Star Trek Tourism: “Live Long and Prosper” in Alberta, Canada

For die-hard Trekkies, Alberta, Canada, is the proverbial mother ship. Vulcan, a small prairie town an hour’s drive from the city of Calgary, draws fans eager to embrace their inner Spock. Travel expert and Travel Junkie Julia blogger Julia Dimon travels to Vulcan and boldly goes where no travel writer has gone before . . . well, sorta 🙂

The epicenter of Trekkie Tourism, Vulcan, Alberta, Canada, showcases unique memorabilia, quirky souvenirs, a memorial dedicated to creator Gene Roddenberry, and photo ops beside the 31-foot Starship Enterprise replica. Every summer (in 2017, it’ll be July 22-23), Vulcan hosts the annual Vul-Con Galaxy Fest-Spock Days, a community-organized convention that draws a crowd of costumed fans for parades, pancake breakfasts, and Klingon karaoke. While Vulcan may be busiest during the summer, tourists are welcome to make the “trek” year round.

Vulcan was named in 1910 by a railway surveyor after the Roman God, not after Mr. Spock’s fictitious home planet. In the early ’80s, the town was facing an economic crisis, and came up with a clever marketing strategy to capitalize on its quirky name. Today, thanks to the phenomenon, the city’s tourism industry has grown, often doubling their 2,000-odd population during the summer months.

A trip to Vulcan typically starts at the Trek Station, a tourist information center made to look like a giant space station. After perusing some 800 collectibles valued at over $10,000, tourists can slip on a red commander’s costume and take their photos beside life-sized cardboard cutouts of Captain Kirk, Spock, and Data. Though the experience welcomes goofiness, feeling a part of the fictitious crew is fun and the photos are classic Instagram fare.

Commander Julia with Captains Kirk and Spock

From there, the kitsch continues with an interactive virtual-reality video game. Intentionally cheesy with over-the-top acting and the bold mission of trying to save planet Earth, the game is surprisingly impressive. Tourists are able to fire their imaginary intergalactic weapons at a computer screen with a wag of their finger. Reverberating sound effects and realistic set design make you feel like you’re actually commanding a spaceship.

If you’re looking for a good souvenir, visit the “Galaxy Gift Shop” for Vulcan’s official souvenir: a pair of plastic slip-on Spock ears, with over 30,000 pairs already sold.

From the Trek Station, there is a self-guided -themed walk around the sleepy town. Start at the sci-fi-inspired murals spray-painted with doctors from different series before heading to the bakery for a taste of Spock-inspired cookies and cakes.

The town has successfully capitalized on the cult phenomenon, turning what would appear to be a bland Albertan farm town into an eccentric pilgrimage destination. From insignias on their work uniforms to Trek-themed sweets sold at the local grocery store, many of the town’s businesses are jumping on the proverbial bandwagon, eager to welcome into their marketing campaigns. The people of Vulcan hope that by associating themselves with , the town will “live long and prosper.”