Multiple Dates (Repeats Daily)
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Macabre Museum
October 7 to 31, 2020
Just in time for Halloween, the RCMP Heritage Centre’s annual Macabre Museum feature exhibit will proceed this October with standard COVID-19 precautions in place. Curated by the RCMP Historical Collections Unit, the Macabre Museum exhibit displays artifacts from some of the most famous criminal cases in Canadian history. The exhibit opens to the public on October 7, 2020 before it disappears after Halloween.
The Macabre Museum is loosely based on the Crime Museum at New Scotland Yard, headquarters of the Metropolitan Police in London, England. In 1874, the Metropolitan Police began collecting criminal memorabilia, mainly for police training and study purposes. The Crime Museum continues to this day and was only opened to the public in 2015 – 141 years after it was established.
Artifacts from some of Canada’s famous historical criminal cases will be on display in the Macabre Museum. The exhibit purposely focuses on older cases in sensitivity of victims, families, and members of the force. Many of the artifacts were confiscated from prisoners or donated by the court system or an RCMP detachment. These include the Benito Bandits’ death masks, weapons seized from criminals, bullets, rope from a noose, and other unusual criminal artifacts.
The exhibit also includes a few new artifacts that have not been on public display before, including a fake log used to smuggle alcohol, a small selection of counterfeit pieces, and some historical and modern-day forensic tools on display. As always, the exhibit will only be open for a short time.
You can visit the Macabre Museum from October 7 to 31, 2020. The RCMP Heritage Centre is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Viewer discretion is advised. Some of the material in the exhibit may be upsetting, particularly for small children under the age of 10.
COVID-19 PROTOCOLS
All visitors will be required to wear a mask during all times in the facility. If you are unable to bring a mask of your own, one will be provided to you at the Heritage Centre.
All visitors are required to complete a questionnaire upon arrival, containing personal contact information and questions regarding personal health. Refusal to complete this questionnaire will result in denial of entry to the facility. Personal information will not be shared or used for promotional purposes, unless required by the Health Authority.
The Heritage Centre will have a maximum capacity and will be staggering entry into the galleries to maintain physical distancing. Parties of no more than 6 people are allowed to travel throughout the museum as a group. Directional flow of the facility must be obeyed during any visit.