Alberta’s stuffed gopher museum closes as owners seek new burrow

The World Famous Gopher Hole Museum, a beloved Alberta roadside attraction, has announced its closure until further notice. The museum, situated in Torrington, a hamlet about 120 kilometers north of Calgary, made the announcement online earlier this week. Laural Kurta, the museum director, revealed that the closure is due to the need for replacing the two historical buildings that house the exhibits. Kurta explained that despite their best efforts, "it is just at its end."

The collection requires controlled heat and humidity conditions due to the taxidermy, but the buildings can no longer provide these conditions. Kurta emphasized that while the museum has been open for 30 years, it has been busier than ever. The museum sits in a former century-old schoolhouse connected by a small hallway to a grain elevator office.

Established in 1996, it showcases taxidermied Richardson's ground squirrels, or gophers as they're known in Western Canada, dressed in various costumes. Highlights include a gopher playing hockey for the Edmonton Oilers, a rodent blacksmith, a Mountie gopher, a bank robber gopher, a musical gopher, and Olympic medal-winning rodents.

The museum was initially funded with a provincial startup grant and has operated self-sufficiently since, relying on admission fees by donation. It was founded by Kurta's parents, with her mother managing it for 24 years until she fell ill. Following the pandemic, Kurta took over its operation. The community has initiated an online fundraiser aiming to construct a new museum to preserve the unique attraction in Torrington.