Reviews of Buffalo Nations Museum (Museum)

Asmaa J

for sure one of my favourite museums in Banff. Very interactive and learned so much. 10/10 highly recommend!

J N

It's a tiny museum but the kids, 9 and 5, liked it. Especially all the stuffed animals.

Uwe Böhm

(Translated) If you are interested in the history of the "First Nations", here is a small interesting insight (Original) Wer sich für die Geschichte der „First Nations“ interessiert, erhält hier einen kleinen interessanten Einblick????????

Marrianne Holt

Very informative

Midnyte MamaWitch

Interesting items. Vr with the palins buffalo was awesome. Playing the drum was awesome.

Jeff Catania

Eclectic mix of artefacts, art(?) and survivor testimony (in the video, which was the most compelling aspect for me), all in a building modelled after a settler fort which reflected the mix of dated with updated.

Nikki H

Blink and you might miss this place located behind the Indian Trading Post Gift Shop in Banff. I think admission for one adult was around $10/ small museum but alot of interesting things to see.

Wilco Janssen

(Translated) Super interesting museum for around € 7 euros ($ 10) you can read about the history of the first inhabitants of Canada. (Original) Super interessant museum voor ongeveer €7 euro ( $10) lees je over de geschiedenis van de eerste bewoners van Canada.

Robyn Campbell

Very informative museum of First Nations artifacts and culture with reasonable rates and a pretty well priced gift shop for a museum.

Dorle

What a nice discovery, loved the museum and the people that run it

Craig Meredith

The best first nation exhibits we have seen yet gave you a real feeling of understanding

Nicole Maneschyn

Inexpensive and has an impressive collection of artifacts mostly from plains indians. Spacious and interesting.

Shin Miko

(Translated) Well usually (Original) まあふつう

Rodolfo M Cueva Jr

One of the tourist destination in Alberta. Mountain and dont forget the hot spring.

Brian Kent

I'm happy I took some family advice and I made the stop into this beautiful museum. Excellent History here about our First Nations People and I reccomend everyone to stop in.

John “Jo Fer” Ferrrier

Pretty fun.and interactive place. Good local goods for sale amd run by a nice old lady. Some unique gifts avalible.

Rachel Winsor

Beautiful, creative, and educational exibits. Highly recommended!

James Curtis

Great museum

Ryan Doak

Awesome museum, lots of interesting facts and historical pieces of clothing and artifacts

J De Santiago

The artifacts are awesome, but it is very Eurocentric in the presented narrative. The mannequins used look very intense and (in my opinion) offensive. The museum should probably focus on updating props and information to be more accurate and inclusive of the Aborigine community.

Mành tre trúc che nắng Ngọc Dương

Banff Canada

Achim Königs

(Translated) Very nice staff and a very good insight into the culture of the Plains Indians. Unfortunately a little bit of a thread is missing and you are wrong from showcase to showcase and read the descriptions. There are three VR glasses that are quite nice, but more of a gimmick. The big head that welcomes you in different languages is great. The drum was the highlight for my daughter. One part was under construction and was even more confusing than the rest. (Original) Sehr nettes Personal und ein ganz guter Einblick in die Kultur der Plains Indianer. Leider fehlt ein wenig ein roter Faden und man irrt von Vitrine zu Vitrine und liest die Beschreibungen. Es gibt drei VR Brillen, die ganz nett sind, aber eher ein Gimmick. Der große Kopf, der einen in den verschiedenen Sprachen begrüßt ist toll. Die Trommel war für meine Tochter das Highlight. Ein Teil war gerade "under construction" und war noch verwirrender als der Rest.

Marc n Shera L.

The exhibits / artifacts are very nice, very informative. It is a little limited though, it's a pretty quick walk through but it is priced accordingly. The store has very good quality, Canadian made art pieces at different price points, we were able to get cool little things for the whole family for a reasonable amount.

