LIEBENTHAL, Sask. — What began as a small business venture for a six-year-old girl has grown into a unique roadside destination featuring fossils, rocks, antiques, art and local history near Liebenthal.
Reese McCallum was just six and a half years old when she and her mother, Kyla McCallum, began participating in a young entrepreneurs' marketplace organized through the Leader and District Chamber of Commerce.
At the time, Kyla was homeschooling Reese and viewed the market as an opportunity to help her daughter learn practical skills such as math, money management and customer service.
"I just let her do her booth by herself," Kyla said. "I helped keep the prices low so it would be easy for her to balance and work with money. I thought it was a great opportunity because I had just started homeschooling her."
The pair sold creations Reese had made and shared their interest in collecting rocks and other treasures. As their involvement in markets grew, so did the amount of material they were hauling back and forth to Leader.
Because the family lives along the route to the Great Sand Hills, Kyla saw an opportunity to create something closer to home.
"We wanted to build something that could maybe be an investment for her future," she said. "A little tourist stop where she could showcase her creations, rocks and treasures."
The family, which includes Kent, Kyla and Reese, repurposed an unused Quonset on their property, transforming it into a museum and gift shop. Over time, the attraction expanded to include displays of rocks, fossils, antiques, art and collectibles.
Visitors travelling to the Great Sand Hills often stop in to cool off, grab information about the area or browse the displays.
"Some people come out on bikes, some on motorcycles and campers, and some people are lost," Kyla said with a laugh. "We wanted to offer an information station with something unique."
Today, Reese, now 11, conducts many of the museum tours herself.
"She's learned how to deal with customers, handle cash and operate the business," Kyla said. "She's very independent."
Among the museum's most notable attractions is "Big Red," a fossilized ammonite estimated to be about 65 million years old.
The specimen was donated in 2024 by Jason Berkholtz, owner of Alberta Fossil Family.
The connection began after Reese sent emails to several Alberta fossil and ammolite suppliers while researching materials for jewellery-making and gemstone cutting projects.
Many never responded, but Berkholtz did.
"He saw what Reese was doing and what we were building," Kyla said. "We hadn't even opened yet. We were still under construction."
A month after his initial visit, Berkholtz returned with the giant fossil.
"I was in shock," Kyla said. "He said it had been in his family's collection for a long time and deserved a good place to be displayed."
Reese named the fossil "Big Red" after a nickname her grandfather had for her grandmother.
The family's interest in rocks and gemstones stretches beyond Saskatchewan. Kyla's parents in Texas also collect gemstones, and Reese became interested in learning how to cut and polish stones herself. Equipment sent by family members helped her begin developing those skills.
Over the years, the attraction has operated under several names before settling this year on Pebble Rebel Dune Saloon.
What began as a rock and art display has expanded to include coffee, antiques, collectibles and camping supplies for travellers heading to the Great Sand Hills.
"We try to be a service that's missing out here," Kyla said.
The museum attracts a surprising range of visitors, including university researchers, geologists and people working in the oil and gas sector.
"What makes it special is seeing the same people come back year after year," she said. "We've made a lot of new friends."
The business remains open when many other attractions close for the weekend. Current weekend hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., although the family often opens earlier when possible to accommodate visitors.
The museum will close for the winter season after Halloween.
Looking ahead, the McCallums are helping organize Liebenthal's first hobby and collectibles Christmas show on Nov. 7 at the Liebenthal Hall.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature vendors offering antiques, hunting and fishing equipment, handcrafted goods and baking. Door prizes will also be available.
Kyla hopes the event will encourage creativity and expose children to new interests and opportunities.
"I want families to bring their kids and see all the different things people can do," she said. "Maybe they'll find something that inspires them."
For Kyla, that sense of discovery is at the heart of both the museum and the upcoming hobby show.
"Out here, we're always trying to create more things for families to do," she said.
