Courthouse & Heritage Museum
In 1906 the newly constituted province of Alberta began a public works building program by commencing work on the Cardston Court House and the Calgary Normal School, the structures were constructed to mark both the creation of the province and the initiation of the social and educational programs of the Rutherford Government.
Built between 1906 to 1909, the Court House is a simple one-story structure made from finely crafted St. Mary River sandstone, it is unique in appearance and layout. Local stonemason and general contractor Samuel S. Newton supervised construction of the Court House. This building served the residents of Cardston until the mid 1970’s when it was de-commissioned. It was declared a historic site march 1, 1979.
In 1980 the new Provincial Building was completed (located on Main Street) and in 1983 the Town of Cardston sold the Courthouse to the Cardston & District Historical Society to function as a museum.
The building displays several exhibits on Kainai/Blood First Nation, White immigrants to Cardston and the arrival of the Hutterite people.
The building has the original judge's bench, witness box, and other artifacts. Original jail cells, including graffiti, can be found. Original artwork depicting local history of The North West Mounted Police (NWMP) around the Cardston district. The NWMP were established in 1873 by the Prime Minister, Sir John Macdonald, to maintain order in the North-West Territories and to curtail illegal whiskey trade from the United States.