OUR MUSEUM – Brooks and District Museum

Main Building

The main building of the museum is filled with artifacts, materials, specimens, etc. that portray the life of the early ranchers, including former slave John Ware, Alberta's first black cowboy. Other exhibits feature the Fourth Duke of Sutherland who founded the Sutherland Colony near Brooks, the war years, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the formation of the Eastern Irrigation District. Each of these exhibits showcases an important part of our history.

Historic Village

Located on the museum grounds are 15 buildings which form our historic village . Most have been taken from their original location and brought to the museum. Upon request, buildings are open to visitors. In addition, Machinery Row is the site of numerous items of farming and industrial equipment.

Our Buildings

The Brooks Bulletin

A replica of the 1912 Brooks Banner office where Leonard Nesbitt bought an existing printing press business and renamed it the Brooks Bulletin, a newspaper still published by the Nesbitt family today.

Corner Garage

The garage will be the new home to garage artifacts, old style gas pumps and the Museum's 1931 Model A Ford Roadster donated by Mr & Mrs Ron McConnell.

Sarah King House

Sarah King was a Practical Nurse in Dumfries, Scotland before she came to Canada. As there was no hospital in Brooks, Dr C.E. Anderson asked Mrs. King to board expectant mothers from the County of Newell around their due dates up until ten days after the delivery. During this time she helped the new moms feed, bathe the new babies, and adapt to the changes in their lives. At one time, up to six women and their babies could be living in her small house. When the new hospital was built in 1943, Sarah King continued to live in her house for 50 years before she retired. The Sarah King House was moved to the museum village in 2005.

Kitchner Schoolhouse

The Kitchener School was built in 1911 on George Kisner’s land east of Berry Creek, north of the Red Deer River. It was later moved to Wardlow where it was in operation from 1930 to 1940. After being closed for several years, it was again in use from 1955 to 1961. The school also served as a community hall for a few years. This one room schoolhouse was moved to the museum in 1978.

Philpott Honey Hut

The Philpott Honey Hut was donated to the museum in memory of Evelyn Philpott in 1994 by the Dale Philpott family. For many years during the summer months, Evelyn would sell honey from the Honey Hut which was located at the intersection of the Duchess and Patricia highways.

Seventh Day Adventist Church

The first meeting of the Cassils Seventh Day Adventist congregation was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Martin in 1919. Services were then held in the school house until a small church was built in 1941. This church was donated to the Museum by the Seventh Day Adventist Congregation of Cassils in 1978. The building is now used to house artifacts representing all churches in the area. An interdenominational service has been planned for the church annually.