Record crowds moved through the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) over the weekend to mark the end of an era for the institution.
For almost half a century, the museum has called the community of Glenora home but staff are now preparing a monstrous move to downtown Edmonton. On Saturday, the museum broke its own 41-year old single day attendance record when a whopping 16,290 visitors walked through the doors. In all, 35,885 people visited the museum during its 48-hour farewell celebration.
READ MORE: Free admission this weekend as Royal Alberta Museum prepares to move
“This past weekend is a true testament to the importance of this museum in our community and the hard work of RAM staff,” said David Eggen, Minister of Culture and Tourism. “And now, RAM embarks on the exciting journey to downtown Edmonton, where it will open as the largest museum in western Canada.”
The marathon goodbye party saw visitors get to spend time in the museum in the early hours of the morning, a unique experience a number of Edmontonians took advantage of.
The RAM first opened at its Glenora location in 1967 and is now closed until it reopens to the public at its new downtown location.
The museum’s new home is currently under construction and is expected to be ready for visitors in December 2017.
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