Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada Alberta Vulcan Vulcan

Vulcan

Live long and prosper in Vulcan, Alberta.

Vulcan, Alberta

Added By
Jo
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Vulcan’s Starship FX6-1995-A, replica of the Starship Enterprise, named after Vulcan Airport’s designation FX6.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:VulcanAl...
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcan,_Alberta
Tourism and Trek Station.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vulcan_v...
Starship street lights   howelde / Atlas Obscura User
Starship Enterprise on Klingon Way   howelde / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Dubbed "Canada's Quirkiest Town," Vulcan, Alberta, midway between the cities of Calgary and Lethbridge, has become a popular tourist destination because it shares a name with the homeworld of the Vulcans, characters from the Star Trek movies and television shows. But the town wasn't named after the show.

Vulcan was named by a surveyor for the Canadian Pacific Railway back in 1915 for the Roman god of fire—all of the streets throughout the town were originally named for gods and goddesses. Located in the prairies of southern Alberta, Vulcan has a population under 2,000 who mostly work in farming. The town's economy is agriculture-based—wheat, canola, barley—but the town's people have no problem capitalizing on tourism dollars as well.

In addition to a Star Trek-themed tourist information center (the "Tourism and Trek Station"), attractions include Spock's Bar, and the Scrapbook Cafe, which only serves food and beverages with Star Trek-themed names. A replica of the starship Enterprise from Star Trek V sits outside of the tourist center. The writing on the display's pedestal is in alien languages from the television shows. Vulcan's annual Star Trek convention (VulCON: Spock Days/Galaxyfest) attracts fans from all over the world.

Vulcan is also home to the last surviving building from the Frank Slide—Canada's deadliest rock slide, which occurred on April 29, 1903. The hotel was closed and dismantled after the slide and moved to Vulcan. It is now called the Vulcan Hotel and features theme-decorated rooms such as the Star Trek room and the John Deere room. If you look closely in the Star Trek room, you might just find some Star Wars paraphernalia mixed in.

Related Tags

Star Trek Science Fiction Unfortunate Town Names Cultures And Civilizations

Know Before You Go

The town is located one hour south of Calgary by car.

Community Contributors

Added By

canuck

Edited By

Martin, aprilmackillins, nbj914, howelde

  • Martin
  • aprilmackillins
  • nbj914
  • howelde

Published

February 13, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • HubPages: Canada's Weirdest Roadside Attractions: http://hubpages.com/hub/Canada-Roadside-Attractions
  • Wikipedia: Vulcan, Alberta: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcan,_Alberta
Vulcan
Vulcan, Alberta, T0L 2B0
Canada
50.406101, -113.257676
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Iniskim Umaapi (Majorville Medicine Wheel)

Vulcan County, Alberta

miles away

Big Rock Erratic

Okotoks, Alberta

miles away

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Fort Macleod, Alberta

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alberta

Alberta

Canada

Places 81
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Iniskim Umaapi (Majorville Medicine Wheel)

Vulcan County, Alberta

miles away

Big Rock Erratic

Okotoks, Alberta

miles away

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Fort Macleod, Alberta

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alberta

Alberta

Canada

Places 81
Stories 5

Related Stories and Lists

A Geeky Guide to the Scientific Wonders of North America

List

By Science Friday

Best of -- 2011.02.21

By Nick Jackson

Related Places

  • Captain Janeway Monument

    Bloomington, Indiana

    Captain Janeway Statue

    It's a unique monument honoring a great character who inspired a generation of young women to be more and pursue their dreams.

  • Star Trek Original Series Set Tour.

    Ticonderoga, New York

    Star Trek Original Series Set Tour

    A perfect replica of the beloved show's first set.

  • Toad Suck, Arkansas. (Random Factor/Flickr)

    Bigelow, Arkansas

    Toad Suck

    Town not known for anything except its strange name.

  • Sign at the town limits

    Tarsdorf, Austria

    Fucking, Austria

    American soldiers discovered Europe's best one-liner at the end of World War II.

  • View from below.

    Urubamba, Peru

    Machu Colca

    This archaeological site features an early version of today’s refrigerators.

  • Hegra, Saudi Arabia

    Jabal Ithlib

    Carved into a towering rock mountain in Al Ula, this once served as a religious and political center in Hegra.

  • It’s bigger on the inside....

    Narrogin, Australia

    TARDIS Bus Shelter

    On a rural farm road in Western Australia, a full-size, electrified police call box with a big surprise inside.

  • Sethi House Complex

    Peshawar, Pakistan

    Sethi House

    A rare instance of a historical Peshawari mansion restored and opened to the public.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.