With the September long weekend behind us, Westlock’s two museums have shut their doors following what was described as an average season.
At the Westlock Pioneer Museum, Karen Letts said the season saw attendance within the typical range of 1,200 to 1,500 visitors, but noted it’s been slower than last year.
“The total count hasn’t been done yet, but I would forecast we’re just slightly below last year’s,” she said. “But remember last year there was the 55 Plus Summer Games in town, which boosted our numbers.”
She said she’s been seeing more people from the Edmonton area coming out to the Westlock area on day trips, and they will often stop in to see some of the museum’s world-class collections, such as the gramophones and the Aladdin Lamps.
There isn’t one particular exhibit that stands out above the rest, Letts added, as it all comes down to a matter of personal taste.
“Different people have different favourites, but the large collections are what folks comment on — and let us know how lucky we are to have been gifted those,” she said.
There were some special events this year that were very well attended and helped boost the numbers, such as the Westlock Wheels of Class Show & Shine and the three kids theme days.
Based on the success of this year’s youth programming, Letts said the museum will increase its offerings next year.
“It’s important because then they have an appreciation of history, especially leading up to the centennial, so they have an appreciation of local events,” she said.
Finalized attendance numbers at the Canadian Tractor Museum weren’t available on the last weekend, but Cheryl Leisman said she thought it was on par with previous years.
Those who do come to the museum, however, tend to be those with a very specific interest in antique farm machinery.
“Generally speaking, a lot of people are reliving their past, or you’ve got parents and grandparents bringing in their children to show what dad or grandpa used to do,” she said.
Because it’s such a specific interest, people from all over the world find their way into Westlock and through the museum’s doors. The fact the museum is also home to the world’s largest weather vane doesn’t hurt its profile, either.
“I found the most interesting one was a man from the U.K.,” she said. “He was looking for a Case weather vane, and so of course he came up with us. That’s why he came here. It’s quite amazing.”
Leisman said while there isn’t one specific piece that tends to draw the biggest crowd, a large portion of the visitors are those trying to restore their own antique equipment, so they’re more interested in tractors similar to what they’re working on.
“I find that specifically, people come here because they’re restoring a tractor and they want information or just want to see,” she said. “I’ve also dug out some manuals for a bunch of people.”
