A new exhibit exploring death is coming to the Royal Alberta Museum
A fascinating and slightly morbid new exhibition is coming to the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) next year, inviting visitors to explore the final chapter of life.
Death: Life’s Greatest Mystery opens Feb. 26, 2026, offering Albertans a chance to explore how different cultures, the natural world, and science understand and experience death through artifacts, specimens, immersive displays, and interactive experiences.
The RAM will be the first in Alberta and only the second museum in Canada, after the Royal Ontario Museum, to host this exhibition, created by the Field Museum in Chicago in 2022.
The exhibit won’t have any human remains but instead highlights cultural practices, animal adaptations, and sensory experiences to help visitors reflect on death as a natural part of life.
Meaghan Patterson, executive director of the RAM, says it offers an opportunity for Albertans to engage with life’s biggest questions in a safe and even surprising way.
“The topic of death is personal and complex,” she said.
“We look forward to bringing new, diverse perspectives here to Alberta and welcoming visitors to ponder the inevitability that unifies us all.”
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The exhibition runs until Sept. 7, 2026, and will be presented in both English and French. Entry to the exhibit is included with general admission.
The museum’s previous feature exhibition, Orcas: Our Shared Future, welcomed more than 112,000 visitors.
Death: Life’s Greatest Mystery at the Royal Alberta Museum
When: Thursday, Feb. 26 to Monday, Sept. 7, 2026
Where: 9810 103A Ave. NW
Cost: $10 to $21; tickets can be found online