Weird Museums: World Famous Gopher Hole Museum

We are all looking forward to our Groundhog Day celebrations. Even though it will be different this year because of the pandemic, we wanted to make sure to create space for this important holiday. While there are no museums about groundhogs, there is one that celebrates a similar rodent. You guessed it: today we’re all going up to Torrington in Alberta, Canada to visit the World Famous Gopher Hole Museum. 

World Famous Gopher Hole Museum [Image from thedestinators.com]

Let’s talk about the humble gopher. Firstly, the true gopher is known as a “pocket gopher.” This is because they have fur-lined cheek pouches that go all the way back to their shoulders. These rodents burrow in systems of tunnels that they create, that look like honeycomb. Because of this, it is thought that the word “gopher” may come from the French word for waffle, which is “gaufre.” However, the exact origin of the word is unknown. There are roughly 35 different species of gopher, all of which are endemic to north and central America. Another fun fact is that Minnesota is known as the Gopher State. 

The Gopher Hole Museum is small, but mighty. It features over 40 dioramas of stuffed gophers, and there are about 70 stuffed gophers in total. The dioramas recreate scenes from the town of Torrington, and there are some really incredible displays. This museum charges $2 per adult, 50 cents per child. Dianne Kurta is the director of the museum, and she stated that the entrance fee will never change. They created this museum in the 90s, as a way to bring in money for the town. Torrington has a population of about 200 people. Dianne said that their first year brought 10,000 visitors, and they have gotten about 5,000 visitors every year since. I found an article that truly brought me so much joy when I saw the title, which read: Fur Flies Over Gopher Museum Mayor Tells Peta to “Go stuff themselves.” This article was written in 1996, just as the museum was opening. 

The only website I could find for this museum is gopherholemuseum.ca, and they have this disclaimer on their front page: 

DISCLAIMER- This is the “unofficial” guide to the Gopher Hole Museum in Torrington, Alberta, Canada. We do not own or operate the museum; we have created this tribute website as fans of the Gopher Hole Museum.

The website does list the information that a tourist would need, such as business hours, operating season, and address.

So lets break down some of these dioramas. The first one that caught my eye is of a gopher at a fertilizer plant, and yes, they have actual feces inside the diorama. I think it is goat feces, if I recall correctly. There’s also one where a gopher firefighter is laying on the ground with his foot caught in the fire hose, with another gopher firefighter saying “have a nice trip!” They have a diorama of a prehistoric scene in which a gopher is holding a club in one hand, and a lizard in the other, and the gopher says “Yum! Lizard Lasagne!” There are dioramas of an Olympic ceremony, a diner, a senior’s club, and so many more. These dioramas, for the most part, are meant to represent the town of Torrington. My absolute favorite of all of these dioramas, is one in which there is a gopher priest giving a sermon. Behind him is a gopher nun saying “amen” while clearly taking a nap. If you look up in the corner, you’ll see another gopher dangling from the ceiling, with wings, a halo, and a harp. 

Gopher diorama [Image from gopherholemuseum.ca]

After all of the research I did for this museum, I went to the Wikipedia page for Torrington, just to learn some more about the town. It was here that I was presented with some shocking information, and I still don’t really know how to process it. According to the Torrington Wikipedia page, the museum isn’t actually displaying gophers. Apparently, they are Richardson Ground Squirrels.

Richardson Ground Squirrel [Image from ealt.ca]

I know we are all feeling an overwhelming sense of betrayal, but don’t let that get in the way of your holiday spirit. From me, to you, I want to say Happy Groundhog Day. I hope you all celebrate responsibly.

Sources and Further Reading:

Gopher - Wikipedia Entry

Man on the Lam - Blog Post

Fan Tribute Site

Documentary: World Famous Gopher Hole Museum

Torrington, Alberta - Wikipedia Entry