I Went to the Star Trek Capital of Canada! (Vulcan, Alberta Blog)

In case you're wondering, yes, there is a Star Trek themed town in Alberta which Leonard Nimoy (Spock) himself visited in addition to many other Star Trek actors! Vulcan is located about an hour south of Calgary with a population of ~2000 people and is a surprisingly fun place to visit.

Make sure to plan a visit soon, because most attractions are closed from October to April.

After driving through long stretches of farmland, Vulcan is instantly recognizable by its Starship statue and Trek Station Museum at the entry road.

Town Sign with a Star Trek Insignia in front of Trek Station

The "Trek Station" is a small but mighty museum of many things Star Trek, including props, merch, magazines, and many other Trek-trinkets that one could imagine. Behind a familiar whooshing door are many well-made and hilarious costumes from the series.

Monster from the first aired Star Trek episode in 1966 (The Man Trap)

Trek Station Highlights

There is also a good amount of reasonably priced merchandise in the Trek Station! I got a few pins, a "Captains of Enterprise" TV Guide magazine, and a figure of Amy from the Big Bang Theory in Star Trek cosplay altogether for ~$20. 

After this we were quite hungry, so we decided to check out restaurants in the area and decided to eat at the New Club Café. Not everything in Vulcan is Star Trek themed, such as this restaurant which was special in its own way.

The New Club Café is a cozy diner with booth seating and a surprisingly large menu

We ordered Fish and Chips ($13.50), a Reuben Sandwich ($12.95), and Liver and Onions (Klingon-ish? and $14.95), also getting two small sides of soup and salad included which are not pictured

The food was very yummy and although the liver wasn't quite my cup of tea, it was special and enjoyed by more mature palates :). The prices were good and I felt like I was experiencing a slice of Americana - definitely Miam Miam and highly recommend visiting this diner if you go to Vulcan!

After lunch, we had a few more trekkie stops on our way...

Although it's a town of only 2000 people, there is a surprising number of amenities and shopping including a library, a Home Hardware, and even a Liquidation Centre selling discount clothes, food items, and more. Weirdly enough, we did a good amount of non-touristy shopping there.

I also had a fun time visiting the Vulcan Historical Museum which was small but contained interesting historical artifacts from the town - which used to be unrelated to Star Trek and was the largest grain shipping point in the world. There was a wide range of artifacts such as various old phones, cameras and other items arranged to give you an idea of life in rural Alberta many decades ago.

Overall, Vulcan is a great day trip for Albertans (especially those who appreciate Star Trek). As a fan, I was elated to visit and had a lot of fun seeking out the different attractions :). And if you're an even bigger trekkie than me, check out their yearly conference VulCON!