The Cochrane Historical Museum is back and better than ever.
After having to shut its doors due to the pandemic, the museum is once again open to visitors.
Located at the historical Cochrane Ranche, the museum has exhibits showcasing a wide variety of what came before Cochrane as we know it today.
Exhibits include a room dedicated to the original owners of the house, the Davies family, as well as the first doctor's office in Cochrane, which was located inside the Davies residence.
A temporary display has been put up in another room dedicated to horses and their role in shaping the Cochrane area.
In another room, you can find a massive picture map showing how Cochrane has changed from when the Cochrane Ranche was established in 1881, to a township of about 34,000 today, along with hundreds of other artifacts and historical records.
The museum is run by a group of volunteers that make up the Cochrane Historical & Archival Preservation Society (CHAPS).
"The museum has been a project of CHAPS since about 2012. We raised money to save this building before it was demolished," says CHAPS president Larry Want.
The group also got a special exemption from the Alberta Government to make the Davies household a historical landmark.
Want says it's important for Cochranites to recognize what came before.
"If we don't preserve our history, we're going to lose it, and once you've lost it, you're never going to retain it again or get it back."
The museum's operating hours are Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information on the Cochrane Historical Museum visit their Facebook page or the CHAPS website.
