Rowley - Visiting an Alberta Ghost Town in Winter

It’s been years since a train chugged through Rowley. And when the tracks get ripped out, it usually means the town starts to die. And in some cases, as with Rowley, the town was dead already. The loss of the railroad simply delivered the coup-de-grace.  Funny how the age of the car can’t change a small town’s stars.    

In fact, Rowley was a town of 500 at its peak. This was back in the early part of the twentieth century however. But now, there are only a few people left.
Yet with true prairie grit, these last denizens of Rowley decided to try and save the town. How so you might ask?  The plan was to preserve some of those old buildings and fix up the business left on main street.  Essentially, the idea was to turn Rowley into a museum.


What Remains of Rowley

Building by building, the town was preserved. The buildings that remain include the Rowley’s three grain elevators, the train station and a few of the buildings on main street. 
Not all the buildings have been fixed up however and may abandoned homes remain. And all are in varying states of decay.




Pizza Night

Rowley also hosts a monthly pizza night at the local saloon. Check out the Rowley Facebook page to find the schedule before heading out.

Where is Rowley

Rowley is easy to find. The town is straight north of Drumheller following highway 56.  Turn left (west) at Township Road 324. There is a large Rowleywood sign on the corner so its hard to miss. The Rowley grain elevators are visible in the near distance.
While it is a good drive from Calgary, it can be an easier trip if you add it on to a Drumheller / Badlands adventure.  



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