Experience Guide | Tourism Medicine Hat

Beehive Kilns The iconic beehive kilns were used to fire pottery in the 1900s and were built using medieval designs. Over 14,000 bricks create this iconic structure, relying completely on gravity to keep the overhead domes together. Pottery was fired day and night for seven to eight days, and then cooled for one to two days. There was so much heat produced, it could make a penny evaporate. The Kilns can now be toured and host events like, Dinner in the Kiln, Whiskey Tastings in the Kiln, Tongue on the Post, and Medalta’s Heritage Christmas Market. Collectors’ Gallery ft. Tony Schlachter Collection Tony Schlachter donated his incredible collection of over 2,500 pieces to Medalta in 2008. The collection represents nearly every factory that has ever operated in Medicine Hat. It all began with a nondescript chicken waterer that Tony found on his farm in 1954. The collection is located in a hallway where you can also access the Beehive Kilns. Museum Tours The museum can be toured leisurely or guided. Strolling the National Historic Site with a tour guide, you’ll hear true stories about real people who worked day in and day out to produce pottery being distributed nation-wide. There are stories to tell, to be heard, and to remember in a place that played a prominent role, and continues to shape Medicine Hat’s culture. Feel the history of everything encompassed in the build ing, during a guided or self-guided tour.

On November 29, 1948, Walter Sailer jiggered 5,110 seven-inch plates in one eight-hour shift, one every five seconds. Together, the workers were able to produce a staggering 30,993 pieces that day.

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