Whyte Museum

The Whyte Museum is an art museum in Banff that displays galleries, archives, and collections documenting the region's heritage. The spaces occupy several historic buildings downtown, where thousands of objects from different periods are arranged and presented to visitors.

The museum opened in 1968 based on collections that Peter and Catharine Whyte gathered over decades in the region. Its foundation was closely tied to establishing an archive of Canadian Rocky Mountains history and documentation.

The museum honors the stories of Indigenous peoples, mountaineers, and early settlers who shaped life in the Rocky Mountains. Visitors can see how these communities lived in and understood the mountain landscape through the preserved objects on display.

The museum spreads across several buildings, so plan to walk through different spaces to see the full collection. Guided tours are offered during warmer months and help visitors understand the stories behind the displayed objects.

The museum preserves a historic log cabin from 1911 that belonged to early National Parks rangers in the mountains. This simple building shows how the first wardens lived and worked in remote mountain posts.