On the Road Again: Exploring Local Alberta History and Identity through Roadside Attractions

Abstract

Roadside attractions are seldom acknowledged as a type of vernacular cultural landscape. There exists a body of literature about related topics, like roads, signs, and roadside architecture, but nothing substantial about roadside attractions. Though some books and essays address roadside attractions in the United States and Australia, none provide a complete survey of all the attractions in one area or discuss at length their significance to a place. To that, there is even less literature about Canadian roadside attractions. Alberta is replete with them, but the only resources that currently exist are incomplete records on hobbyist websites and in locally published books that tout these structures as “weird” or “whacky.” By using a blend of methods from cultural landscape studies and material culture theory to formally document the roadside attraction, this thesis aims to champion its merits as worthy elements of the vernacular landscape. This study identifies four categories that describe the complex and varied social functions that these structures serve and explores the range of perceptions that locals have towards them. The final contribution of this work is a free public tool that academics and enthusiasts can use to learn more about this phenomenon in Alberta and continue future research.