This release was issued under a previous government.
Historic Sites and Museums
All of the following sites will offer free admission on Monday, Feb.16.
Oil Sands Discovery Centre - Fort McMurray
The Odd-Lot Puppetry Company is presenting an all new show, Fossils Alive. Show times are 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m., and
3 p.m. Enjoy a full day of family activities - including hands-on fun in the Fossil Room by making fossil casts and checking out some real fossils. Make dinosaur-themed crafts to take home and don’t forget to visit the exhibit hall, the big truck and much more!
Royal Alberta Museum - Edmonton
The Royal Alberta Museum is one of Canada’s most popular museums. Enjoy free admission to one of the finest cultural and natural history collections in the country.
Government House - Edmonton
Government House offers free public tours every Sunday and holiday Monday, beginning Feb. 15 until late November from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Explore this stately home with its selection of original historic furnishings, impressive meeting and ceremonial spaces and extensive art collection.
Rutherford House - Edmonton
Celebrate the Family Day weekend with a visit to the historic home of the first Premier of Alberta, Alexander Cameron Rutherford, and his family. Explore the features of this historic house, take part in traditional family activities, sample cookies baked in the wood-burning stove and make an old-fashioned craft.
Provincial Archives of Alberta - Edmonton
The Provincial Archives of Alberta will host its annual Family History Day on Monday, Feb. 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be guided, behind-the-scenes tours and introductory workshops on genealogy. All activities are free, but pre-registration is required. To register for activities, email [email protected] or call 780-427-1750.
Reynolds-Alberta Museum - Wetaskiwin
Family Day visitors to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum can enjoy activities such as designing and crafting a soda fountain magnet to take home, playing with 1950s toys in the farmhouse, and taking a family photo in a 1958 Buick convertible.
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology - Drumheller
Special Family Day programming will be available at the Royal Tyrrell Museum all weekend long. Storytime is perfect for the little ones. Fossil Casting allows visitors to make a piece of pre-history to take home. On Monday, kids can show off their creativity and transform themselves into a dinosaur by making their own free dinosaur hat. Free auditorium shows also run throughout the weekend. Please note, a small fee will apply to the Fossil Casting program.
Frank Slide Interpretive Centre - Crowsnest Pass
Enjoy a free day at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre highlighting the unforgettable stories of tragedy and resilience of the human spirit as you learn about the Hillcrest Mine Disaster, the worst underground mine disaster in Canadian history. Enjoy audio-visual presentations, interactive exhibits and more.
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump - near Fort Macleod
Celebrate the "Full Moon of the Eagle" family event on Feb.16. The day includes a live display of Alberta Birds of Prey, a simulated archaeological dig, kid’s crafts, guided building tours, “Living Off The Land” artifact demonstrations and storytelling.
Remington Carriage Museum - Cardston
The Remington Carriage Museum hosts its annual Carriage Country Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, February 16. The event features carnival games and prizes for children, and free admission to the galleries for the entire family. More than a dozen games will be featured as well as various hands-on demonstrations including rope making.
Alberta Legislature - Edmonton
Enjoy various indoor and outdoor activities at the Alberta Legislature between noon and 4 p.m. on Family Day. The pedway will be filled with roving musicians, an illusionist, stage performances and magic shows. Take part in a scavenger hunt inside the Legislature Building, or try your hand at Build a Legoslature — a new activity where our young guests can make their own model version of the Legislature Building using Lego. Venture outside to the Cabane à Sucre or sugar shack where you can form (and eat) maple candies on clean snow as well as take a horse-drawn carriage ride or participate in ice skating.
Alberta Parks
Any time is a great time to connect with nature and Alberta’s provincial parks. Here are a few events and activities for people looking to get outdoors this Family Day long weekend. Visit AlbertaParks.ca to find a park and winter activity in your region.
Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park - Lac la Biche
Enjoy an afternoon of winter activities including horse drawn sleigh rides, ice fishing, tobogganing, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on Feb. 16 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Be sure to fuel up with on-site snow taffy, chili, a wiener roast and scrumptious hot chocolate!
Crimson Lake Provincial Park - near Rocky Mountain House
Try your hand at a round of snow golf, snowshoe soccer, geocaching and snowshoeing on Feb. 16 between noon and 4 p.m. You can also watch a fat bike demonstration and take part in building a snow fort or creating graffiti! If that hasn’t convinced you, there will be s’mores and hot chocolate on site!
Moonshine Lake - in Saddle Hills County
There’s no shortage of activities at the Moonshine Lake Family Fun Day between noon and 4 p.m. on Feb. 16. Everything from ice fishing, ice skating and cross-country skiing to snow golfing, horse-drawn wagon rides, a photo contest and a GPS animal investigation taking place. Need a pair or snowshoes or cross-country skis? Loaners will be available for free along with hot chocolate, doughnuts and hotdogs!
Miquelon Lake Provincial Park - Camrose
Folks are invited to spend the afternoon on Sunday, Feb. 15 ice skating on the outdoor rink, cooking s’mores over a bonfire, sipping on hot cocoa, cross-country skiing on any of the groomed trails, or even borrowing snowshoes from the Park Office to venture along the Grebe pond trail or Holdsworth trail from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Other fun and family activities will also be taking place throughout the afternoon.
Survival Saturday - Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park, Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation
On Feb. 14, come out for an afternoon of winter survival tips including shelter building and fire lighting. This outdoor program takes place between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., so please dress for the weather!
Canadian Birkebeiner - Cooking Lake-Blackfoot PRA, Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, Elk Island National Park
On Feb. 13 and Feb. 14 spectators have the chance to enjoy the The Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival. The family-oriented festival has five cross-country ski events for all ages and abilities. Please check details individual locations for details.
Family Fishing Weekend
The Family Day weekend also marks the first of two “Family Fishing Weekends” put on annually. The weekend provides people with the opportunity to fish without a licence in Alberta as long as they abide by all the regulations. It’s also an opportunity to learn about responsible angling. For more information, visit Family Fishing.
Family FISHtival - Bow Habitat Station, 1440-17A Street SE, Calgary
On Saturday, Feb.14 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., enjoy free indoor and outdoor activities including snowshoeing, marshmallow roasting, feeding the fish and much more! Please note admission is $5 per person. Children four-years-old and under are free.