A Historic Afternoon in the Hat

 Our trip to see my nephew's play in Medicine Hat gave me an opportunity to show Rob my old "stomping grounds". The weather was unusually grey, damp and foggy. Medicine Hat is renowned for it's sunshine and blue skies, but we didn't see a speck of it! 

As we cruised around the city; showing of my high school, my grandparent's house, my church (that looks like a castle) - we ended up by Medalta Potteries. It's now a museum, and we decided, on the spot, that it was the perfect indoor activity.

Medicine Hat's abundance of clay made it an ideal location for pottery and brick factories. Older houses, commercial buildings and churches are all constructed from brick, rather than timber (which is not in abundance).Medalta Potteries has iconic beehive kilns that you can go inside, galleries of pottery and glass (from Altaglass), and an abundance of antique machinery.

The layout of the facility is part museum, part historic site, part archeology dig and part working studio. Using the original molds, they are still making classic Medalta crocks, bowls and dinnerware that you can buy in the gift shop. People can still commission pottery with their unique business labels on it. (My brother in law did that a few years ago for his food truck business).

This may be Donovan's
 first ever selfie

There is a self-guided walking tour through the old machinery and clay mixing pits. Each item is numbered and a brochure explains it's function. 

These pictures were all taken by Donovan, when he was 12, on our first visit to Medalta. As a stroke of parenting genius, I discovered that making him the official photographer kept him engaged in the tour! Feel free to steal this brilliant idea!

The old brick building is full of skylights which light up the gallery on a sunny day. If you visit Medalta's website, you can take a virtual tour of the museum. Medalta has ongoing pottery classes and hosts many events throughout the year. Whether you are visiting, or a local, you should check it out!

After we finished touring Medalta, it was still early and Rob asked, "Is there any place else like this we can go to?" So we headed downtown to the Esplanade. This facility is right on one of the most historic streets in Medicine Hat. It houses the archives, the museum, art galleries and a theatre. The art galleries have rotating exhibits, so you never know what you may find on a visit. My favourite, from a few years ago, was the history of underwear. It was fascinating and beautifully curated. 

In the museum, as we are young at heart, we decided to participate in the artifact scavenger hunt. Not only was it fun, it made us slow down and study each exhibit closely, trying to find the items on the list. We actually needed the security guard's help with the last two items. Unknown to us, there are drawers under the display cases to showcase even more items. We are so used to "No touching", that it didn't even occur to us to try to open things!

The museum and art galleries are "admittance by donation" and there is a children's activity area, in addition to the scavenger hunt. It's a great family activity when the weather is not encouraging outdoor adventures. 

If you think you have seen these pictures before, you are right. The memorial to the Germans from Russia settlers is in front of the Esplanade. Across the street, between the library and the court house, the world's largest outdoor chess set overlooks the river. My boys played several games of chess on it when they were younger. 

Before heading back for a family dinner, we had a break at the Station Coffee Company, which is quickly becoming my favorite coffee shop in Medicine Hat. From the front windows you can watch the world go by on a historic Gas Town street. From the back, you overlook Riverside Park. Hopefully our next visit will be in nicer weather, so we can explore more outside. Medicine Hat has an impressive trail system and a beautiful river valley.