Donalda & District Museum

Donalda & District Museum The Museum is dedicated to the purpose of preservation, conservation, interpretation,& exhibition of objects of educational & cultural value.

Donalda & District Museum is home to the world's largest museum-housed collection of oil-burning lamps. A local couple, Beth & Don Lawson began collecting oil-burning lamps in 1939. When they were ready to retire in 1979, they offered the then 500-lamp collection to the Village of Donalda, on the condition that a museum be built to house it. The present building was erected in 1979-1980, with the

Donalda & District Museum Society organized the next year to manage the collection and administer the museum. Today, years after the Lawson's offer, both donations and other purchases have increased the collection to over 1,000 lamps. The museum is comprised of five buildings: the main building houses the lamp collection, the library, and the village office. the Imperial Bank of Canada building, houses the public art gallery. Across Railway Street is a railroad station containing original signals, and nearby, the World's Largest Lamp. Down Foster Street, west from the station, is the 1920's Donalda Co-operative Creamery building, home of the award-winning Donalda Maid Butter. Besides lamps, the museum has hundreds of farming and household items that once belonged to the local pioneers. there are also examples of the beautiful bead work done by local metis lady, Peggy Whitford, and a collection of arrowheads, stone hammers, and natural history artifacts.

08/08/2026
07/20/2026

The Donalda & District Museum are teaming up with the Donalda Library to bring children across the land a dinosaur-themed afternoon of fun on July 23rd!

First, find hidden dinosaurs in the museum scavenger hunt and see real dinosaur and other animal bones from times long ago. Afterwards, make your way down to the hall to the library and enjoy a movie-projector screening of Don Bluth's 1988 masterpiece "The Land Before Time"! There will also be some take-home prizes! Yep, yep, yep!

The program runs until approx. 5 pm.

Please be aware that children under the age of 7 must be accompanied by a legal guardian at all times. Children ages 7-9 may be dropped off, but we require contact information for their parents or legal guardian. Children ages 10+ may use the library unattended provided they do not require supervision for their behavior.

Register, free of charge, for this program at the library by either visiting in person or calling during business hours Mon - Thurs, 2 - 6 pm!

Found in the Donalda Train Station. Can be claimed at the Museum Office.
07/02/2026

Found in the Donalda Train Station. Can be claimed at the Museum Office.

06/25/2026

Address

Railway Avenue And Main St
Donalda, AB
T0B1H0

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+14038832100

Website

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