Canada is home to many world-class museums, including the Royal Ontario Museum, Canadian War Museum, Royal Tyrell Museum, Royal BC Museum, Canadian Museum of History, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and the Museum of Anthropology. Making it to the list of these great museums is the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, situated in Regina. So, apply for a Canada visit visa soon and read on to learn more about its history, things to do, timings, and more.
History of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum
The Royal Saskatchewan Museum ( RSM ) is an incredible Canadian natural history museum in Regina, Saskatchewan. It was the first museum in Saskatchewan, and its history dates back to 1906, when it was established as a provincial museum. This happened after Charles Noddings stole a massive boulder consisting of a carved face in the Beaver Hills area on December 25, 1905. It was also the first provincial museum in the three Prairie Provinces and was created to safeguard and preserve natural history specimens and objects of historical and ethnological interest. It was renamed the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in 1993 after the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen of Canada.
The Royal Saskatchewan Museum is actively engaged in excavating fossils in southwestern Saskatchewan. It offers a wide variety of exhibits, educational programs, and research activities and displays Saskatchewan's natural, geological, and First Nations history.
Things to do at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum
The Royal Saskatchewan Museum comprises three main galleries:
- the Life Sciences Gallery,
- the First Nations Gallery, and
- the Earth Sciences Gallery.
Apart from these, there are a few special galleries, and you will find out about them soon.
The Life Sciences Gallery gives you a sneak peek into Saskatchewan's rich diversity and natural beauty. This province is part of four ecozones, the Taiga Shield, the Boreal Shield, the Boreal Plain, and the Prairie. These ecozones are portrayed exceptionally well through a series of award-winning dioramas and displays. You can see thousands of Saskatchewan species, from large animals like moose to tiny and hidden ones like the goldenrod gallmoth caterpillar.
The next is the First Nations Gallery which takes you on an exciting journey of the history and traditions of native societies that live in Saskatchewan. Indigenous people are significant to the history of Canada. You can see the impressive artwork of First Nations and learn about their relationship with the land over the last 10,000 years.
The Earth Sciences Gallery offers an insight into Saskatchewan's fascinating ancient history and geological resources. It traces the journey of the formation of planet Earth and how it bestowed Saskatchewan with rich mineral resources to massive reptiles, gigantic dinosaurs, and other extinct creatures that called Saskatchewan their home in the past two billion years.
Every gallery has vibrant dioramas, displays, murals, interactive learning stations, and hands-on exhibits. The RSM is also a storehouse for an extensive collection of flora, fauna, and fossil specimens from around the province.
The CN T. rex Gallery is a unique gallery home to Scotty, the largest and oldest Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton in the world, unearthed in Saskatchewan. This gallery brings this mammoth creature to life via several exhibits, including the terrifying recreation of the roar of a T. rex. You can also learn about the habitat in which Scotty lived.
You can see Scotty from a balcony view or a ground view. The balcony has interactive signs requesting visitors to press a button with their elbow that lights up its different parts. You can even see the injuries the T-rex sustained throughout its life.
Another remarkable museum highlight is Megamunch, a half-sized robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex. Megamunch joined the museum in 1986 and is friendly with people, unlike its ancestors. It is just a fun addition to make the entire museum experience delightful.
Home: Life in the Anthropocene is another gallery that provides an artistic, dramatic, and educational experience for people of all age groups about biodiversity, climate, species at risk, and other global trends. It showcases the relationship between people and the environment and how human activity has affected the planet's atmosphere and ecosystem.
Other attractions and events
The Museum hosts many learning and interactive programs for kids, like SaskTel Summer Cool Camps (for grades 1 to 5), the Megamunch Club (for kids aged 5 – 8), and more. You can contact the museum or check its event calendar to learn about these programs. You can also celebrate birthday parties and other private events at the museum.
The Paleo Pit is a lively interactive place where kids below 10 years can learn about dinosaurs. They can solve puzzles, enjoy puppet theatre, and an array of other activities here.
Timings
You can visit the RSM daily between 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The museum is open all days of the year except on December 25 (Christmas Day). However, it is better to check their website for updated timings before visiting.
Conclusion
The Royal Saskatchewan Museum is not only an exciting place for kids but also for adults. It is undoubtedly one of the best museums to visit in Canada.
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