Galt Museum & Archives on The Commons' photostream  

The Galt Museum & Archives in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, plays a vital role in preserving and interpreting the material culture of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta.

We are a vibrant gathering place that meets historical, cultural and educational needs.

We engage and educate our communities in the human history of southwestern Alberta by preserving and sharing collections, stories and memories that define our collective identity and guide our future.

We value stewardship, creativity and innovation, integrity and authenticity, teamwork and cooperation, and excellence.

A bif of history:

In 1965, the first civic museum opened its doors in Lethbridge. George McKillop was the museum's first curator. It quickly outgrew its space, and relocated to the former Galt Hospital.

After considerable renovation, the Sir Alexander Galt Museum opened its doors in 1967. The Lethbridge and District Historical Society operated the museum with volunteers until 1971. Through the efforts of many people, the Galt Museum was placed in the Urban Parks program in the early 1980s and expanded once more.

Reopened in 1984, new gallery space and expanded storage space allowed the museum to develop new programs and temporary exhibits, and to care for its collections in a manner that meets accepted standards of museum practice.

In September 2004 the Galt Museum moved its offices and collections off-site to facilitate a second expansion which reopened on May 6, 2006.

Today, The Galt Museum & Archives in Lethbridge is an established cultural leader in southern Alberta, having contributed to the fabric of the region since the 1967. Our consistently high-calibre, award-winning exhibits and learning opportunities have drawn over 50,000 visitors a year.

Extensive collections, professionally administered archives and a variety of ongoing interpretive programs and events ensure that people are compelled to keep coming back to make that important connection between themselves and their regional history.

Though the museum and its collections are owned by the City of Lethbridge, the facility is governed by a City-appointed volunteer Board of Governors. The Galt is respected in Alberta’s museum community, has a growing national profile, and is committed to international museum standards.

The Galt cares for a growing collection of over 20,000 artifacts and 300,000 archival documents and photographs, and we are pleased to participate in flickr The Commons! We have uploaded photos which we believe have no known copyright restrictions, please refer to our rights statement on our website: www.galtmuseum.com/copyright.htm

To see how our stories are unfolding today, visit our alter ego flickr site: