Exploring the New Vikings Feature Gallery at Royal Alberta Museum

VIKINGS has arrived at Royal Alberta Museum. Children will delight in the immersive experience that includes 650 articfacts from exotic jewels to three Viking warships, including the longest Viking warship every found – at 37-metre. There are 1,000 year old wooden planks and metal supports showing the ship’s original lines. There are 11 interactive stations tat will bring the historic exhibit to life.

Highlights of the Vikings exhibit include:

• The Roskilde 6, using 25% of the original, preserved planks
• The full-size, six-metre replica ship Joanna, built with Viking Age techniques and materials
• A “ghost ship” sculpture of hanging iron replica rivets from a burial ship
• A full-scale replica of the Jelling Rune Stone often called Denmark’s birth certificate
• Unique artifacts like “Thor’s hammer,” Ulfberht swords and the Hevring Flak rudder
• Elaborate jewellery and coins
• Hands-on activities highlighting traditional clothing, the rune alphabet and Viking games
• Interactive components including an opportunity to pick up a precise replica of a Viking Age sword to feel its weight and balance
• An augmented reality rowing experience that lets visitors test their ability to maintain the rowing cadence of a Viking ship

Warning: Strobe lights are used in this exhibition.

What did our kids think of the exhibition?

• They loved the interactive stations where they could use augmented reality to see the ship ‘in action’. This allowed them to use certain points of the ship on the screen where they could press and learn more about what they were seeing.
• Picking up a sword. In addition to the incredible artifacts and swords on display, kids can pick up a sword to see just how heavy it was for a viking to carry! They were also wowed when they had the chance to feel the armour that Vikings wore.

• Trying on Viking Clothes – once they could get them on – it turns out, clothing made from linen and wool are difficult to try on, but they loved layering on the clothes and learning about the craftsmanship, as they created their own viking fashion show. Their favourite? The cozy hooded ponchos.

Vikings will be on display at Royal Alberta Museum until October 20, 2019.