Where History Comes Alive
Are you considering donating an artifact to Pioneer Acres? New artifact donations help us better tell the story of Southern Alberta and its people by filling gaps in our collection. Most of our artifacts are received as donations from the public.
We cannot accept objects dropped off at Pioneer Acres without a prior appointment.
The more information you can tell us about your object, the better. Who used it? How and where did they use it? Who made it? How did you come to have it? What Alberta story does it tell? We also need to know the object is in good condition and free from contaminants like mold, unsafe chemicals or hazardous materials such as asbestos.
Digital photographs of the object will help us evaluate your offer. Please send an image of what the object looks like today. Historical photographs of the object in use, or of the people who used it, are also valuable. If your object is accepted, we would be grateful for copies of these photos and the permission to use them in exhibitions, publications and online.
Your offer will be evaluated by the Pioneer Acres Collection Management Committee. We will check to make sure the condition of the object is suitable, compare it to artifacts already in our collection and determine if it meets our needs. A committee member will contact you once a decision is made to accept or decline your offer. We will usually have a response within two to four weeks.
Pioneer Acres has evolved to become much more than an agricultural implement museum. We collect artifacts that show the diversity of the Alberta spirit. We are interested in artifacts that represent who we are, tell an Alberta-inspired story, depict an historic event or illustrate our skills and innovation.
Pioneer Acres has lots of settler artifacts. Unless your settler object has an exceptional Alberta story, chances are we will gratefully decline it. We recommend checking with other museums in Alberta to see if they would be interested in your offer of the following types of objects:
To donate an artifact please call us or send us an email to the address on our home page.
If your object is accepted by Pioneer Acres, we will have you sign a donation agreement which transfers unrestricted ownership to Pioneer Acres. We are unable to accept donations with any limiting conditions nor will we accept any items on loan.