The significance and allure of horse-drawn transportation

One man's passion and legacy is lovingly preserved in this one-of-a-kind museum

The Remington Carriage Museum—located in the small community of Cardston in the foothills of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains—is home to one of the world’s most extensive collections of horse-drawn transportation.

The museum is named for the late Don Remington, a local businessman who in 1954 accepted the challenge of outfitting the town’s Santa in a vehicle more suited to his stature than the back of a pickup truck filled with hay—which was what he had been transported in up until that time. With great determination, Remington sourced an appropriate horse-drawn vehicle, haphazardly restored it to its former glory and retrained his old saddle horse to pull it—all in a matter of only three weeks. This task ignited a passion in Remington that would only grow for the next 30 years, until in 1985, he made the government of Alberta an offer they couldn’t refuse.

With 49 lovingly restored horse-drawn vehicles in his personal collection, Remington offered to donate all but one to the Province, on three conditions: one, that the government construct a $1-million building dedicated to the preservation of horse-drawn transportation; two, that the building be located in his hometown of Cardston; and three, that the collection would remain a working collection, available for use.

The Alberta government readily agreed to all conditions, but instead of a $1-million building, they built a $16.4-million facility, banishing all thoughts that one might have that the museum is simply a couple of old carriages housed in an old barn.

Sadly, Remington did not live to see the outstanding facility that would bear his name and his collection. He passed away shortly after the agreement was signed, but today his passion and legacy live on in the world-renowned museum that boasts what is known as the largest and best collection of such vehicles on display in North America, with 290 vehicles.

Meet some of the rich and famous

The Remington Carriage Museum has its share of unique and remarkable horse-drawn vehicles—some of which have carried Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family, as well as prime ministers and other dignitaries. Here are but two out of a number of noteworthy vehicles in the Remington's collection.

An iconic horse-drawn vehicle that has been immortalized in Hollywood films is the Concorde Stagecoach; there were some 10,000 Concorde Stagecoaches made in Concorde, New Hampshire. Of those original 10,000, only 152 remain, and some of those are not even complete. Of the 56 complete Concordes that are known to still exist, the Remington has the one bearing the serial number 117 out of 10,000—the oldest Concorde Stagecoach in the world.

The Vanderbilt Hansom Cab was at one time the most popular form of transportation not just in Britain—where it was most used and built—but also on the European continent and in North America. This vehicle was used extensively in larger cities, and the Remington Carriage Museum has in its possession one that was once owned by Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, the famed New York multimillionaire who was a railroad and shipping magnate. He used it for his personal transportation around New York City. Twenty-two years ago, the Vanderbilt Museum in Newport, Rhode Island, offered to purchase it from the Remington for $250,000— with four additional vehicles thrown in for good measure.