Castor

Turn-of-the-century Western Canadian pharmacy museum featuring restored cabinets and 5,000+ pharmaceutical artifacts. The Castor Pharmacy Museum, located in Castor, Alberta, is housed in a historic 1921 pharmacy building that originally operated as McDermid Drugs and later as Castor Drugs for over 30 years. This meticulously curated museum represents an authentic turn-of-the-century Western Canadian pharmacy, showcasing how these establishments served as vital community hubs that provided not only medications but also veterinary supplies, cosmetics, general merchandise, and social gathering spaces before hospitals and physicians were established in prairie towns. The museum features an extensive collection of over 1,000 pharmaceutical artifacts spanning from 1900 to the 1950s, including rare narcotic bottles containing opium, cocaine, morphine, and cannabis, alongside rescued original pharmacy cabinets and counters that have been lovingly refurbished. A crown jewel of the collection is the world's largest display of Dingbat calendar illustrations from the Charles E. Frosst company, featuring whimsical health-themed characters from 1915 to 1995, making this a unique treasure in Canadian pharmaceutical history. Created by retired pharmacist Mike Bain and his wife Wendy as a labor of love, the 2,000-square-foot museum offers visitors an immersive journey through small-town pharmacy practices, complete with period-appropriate sections for farmers, families, and children, all presented with authentic fixtures rescued from historic drugstores across Alberta and Saskatchewan. Recognized by the Alberta College of Pharmacists as "a must-see for pharmacists and history buffs alike," the museum operates by appointment with no admission fee, offering personalized tours that bring to life the fascinating stories behind each artifact and the crucial role pharmacists played in early prairie settlements.