Prairie Elevator Museum facts for kids

The Prairie Elevator Museum is a unique museum located in Acadia Valley, Alberta, Canada. It was once a large building called an Alberta Wheat Pool grain elevator. These elevators were very important for farmers to store their grain. Today, this old elevator has been carefully restored. It now serves as a community gift shop, a cozy tea house, and a museum. You can find it right next to where the Canadian National Railway tracks used to be.

What is a Grain Elevator?

A grain elevator is a tall building used to store huge amounts of grain, like wheat or barley. Farmers would bring their crops here after harvesting them. The elevator would lift the grain up high and store it in large bins. Later, the grain would be loaded onto trains to be sent to other places. These elevators were vital for farming communities across the prairies. They helped farmers get their crops to market.

Saving a Piece of History

The Prairie Elevator Museum is special because it is one of the last grain elevators of its kind. There were once three elevators in Acadia Valley. This one, the former Alberta Wheat Pool elevator, was saved from being torn down. Local people in Acadia Valley worked together to protect it. They wanted to keep this important part of their history alive.

After it was saved, the elevator was fully restored. It looks just like it did when it was working. Even though it's not used for grain anymore, it shows how these amazing structures operated.

What You Can See and Do

When you visit The Prairie Elevator Museum, you can explore different parts of the site:

• The Museum: Inside the elevator, the museum explains how these big wooden buildings worked. You can learn how they handled millions of bushels of grain. It also shows how important they were to small towns in the past. Grain elevators were once a common sight across the North American prairies. Now, many have disappeared. This museum helps us remember their history.
• The Tea House: After exploring, you can relax in the tea house. It's a great spot to enjoy a drink and a snack.
• The Gift Shop: The gift shop offers unique items. You can find souvenirs and gifts related to the area's history and farming.

The Railway Caboose

Next to the elevator, you will see a restored Canadian National Railway (CNR) caboose. A caboose is a special car that used to be at the very end of a freight train. This caboose was placed on the old railway tracks. It helps people remember that trains once traveled through Acadia Valley. The railway was very important for moving grain from the elevator to other places.

See also

• Acadia Valley, Alberta
• List of grain elevators
• List of museums in Alberta

External links

• The Prairie Elevator Museum and Tea House