Banff Culture & Heritage

Banff is blessed with a strong cultural heritage and there are many ways to immerse yourself into both the past and the present of the people, places, and events that continue to influence the direction of the town.
For breakfast, the Cake Company on Bear St is a great place to enjoy a coffee and a muffin and see many of the older Banff characters still spinning their stories before their working day.
Banff Alberta has several excellent museums, each offering a different perspective. The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies is perhaps the most famous, and portrays the history and culture of Banff and the Canadian Rockies, through its variety of current exhibitions. They also offer a selection of guided tours. The Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum is dedicated to the culture of the First Nations of North America and displays interpretive exhibitions and artifacts, and the Banff Park Museum displays an extensive range of natural history specimens and is itself a building of historic significance.
For lunch you could try a chicken and cranberry sandwich at Evelyns Coffee Bar or some fresh pasta at Coyotes, both Banff owned and popular with locals.
For shopping, tasteful gifts and local books can be found at the Banff Book & Art Den, and fine pieces of local artwork can be viewed and purchased at Mountain Galleries, or Canada House Gallery.
A fine place for dinner would be the Three Ravens Restaurant at the Banff Centre, which has impressive views over the Bow Valley and is perfectly located if you are planning to take in a Banff Centre performance afterwards. The Banff Centre regularly hosts live music, dance, drama, and mountain culture events, and it is well worth checking to see their events calendar to see what’s on while you are here.
To spend the night, why not stay at Banff’s most historic hotel, the Fairmont Banff Springs, or at Treetops, an exclusive Banff B&B, owned and run by long-time Banff locals.