Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump heritage site enjoys boost after shout out on ‘The Pitt’
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Alberta is enjoying a recent uptick in interest spurred by a shout out on a popular American television show — and its head of marketing hopes that curiosity translates into a bustling summer season.
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump was mentioned in a recent episode of the Golden Globe-winning TV medical drama “The Pitt.”
In it, Dr. Michael (Robby) Robinavitch, played by actor Noah Wyle, announces he’s going on sabbatical to the landmark in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
“I’ve never seen the badlands,” he says in the episode that aired Jan. 8.
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is about 185 kilometres south of Calgary. It was used for thousands of years by Indigenous people to channel bison herds and send the animals stampeding over an 11-metre-high cliff to be killed and harvested.
The interpretive centre of cascading floors built into the sandstone cliff explores Blackfoot culture, local ecology, and archeological finds, and leads visitors to a cliff top trail.
Quinton Crow Shoe, who leads marketing at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, said staff are hearing some visitors say the show triggered their curiosity.
“As a result of that mention, they decided to take the trek off the beaten path,” he said in an interview.
With the show, he said their social media and email inboxes lit up.
“I didn’t realize the magnitude of that show. And, the mention itself brings a lot of awareness and curiosity,” Crow Shoe said. “So, we appreciate it, and we’re having some fun with it.”
Although it was designated a World Heritage Site in 1981, the interpretive centre will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year. It sees about 60,000 visitors a year.
Crow Shoe said the buzz around the buffalo jump isn’t fading away, and he hopes the modest bump in recent interest translates into an increase in crowds and motor coach tours once the peak season hits, from about May through to September.
Other promotions — such as discounts through the national Canada Strong Pass — have also had a positive effect on the gate, he said.
Crow Shoe noted that Head-Smashed-In is part of a cluster of attractions in southern Alberta — from Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park in the badlands to Waterton Lakes National Park where the mountains begin — that draw visitors to explore as much of the area as possible.
“We always look at being successful in terms of supporting one another,” he said.
Provincial marketing agency Travel Alberta took advantage by releasing a promotional video with the TV show’s characters superimposed on the background of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump’s cliffs.
And Alberta Culture Minister Tanya Fir posted the TV clip to social media, adding “Dr. Robby is Alberta bound!”
“We are proud to see how Alberta’s history, stories and cultural landmarks continue to leave a lasting impression on audiences around the world,” Fir wrote.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2026.