Francois Druilhe

(Translated) Interesting museum on First Peoples (Original) Intéressant musée sur les peuples des premières nations

Brooke Glover

Museum inside a fort filled with mannequins of the first nations. There was a few interesting artefacts, like shirts, knives and saddles, plus two movies running concurrently in the same room. One of the movies was of a young man touring fort McLeod, but there was a lot of casual chat completely unrelated to the history ie. zombie attacks so didn't hold our attention. There was some specific detail around some items and treaties but we felt there wasn't much actual educational history. There was a random spattering of Ipads around, showing a single page of text which I found strange. The instant we walked in the door, staff were only concerned about telling us the various discounts in the gift store... we did not buy anything. Free tea / coffee was a nice touch, and toilets were wonderful. $10 per adult.

R Kim

(Translated) Soso (Original) Soso

Ann Gorner

Really is a must see in Banff. We almost missed it as it's not on the main tourist trail. Very very interesting snippet of the first nation people and how the settlers affected their way of life. Don't miss it

Duncan Jarrett

Great little place that my daughter loved!

Glenn Stephenson

Well its a nice place to be

Hamid Mukhtar

Nice and serene place to visit. Rather small and I thought the ticket was a bit overpriced. You can be done here in less than 30 minutes. Parking is free.

Cristina Arroyo

You have to visit this museum! So interesting, you will learn about native people, their lives, their clothes, culture, etc. Beautiful exhibition, well kept and fun for kids too! Families will have a great time, discovering and learning. The store is also good.

Erwin Idoux

Very interesting museum to better understand the First Nations, then and now.

Sara Lobello

Such a great educational experience

Jessica McMann

Not open at the hours posted... better call to make sure they are even open.

Frank Swaenepoel

Excellent part of history. Worth a wander if you're in the area

Patrick Flanagan

They gave me half price because the roof was leaking and half the exhibit was closed off. But what I did see was beautiful. I learned about Chief Walking Buffalo and his message of peace. Very moving story.

Joe Viragh

Nice tour

Tracie Bratcher

So many great thing to buy and see from the people of canada

Christian DA

(Translated) Cute but somewhat small and when I went I had one of the best rooms closed because it had leaks. Anyway it is cheap and worth it. (Original) Lindo pero algo pequeño y cuando fui tenía cerrada una de las mejores salas por que tenía goteras. De todos modos es barato y vale la pena.

Skye Cameron

Lovely place to visit, large open space filled with dioramas, educational videos, clothing, beadwork, quillwork, tipis, and when we were there a lovely room showcasing modern fashion mixed with traditional design that was the highlight of my visit. I don't want to post pics, you should see it all for yourself.

Melissa La France

Fantastic experience, I'm a know-it-all and not at all ignorant, so it is a rare and special gift to be surprised to see something new, and there were a few gems here. Don't hussle through this museum; take your time to look through everything, you might find something special too.

Shaun Driscoll

Very cool experience

Mikal Houle

Nice native art in here

Harpo Lexow

(Translated) We also flew to Canada to see and hear about the natives. Unfortunately we had to learn that the natives are an almost exterminated people and very little to see! This little museum has shown us something of the culture and living conditions. It really saddened us that nothing of this people was left over. Beautifully designed - and all stereotypes are served. (Original) Wir sind auch nach Canada geflogen um etwas von den Ureinwohnern zu sehen und zu erfahren. Leider mussten wir erfahren das die Ureinwohner ein fast ausgerottetes Volk sind und sehr wenig noch zu sehen ist! Dieses kleine Museum hat uns etwas von der Kultur und den Lebensbedingungen aufgezeigt. Es hat uns eigentlich traurig gestimmt das nichts von diesem Volk übrig geblieben ist. Sehr schön gestaltet - und alle Klischees werden bedient.

Chloe Barcelon

Great visit. Everything was expected!

Sabrina Jalass

Great!

andrew lievesley

The guide book said this Museum had not changed much since the 1940's & it hasn't ....but it was a great little place. Glad I went there in every way. The best photo was of a Lady called Aunty Margaret Bad Boy...now isn't that a great name to have.

Ofer Livni

interesting place

Stanley Eng

It's about $10 to get in. Small little place. Big gift shop.

Daniel D.

An interesting museum. They are playing some movies in which I would appreciate subtitles as the sound is not the highest quality and there might be a lot of background noise.

Kai K

A very humbling and interesting experience. There is so little on first nations culture and history in this area and this place felt like it did some justice to this substantial part of Canadian history. Interesting exhibits, videos and free coffee with admission including a little gift shop that unfortunately also offers some made in china souvenirs. All in all a very humbling experience. Recommended.

Kwiaciarnia St. Laurentius

(Translated) Well, it is not awesome you can learn a lot about Indian life (Original) No właśnie nie jest zajebiste można dużo się dowiedzieć o życiu Indian

Blake Wagner

Lots of interesting souvenirs as you enter. Price of museum is 10 for adults. A bit steep for the small size and amount of exhibits. We found a nice picnic spot out front across the street.

Silver Ayala

Veey informative and fun.

Danny Lai

Exterior is an interesting palisade look.

Thomas Kiefer

(Translated) Nice little museum with a great insight into the past. (Original) Schönes kleines Museum mit tollem Einblick in die Vergangenheit.

nEscafeX

It was very nice place for visit. In my deepest soul I would like to live as a Native american...:)

Dave Oliphant

Great place

Stephen Jacyszyn

Not great place was more of a giftshop then museum

Rodolphe TALBOT

(Translated) Small friendly museum on the Amerindians. (Original) Petit musée sympathique sur les amérindiens.

Bronwyn Hansel

This was an amazing experience learning about the natives of Canada. We learnt soo much and seen some amazing tools that they use and learnt about some interesting rituals they would do.

Nick Napier

Went in to visit and that was fine. Spent about 45 mins looking around. Left for 2 minutes and came back to use the washroom and was told i couldn't because we weren't customers. Really makes me mad when people charge out the rear for sub par product then expect you to buy something to use their facility.

Harpreet Singh

Best experience ever, learning and finding info. and knowledge about native indigenous Canadians heritage, culture, language, philosophy and much more. Organized nicely, and displayed soo well with human size dressed up statues.

John Shelton

Had some neat artifacts to see. Fair price to get in and FREE parking. Walking distance from everything downtown.

Cesar Garcia

(Translated) Museum Bufalo .... for those who like buffalos ... is a good choice, it is always interesting to learn new things. It is a small place where you can understand the tradition regarding habotantes this place and these animals .. (Original) El museo del Bufalo .... para los que le gustan los bufalos... es una buena opción, siempre es interesante conocer cosas nuevas. Es un lugar pequeño y donde puedes entender la tradición respecto a los habotantes de este lugar y estos animales..

Marina

(Translated) Actually, we just came here because it was raining outside. A luck! The small museum really has some interesting exhibits and is worth seeing for the whole family. We spent over an hour here enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and interesting exhibition. (Original) Eigentlich sind wir nur hergekommen, weil es draußen geregnet hat. Ein Glück! Das kleine Museum hat wirklich einige interessante Exponate und ist für die ganze Familie sehenswert. Wir haben hier über eine Stunde verbracht und die entspannte Atmosphäre und die interessante Ausstellung genossen.

J Lps

The place is full of educational history of the past, and the staff were courteous.

Courtney Botelho

A great learning experience

Felipe de Jesús Flores

Nice museum but a bit on the pricey side from what it is. And it is a very small museum.

Amanda Welch

The displays are so detailed and neat!

Rami F.F

The place is nice and well kept.There were a wide variety of nice artifacts. All in all, a good experience.

Bilal Sheikh (It's just fun)

Great interactive exhibits and artifacts. Great education about aboriginal people

Deidra Friesen

Very informative and great displays.

Zeke News

Loved the new fashion display and the Indigenous Films during Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival

Chana MacDonald

This is a pretty neat little museum. If you aren't educated in Canada, there is an awful lot to learn. The iPads offer a lot of insight into incorrect First nations stereotypes. I'm glad that the proceeds go to the Buffalo nation and I REALLY appreciate that they are showing Elder in the Making on the TV. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because not all of the souvenirs are actually made by First nations artisans. I feel like they are missing out on a cool opportunity for financial empowerment in First nations communities.

Rashidat Raji

A proud and true reflections of an ancient culture and heritage

Llewellyn Williams

As visitors from England we were in Banff on Sept.14th 2016, and wouldn't have wished to miss this. Having traveled worldwide, my wife and I agree that it is one of the finest exhibitions we've seen. The mass of genuine First Nation artifacts are fascinating and the life-size exhibits of daily life, etc., featuring totally realistic models - plus running videos - cannot fail to 'bring to life' the period - during which we were delighted to hear that the Fort or palisade was not erected to keep these peoples out, but in order that they may be brought inside to live by the Canadian Mounted Police, in order to protect THEM form settlers. What a change form the USA!!! The wide selection of extremely attractive goods in the gift shop also benefited from being made in Canada, I believe mostly by these peoples. No Chinese stuff here! The young staff were charming and I have no idea what may have happened with Nick Brunner. Once having left any paid-for exhibition, etc., I don't think that I'd expect to be allowed back in anyway , but surely he only had to show his receipt if returning to attempt to use the washroom - as we found ALL Canadians charming and friendly.? And describing this as a sub par product would appear to be unreasonable 'sour grapes', as the entry charge was worth every penny and a lot more as far as we were concerned. If you are near, have enough time and have any feeling for history or pure visual imagery, then we doubt that you would feel anything but pleasure and admiration for this exhibition.

Rous Garcia

(Translated) It's not that big, but it's interesting (Original) No es tan grande, pero esta interesante

John Nothaft

Best toilets in canada

Derek Falkowsky

I really enjoyed this small museum. It provided some interesting information and knowledge about traditional ways of life. It is much better than the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. Plus, it was a clean, comfortable environment and it included some VR demonstrations!

Boris Vainrub

Very interesting

Luke Durkin

Nice quick museum. I've seen lots of Native American museums and such before but this one explained a few things well that others did not like how the introduction of horses changes lifestyles for the better. I feel like most people view Amerindian history as pre and post colonial but there was really more of a transition when the introduction of items by trade such as beads led to a change in artwork and horses enabled more time to be spent on cultural and religious activities rather than constantly working to survive

Hedy Lipschitz

Interesting Indian history but laid out and labelled very poorly.

Christopher Hyun

Banff, Alberta. Highly commercialized museum near DT Banff. The portraits have the typical stereotypical features of the Natives with a Rain Dance exhibition included. Buffalo museum is broken up into three main rooms. Fourth room for a small conference with a tv and all that is included but did not seem to be used. The middle stage is an auditorium with soothing music, sometimes live but mostly synthetic. The museum was preparing to stage an event during my September visit. One wing is dedicated to artifacts, placards and information. Good portion is dedicated foregone leaders/chieftans, lifestyle and relationship with settlers. The other flank is dedicated to plastic statues and taxidermy animals. This section is a bit gimmicky with what I believe to be exaggerated depictions including the rain dance that may appear violently offensive to some. Access/Roads: Paved. Parking: Free and Plenty. Costs: $10 USD per. Distance: East of Banff is Calgary at appx 130 KM (100 miles). West is Vancouver at appx 900 KM (600 miles). South is USA and Los Angeles is appx 1,700 miles out. North is mountains, snow, ice, bears and the such. Nearby Attractions: The Canadian Rocky Mountain Range including Jasper and Alaska. The Rocky Mountain Range, whether Canada, Colorado or Montana has enough stuff to do, experience, and live for multiple lifetimes. Safe traveling my friends. cleeshyun.com @cigarcpa

Rysia Andrade

Great use of technology in animating history

Alex I.

Interesting original museum

CosmicCat

A lot of good history and really nice dolls and well done stuff

df m

(Translated) The Folklore Museum is just a few statues and videos. There are about three rooms in it. Tickets are 10 yuan, which is not interesting. (Original) 民俗馆，就是几个雕像和视频，里面大概三个房间，门票10元，没什么意思。

Kimberly Kay

Pretty small museum for $10, not too much information, interesting taxidermy and wax statues though. Good for about a 20 minute walk through

Raymond Alldritt

A place that gives one a glimpse of the First Nation tribes before and after the arrival of the europeans.

Armin Goldy

(Translated) Was interesting (Original) War interessant

Ra Vi

Must see for museum lovers

Dave Richardson

A fascinating museum. If you want to learn about the first nation's people, way of life and wildlife. This is a great place to start.

jay casta

Very interesting place informative and educational but it is small. Good price to get in.

Huy Pham

It was ok, some of the display were under construction when I was there.

Canada Guy

Good place to enjoy your vacation

Patrick MacDonald

Fun and free

Just Max

Interesting place

Mark Carter

Interesting museum.

Michael K.

Love the visit to this place that brings back memories from 30 years ago

Gary Mundy

Was larger than I expected. Well worth going to see.

Ana Galvao

Very interesting museum about Buffalo Nation, Indians who lived in Canada.

Eileen Carey

A real sense of the people and their crafts. The moral rearmament video particularly poignant considering the on going lack of recognition of indigenous peoples across the world

Caitlin Hill

Loved it! The exhibits are outstanding and you learn so much about the Native culture!

VedaMarita BullockAshley

Great place to learn about the First People in this area.

Mary Bauer

Super cool museum!

Nicole Frechette

Beautiful exhibits of days gone past!

Juergen Hecht

(Translated) The museum, which looks like a western fort from the outside, is impressive from afar. The exhibits are very worth seeing and interesting. A visit is highly recommended. (Original) Das von außen wie ein Westernfort aussehende Museum beeindruckt schön von weitem. Die Ausstellungsstücke sind sehr sehenswert und interessant. Ein Besuch ist sehr zu empfehlen.

Danny

Really interesting with great VR display

Ian Hall

Better than I expected. Learnt a lot

Gabriele Oogjen

Great little museum, very informative

Jonathan Broesky

Very cool and informative

amanpreet gill

One of the attractions in banff. It tells a lot about buffalo tribe culture and traditions. A way to know about your heritage.

Kaz

Great displays and very friendly staff.

Will Stein

We loved it. This is really a well done museum with plenty of life size dioramas. Many first nation artifacts. Free coffee with admission. Doesnt take too long to go through plan about an hour. Do watch the movies as they are particular interesting and informative.

C. H.

(Translated) Very impressive museum about the history of the Indians and other people who lived here. The exhibition conveys very clearly and well the high culture of the indigenous people who had to give way to the new settlers. Nature and wildlife from this early period are also integrated. (Original) Sehr beeindruckendes Museum über die Geschichte der Indianer und anderer Menschen, die hier lebten. Die Ausstellung vermittelt sehr anschaulich und gut die hohe Kultur der Ureinwohner, die den neuen Siedlern weichen mussten. Ebenso werden Natur und Tierwelt aus dieser Frühzeit eingebunden.

Samuel Sedano Gualajara

(Translated) Very pretty (Original) Muy bonito

John Holmes

Twice been very interesting.

Jim Eleniak

The displays were dated and missing descriptions

Fabrício Nunes

A very impressive virtual reality eagle fly, Buffalo and First Nations history.

Rahim Bachez

Super Boring! There really isn't much to see there, your almost better off to just look at the internet.

Nick M

Great place for a picnic around the river!

Gerben de Haan

(Translated) A beautifully decorated museum that shows how the Indians used to live in Canada (Original) Een mooi ingericht museum die laat zien hoe de indianen vroeger leefden in Canada

Ann

Loads of variety in presentations

boethius61

Fantastic little museum. A good amount of artifacts and displays with tons of info for the price. They present interesting and very relevant historical information without being stuffy about it. Some display figures are wearing masks and one is holding a cell phone. They strike a great balance between being educational, informative, and honest about hard truths while still having fun.

Larry Lepine

Enjoyed it.

