The Xplorers Club

With thousands of vintage natural history specimens – from lifelike stuffed bison, bears, cougars and elk to minerals and plants – Banff Park Museum is a hit with families and kids. The historic 1903 log building in the heart of downtown Banff houses two full floors of exhibits, giving kids a chance to get up-close with local wildlife, learn about the park and even handle fossils and furs in the Interactive Discovery Room.

The unique Xplorers Club is especially geared for kids aged 6-11. The handy Xplorers booklet lists more than a dozen activities for curious youngsters to complete at multiple locations throughout Banff National Park, like a scavenger hike along the Bow River. Inside the museum, kids are tasked with solving a jigsaw puzzle and locating the museum’s famous turn-of-the-century curator, Norman Bethune Sanson. Youngsters who complete six activities are rewarded with an official Xplorers certificate and Parks Canada souvenir.