PROGRAMS
Educational Programs
DIG FURTHER into the past through our educational programs which will give you access to unforgettable hands-on experiences!
Apart from standard tours, The Northern Life Museum & Cultural Centre offers a variety of programming year long to school groups, daycares, youth organizations, tourists and individuals. These programs are accessible to all and can be tailored to any age group. These programs are offered during our regular hours of operation but special considerations for after hour programming can be made with advance notice.
Take a selfie with our Wood Buffalos!
Come to one of the only places in the Northwest Territories where you can (safely) take a selfie with our Wood Buffalos! The Bison (or Buffalo) is North America’s LARGEST land animals. There were about 160, 000 Wood Buffalo in 1800, then there was a dramatic decline in numbers. By 1900 there were between 1000 and 1500 Bison in the wild.
Today the Wood Buffalo National Park has the largest free-roaming bison herd in the world! These beauties can often be seen right on the highway leading to Fort Smith, NT but we do NOT recommend trying to snap a memorable picture of them! Bison can weigh up to 1000 kilograms, and despite their size they can run up to 55 kilometers per hour and are amazing swimmers. Watch out!
Come to the Northern Life Museum and meet them up close, without the danger! Take a selfie and post it along with our hashtag: #northernlifemuseum
(We may even feature your picture!)
A look behind the scenes
Get the exclusive opportunity to sneak a peek at some of the 17,000 artifacts that lurk in the vault of the Northern Life Museum. Slip on the white gloves of a museum collection manager and learn hands-on how we collect, preserve and exhibit these artifacts.
Trading Post
Step back into time and learn what it takes to run a bustling trading post in the North! A trading post is an old-fashioned market or store in a remote place. In the 18th and 19th century North America, trading posts were where people exchanged goods and learned the latest news.
Our interactive trading post gives our guests the chance to feel first hand the velvety soft sheared beaver fur that was so prized by early fur-trappers in North America, compared to let’s say fox, wolverine, or even bison! Learn about how fashion shaped the course of history in a fun and interactive atmosphere (yes, you can even touch the furs!) and “wear the hat” of a busy trading post owner.
Can you answer this? In the 18th century, how many “made beaver” pelts would you need to trade for 1 moose pelt?…
(Answer: Only 2! Beaver was known as the most popular fur; it was so sought after in fact that it even replaced currency in the North.)