiable quest to collect” which has resulted in the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
The third tour offered four times a day is the Gateway to the Rockies Tour. This was the most popular tour in June with 679 museum visitors taking part! This tour gives visitors and locals a great overview of the history of this place and the mountain landscape that has influenced both residents and visitors.
The Historic Banff Walk is a tour offered once a day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and is preferred by those that have some extra time. Although this 60-minute historic walk starts and ends at the Whyte Museum, most of this tour takes place offsite. We journey through the town to hear about the pioneers who helped build and shape Banff, and even visit two historic buildings.
Regardless of interests, the Whyte Museum offers a tour for everyone. Experience artifacts, artwork, architecture, and learn about early mountaineering, skiing, female adventurers, and more. Beyond this, it is the vast and varied stories of the people of this area that seems to resonate with all.
Visit our website here for more details on all of our tours.
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