The Fort Ostell Museum society was founded in 1967 with their first museum housed in a wood frame building. They moved to their current location in 1987.
This is an interesting museum with displays divided into topics: sleigh display, nurses at PMH (Provincial Mental Hospital), creamery, original Fort Ostell, World Wars, early bridal dresses, a school room and many household appliances. Near the entrance is a guest book and a timeline highlighting events from 1867 to 2017.
The museum’s name comes from the original Fort Ostell that was built near Ponoka in 1885 during the Riel rebellion. The Fort Ostell Museum displays many local area pioneer and native artifacts and photos. In 2004, as part of Ponoka’s Centennial, the museum brought back from storage the “Alberta Mental Hospital Museum” collection. This collection is unique as few collections of mental hospitals exist in Canada. The collection of artifacts and archival material from 1911 to the present is now on display and has become the “History of the Care of the Mentally Ill” in Alberta.
Contact: 403-783-5224 for more information or admission rates or visit
http://www.fortostellmuseum.com
From the Town of Ponoka