World Famous Gopher Hole Museum

06/07/2026

Hey everyone. Check out this post on Curiocity Calgary about our good neighbours Good Knights Entertainment Ltd. This could be the unique getaway you are looking for...after visiting us of course 😁

06/06/2026

OPEN SATURDAY/SUNDAY
11am-4PM

Dear people, just over a week ago we had a gas leak. If we didn't have bad luck, we'd have no luck at all....sigh 🙄.

The gas was turned off, no one or nothing was hurt. However, we have yet to get it fixed. So far, of the six companies I called, only one quote has come in. Sidenote...does one spend ANOTHER $1000 on a building that desperately wants to be put out to pasture??

My point is, the weather was nice when it happened...then the rain came. It is chilly in there folks! I suspect that might remedy itself this weekend, but if you are visiting, you may wish to bring your parka. Any true Canadian has not packed those up yet IYKYK 😉.

06/05/2026

Wow! We dont know what to say...speechless that someone would make this video and song for us!! Thank you Clint!! 🥰

Truth be told, Clem has 100% loved it when we have gone to Mexico. Clearly this is what he is doing while I'm reading on the beach. I was tickled by all the small Torrington and gopher details hidden throughout.

Folks, we are open Saturday and Sunday 11-4 all month. Stay tuned for updates about July soon.

https://youtu.be/QeVl42RvaTY?si=ZxlkEWdYBH7dF-gQ

World Famous Gopher Hole Museum

“Mexico in Me” is a fun, upbeat tropical-country escape song from A...

06/03/2026

Clearing up some facts and answering some questions...but thanks for featuring us Legends 102.7 (just found this)!!

We get about 15,000 visitors a year (7-10,000 are pre-covid numbers) yet we are only open about 3 months during the year (weekends mid-May, June, September, October, and daily July and August). This year however, our hours are limited, due to heat and humidity in the building (they old...staff is overheated). The lady who suggested it (there is some debate on whether it was Phyllis or Elaine) did not taxidermy anything, but Elaine's sister, brother in law, and brother did.

The thirteen stripe ground squirrel is not rare...just not found everywhere like the Richardson, which is the bulk of our collection. Alberta has five different ground squirrels-none endangered-which are in the same family as tree squirrels, groundhogs, prairie dogs, chipmunks, and marmots. Gophers do not look good in bikinis and are in a whole different family.

We have more displays, but there is no where to put them as the heritage buildings are limited for both space and electricity. We recently made six new displays for Calgary Expo some specific to actors that appeared (Princess Bride, Death Note, Star Trek, Superman) and a few extras (Wynonna Earp...it was already done for a fan convention and Caddyshack...because I had to).

There are not police in Torrington...not even one to handle the protesters. Peta and protesters did not do their homework. They assumed this was an endangered pocket gopher...it is not...not even a real gopher. Instead of calling locals or looking in books, they made a mountain out of a preverbal gopher hole. As silly as it were, the publicity gave this weird attraction millions of dollars of advertising that they could never afford on their own. We do not harm or injure animals...they come to us already harmed and injured...well, dead. They are not destroyed specifically for the museum. We largely get them from farmers who need to keep their numbers in check and veterinarians when someone well meaning takes in an injured animal and it cannot be saved.

The town (not the museum directly) did received a one time grant. Since then, the museum has been completely funded by those that walk through the doors...that is an incredible accomplishment rarely seen anywhere. We are in dire need of a new building however so hopefully, that changes soon and we get funding for a much larger, air conditioned building. Lastly, there are 14 fire hydrants. Two are retired and outside the museum.

It's the final day of Weird Museums Week, and we're ending things i...

06/01/2026

I thought I might be the only one at the museum today. While it was much slower than a typical Sunday, everyone that braved the weather was an absolute delight!! The nice thing about days like this is that there is lots of time for conversation and stories. It was a great day and we made many new friends and connected with some old ones too!

Just a reminder, we are open Saturday and Sundays 11am-4pm. If you call, you will get a message stating just that. If you text to confirm, we are probably busy at the museum and won't answer until we are closed or maybe not at all because the message says, "please do not call or text if you are asking for the days or hours...these ARE the days and hours. If you are questioning this, the social media pages and website are always up to date...and the phone message is too. All calls come to my personal cell...about 20 every weekday and easily double that on weekends. Thanks for your consideration.

05/29/2026

SATURDAY/SUNDAY 11-4

Friends, I am thrilled to introduce to you Sir Gophs-a-Lot! At CALGARY EXPO We were thrilled to be offered a custom set of armour for one of our furry guys. Although I had meticulously sewn a Cowboy outfit for our Heartland on CBC display, something had to be sacrificed so off went the plaid shirt and denim (they were not at expo so this seemed the best alternative...we love you Heartland)!

Huge thanks you to MOUNT CROM Armouries Inc. for this magnificent addition to our collection!!

05/27/2026

Announcing our friends at Nordic Roots Homestead are back up and running after a blip. Check them out when you come visit us on the weekend for yummy homemade treats and farm fresh goodies!

05/24/2026

We get asked a lot what there is to do near Torrington...*crickets*. True story, there is not much left in the immediate area (extended area, 100%). Kirk’s Alpaca Farm is a few minutes away. The Little Market Farm offers great treats. Keiver's Lake Campground is close..Kraft Dam and Swallwell offer nature and fishing. The Allingham Shelter, however, the most historic and seemingly random sites we have predating the province! Remember to be super respectful. This is on someone's private property.

https://curiocity.com/sunnyslope-sandstone-shelter-alberta/

The Sunnyslope Sandstone Shelter is a small chamber with sandstone walls and a barrel-vaulted, sandstone ceiling under a grass-covered mound.

05/22/2026

We are sharing the list created by our friends Alberta Mamas. Which big thing will you visit this weekend??

In addition to a crazy, weird museum, we have a 12ft gopher in our campground. Go visit Clem T. Gopher when you come to the museum!!

We are open 11-4 Saturday and Sunday only until June 28 when we reevaluate.

https://www.albertamamas.com/ultimate-list-alberta-roadside-attractions/?fbclid=Iwb21leAR9b-9jbGNrBH1v52V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHmOodqcCYo4Vc-mHLqn9tM6N8NcpUoW2Hfr_-5b4TOhOea0GMBaMiMLqKDUK_aem_rht36oQ5K9hjcT7q12tNcA

Grab your free checklist of Alberta's roadside attractions! Find the World's Biggest things like a perogy, beaver, sausage and more landmarks.

05/19/2026

Fun flashback from our friends Andrew & Jennifer. Way back in 1999, they had just heard of us on their cross Canada vacation...after they had driven by. They are doing it all again this year and finally get to live out their 27 year dream of visiting the museum!!

If you would like the museum to be here in another 27 years, please look at our donation page available through the bio above. Please remember, we are open 11-4 Saturday and Sunday ONLY until the end if June when we will reevaluate. You do not need to call Saturday to ask if we are open Saturday...we are 🙂.