Founded in 1889, Airdrie has a rich history of settlers and railways. Starting out as a stop destination for the Calgary and Edmonton Railway Company train that delivered mail because of Nose Creek, soon buildings were built along the railway with workers living nearby to care for the train.
Before long, general stores, blacksmith shops and a school were built to service the establishing families and growing number of people travelling to this tiny hamlet to begin a new life.
Airdrie was granted village status in 1909, became a town in 1974, and by 1985, with a population of 10,631, was declared the 14th city of Alberta. Today, it has a population of approximately 72,000.
Iron Horse Park
A train lover’s dream come true, Iron Horse Park has miniature trains, track and landscape to represent the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) from the prairies to the coast. Take the 1.6-kilometre interpretive journey aboard one of the 1/8th scale diesel or steam locomotives at the park and get a feeling for what the railway was like in Western Canada during the pioneer days. The rail journey takes visitors over hills, across trestles and through tunnels across the varied landscape. Additional structures, features, and track are added regularly. Situated at 820 Railway Gate.
Nose Creek Valley Museum
Boasting more than 10,000 artifacts, Nose Creek Valley Museum has been preserving the past of Airdrie and surrounding area since 1988. Collections include a First Nations display, settler’s cabin, blacksmith shop, general store, barber shop, wildlife displays, 4-H displays, antique cars and farm machinery, one of Canada’s largest arrowhead collections, WW1 and WW2 memorabilia, and a LAV III monument.
Located at the south end of Nose Creek Park, Nose Creek Valley Museum also houses the Airdrie Visitor Information Centre. Please note the museum is temporarily closed due to COVID-19. Visit them online at
Airdrie’s First Municipal Historic Resource:
The 1928 Nose Creek Bridge to the Elevators.
You may have noticed this little gem nestled between 1st Ave NW and Railway Ave SW. The area surrounding the Nose Creek Bridge was originally intended to be Airdrie’s downtown core as “all roads lead to the station”. Today’s Main Street is, in fact, a secondary location. In July 2019, City Council passed a bylaw protecting the Bridge as Airdrie’s first Municipal Historic Resource. Today the Nose Creek Bridge is a beautiful footpath connecting Airdrie’s parks and pathways. It is the last remaining structure associated with the railway station grounds and grain elevators in Airdrie. Learn more about this incredible piece of Airdrie’s history at
