Sunnybrook Farm Museum

In 1899 James Bower came west in search of land. He bought a half section from the Saskatchewan Land and Homestead Company, built a house, and then returned to his home in the east. The following spring, he returned with two railcars full of furniture and all of his family’s belongings. Mrs. Bower and their children joined him a few months later.

The Bowers’ Sunnybrook Farm became well known for its purebred cattle and herd of Percheron horses. Along with tending his farm, James Bower logged near the Red Deer River canyon and made bricks from local clay. He was the founding president of the United Farmers of Alberta (UFA). The farm was eventually taken over by his son, Norman.

In 1988, Norman and Iva Bower embraced the idea of an agricultural museum in Red Deer and gave part of their property to the Red Deer and District Museum Society. The ten acres that now make up Sunnybrook Farm Museum include barns and workshops built by the Bowers.

Tucked up against Waskasoo Park and hidden behind the Alberta Motor Association and Health Unit buildings, Sunnybrook Farm Museum preserves the history of the family mixed farm. In the farm buildings and in exhibits throughout the site, you will find farming equipment dating from the late 1800s to the 1950s. Most artefacts have been restored by dedicated volunteers.

A walk through the grounds on your way to the century-old log house will take you past a dairy barn, machine and hay sheds, a display barn, a chicken coop, and other exhibits. Visitors are encouraged to walk the grounds with an interpretive guide, many of who used the artefacts now on display in their youth. Special events and school programs are another way to experience days long past with activities, demonstrations and tours.

The house was built by Norman Bower in 1942 and, along with the hip-roofed Dairy Barn, has been declared a historically significant resource within the City of Red Deer by the Historical Preservation Committee. The Dairy Barn is a small barn which houses many articles used by early dairy farmers such as milking machines, clippers, hay knives, milk tank, and numerous other interesting objects.

The Blacksmith Shop displays the powerful shear, the forge, and many grindstones, while the Hay Shed is used mainly for display or storage of some of the larger machinery, such as combines and tractors. Within the Steel Barn, visitors can see garden tools, engines, buggies, and many other livestock-related articles. A few vintage tractors are also kept here to view indoors. Many of these artefacts were used when Sunnybrook was a functioning farm.

The Machine and Tractor Shed houses the fine collection of historic tractors and machinery. Of special interest is the antique wooden-body International threshing machine that has been restored by volunteers to its circa 1913-1925 state. The log house that is now located at Sunnybrook Farm Museum was originally built in 1889 on the banks of the Medicine River, southwest of Sylvan Lake. Thorel Eymundson constructed the home from logs in 1905, preserving the original log construction. After a series of renters from 1920 to 1934, the Hanna family purchased the farm and lived in the house until 1972. In 1992, Walter and Eileen Hanna offered this log home to Sunnybrook Farm Museum.

Hours and Admission:
Summer (June – August)
Daily, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Winter (September – May)
Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Admission by donation

Contact:
Sunnybrook Farm Museum and Interpretive Centre
Box 800
4701– 30 Street
Red Deer, Alberta
T4N 5H7
Phone: (403) 340–3511
Fax: (403) 342–6644
Email: sbfs@telus.net
Website: http://www.sunnybrookfarmmuseum.ca/

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