Dean Vielle

Banff is a adventurous place 2 visit & explore, lots of things 2 do. Visit the Buffalo Nation Museum & C the Native American Indian Culture & Heritage unwind B4 ur eyes. A must visit when in Banff

Tonni Qvist Sørensen

(Translated) Good story about Indians and their way of life (Original) God fortælling om indianer og deres levevis

Derek Gilliland

Very interesting and I formative

Jason Moran

Interesting place with plenty of history

Olaf Brandt

(Translated) Must have seen a time travel, just great (Original) Muss man gesehen haben, eine Zeitreise , einfach Super

Laura Sutton

Very interesting and has a accessible washroom

Nick Levy

Fascinating First Nations museum. Built like an old wooden fort. Lots of interesting exhibits and free coffee!

masami torii

(Translated) Canadian Indian life was on display and was interesting. The receptionist spoke Japanese. (Original) カナダインディアンの生活が展示されており、興味深いものでした。受付の方は日本語が通じました。

Robert Richard

Really nice. Lots to learn and neat to see many historic pieces. Only loses a point as I feel some pieces were lacking descriptions. Overall good time though !

Lois Young Man

Neat

Tors10 S.

(Translated) Well done. Learned a lot about the Aboriginal people of Canada (Original) Sehr schön gemacht. Viel gelernt über die kanadischen Ureinwohner

Charles ONeil

It honestly looked like a collection, not a museum.

Alan Orth

Nice small museum that tells the story of the local indigenous people.

Antonio Somoza

(Translated) What a good experience (Original) Que experiencia mas buena

Crystal

Even though part of it was closed, it still was a great little museum, it was half price right now but I think it should always be only 5 bucks to get in. Great people.

Victoria S

Very good display of the culture and history of the Plains First Nations, we talked to a lovely intern who was able zo explain a lot, and the eagle VR is amazing. They even have free coffee with the entry fee.

Guy Gilbert

Ok

Agnieszka Brzozowska

Good place to go and find out what was the Native people story.

Emilija Emma

Very good museum with lots of artifacts. This was the first First Nations museum we visited on our three-week trip to British Columbia, and it was a great introduction. Our favourite part was that it was playing a 2015 documentary called 'Elder in the Making', which we sat down and watched, and it was absolutely brilliant. The museum also has free tea/coffee, which is always a lovely bonus. Five stars.

Kalvinder Virring

It's a good place lots of hertiage/good things to see

Scott La Fontaine

Great history to learn here, the nieces and nephews loves it.

Annette Bostic

Fancinsting and long forgotten history of the original inhabitants of North America

Josh Doerksen

The gift shop was nice. The museum was interesting and learned a few new things. If you are Canadian you should be aware of most of what’s in the museum already. But then again I’m often shocked by how little people do know.

Alan Round

Its full of things you wouldn't see anywhere else.

Gilles Edde

Very interesting exhibit of the native Americans artifacts. There is also a live and interactive traditional music show when you get to dance with the performers. A lovely experience for whoever is interested in the Native American culture.

Detlef Kurz

(Translated) Well worth seeing museum. (Original) Durchaus sehenswertes Museum.

Dream Weaver

Well presented

Emie Dario

Awesome!

Charle Hull

Very nice! Interesting but small space. Thought we would see more.

Paul Collier

A great place to visit! We spent a very entertaining and enlightening hour here. There is free tea and coffee too which was very welcome. The museum tells the stories of plains First Nations peoples and the impact and legacy of their encounter with Europeans. It is well laid out with displays of clothing and objects along with an exciting use of VR headsets and video projection.

techno lemon

Waste of money and small

Leanne Louis

Nice museum. Loved the artifacts and displays

Debbie Roberts

Excellent

Anna-Maria Ross

Very interesting museum and reasonably priced entrance fee.

Obe Wan Ed

Definitely worth a stop.

Claudia G

Learned a bit a first nations in Banff. I liked the mix of old and new artifacts. In fact I loved the clothing pieces from contemporary aboriginal designers.

Björn Vargas

You have to check it out. Its essential to a trip to Banff.

Wade Zuk

Great museum, a good representation of native culture, well worth the $10.00 admission. A must see.

Donna Deukett

Missed the native dance show because no one explained that we were suppose to lift the chain and let ourselves into the venue. No notice to say show times. Very disappointing. Found other museum in Banff better

karin hudgins

loved it