Experience Rowley

Reminiscence of cowboy days gone past, Rowley is now little but a few scattered buildings, an abandoned railway station, an old saloon, and a few empty grain elevators. The population is busiest during the summer months when students and former residents come back home for visits.

Pizza Night is the time to come. It’s a summer tradition occurring every second Saturday. Acting as a fundraiser, locals make homemade pizzas at the town hall to be delivered across the street at Sam’s Saloon, an old cowboy pub with sawdust still littering its floor. Grab a pint and wait to hear your name being called over the din of chatter – the pizza is very, very much worth the wait. 

Unique Things to See and Do in Rowley

• Enjoy Pizza Night every other Saturday

• Grab a cheap pint at Sam’s Saloon

• Wander the abandoned railroad

• See the abandoned rail station

• Meet the friendly locals 

Information on Rowley

Rowley’s been dying out for a while – even in the 1920s when it was a thriving railroad town, only about 500 people lived here. Now there are just 8 permanent residents. The train stopped running sometime in 1999, taking much of the town’s traffic with it. 

A few years ago, some locals decided to spend some time and money fixing up the old community homes and buildings to represent Rowley’s pioneer days in hopes of appealing to photographers and tourists interested in capturing a glimpse into a ghost town. 

Getting to Rowley

Rowley is located in Alberta’s Starland County, just north of Drumheller.  No tours or public transit runs through here – you’ll have to drive. Rowley is about 180km from Calgary which is about a 2 hour drive. Prairie road conditions always make for a fantastic drive.