Brian JonesEdmonton is known as Canada’s Festival City. Moreover, it’s one of the fastest-growing cities that offer an array of exhilarating outdoor adventures, cultural heritage, and natural wonders.
In fact, there’s a myriad of tourist spots and sights that will satisfy every adventurer and traveler’s wanderlust.
If you want to see and experience all of these, include Edmonton at the top of your travel bucket list!
What are the top attractions to visit in Edmonton?
1. West Edmonton Mall
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
West Edmonton Mall is a good starting place if you’re looking for a one-stop shop adventure.
Compared to the usual shopping centers, this mall has an expansive indoor amusement park, wave pool, and indoor lake. Of course, you can still shop ’til you drop here because there are over 800 boutiques and shops inside.
Should this not be enough, West Edmonton Mall also features two hotels and over 100 restaurants. If you think you need more than a day or two to explore this place, you can easily find a place to stay.
Nonetheless, if you want to try many activities and visit all the attractions inside the mall, we recommend getting a Multi-Play Pass. For your reference, here’s a WEM’s Multi-Play Pass price list.
2. Muttart Conservatory
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Muttart Conservatory should be on your bucket list if you have a penchant for gardens, flowers, and plants. This attraction features four exquisite pyramids and three climate-regulated biomes holding over 700 species of plants.
It is the largest indoor botanical garden in the country. Each of the four glass pyramids holds an indoor themed garden representing various plant species from Madagascar and Mexico.
Three pyramids display plant species from the tropical, arid, and temperate regions. If you wish to see palm trees and a range of orchids, you can visit the Tropical pyramid.
The Arid pyramid offers exotic desert species. Alternatively, the Temperate pyramid is the place to be if you want to take pictures of many colorful wildflowers, American redwoods, and eucalyptus trees.
Lastly, don’t forget to drop by the Feature pyramid because it’s a sight to behold. This pyramid displays five floral themes in a year, so you can witness unique programs and seasonal displays.
3. Elk Island National Park
Image Source: Parks Canada
If you need a timeout from the usual hustle and bustle of the city, visit this beautiful conservatory.
Elk Island National Park is a retreat for both people and wildlife because of its pristine natural settings and landscape.
It’s an excellent spot for locals and tourists looking for a place to unwind and reconnect with nature. This sanctuary features various trails, meadows, forests, lakes, and ponds.
If you plan to have a day trip with your friends, you can explore the short hikes or boardwalk loops in the park. You can also meet a herd of plains and wood bison freely roaming in the conservatory.
Moreover, you can take in the close-up views of the forested islands and peninsulas around Astotin Lake.
To top it all off, there are campgrounds and campsites inside, so you have a place to stay in case you wish to go stargazing.
4. Fort Edmonton Park
Image Source: CBC News
If it’s your first time visiting Edmonton and you want to know more about the city’s history and culture, include Fort Edmonton Park in your itinerary.
The park offers an interactive virtual tour that offers a glimpse into the histories and experiences of the indigenous people in Edmonton. The tour will walk you through the city’s trade and culture in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Moreover, it will also tackle the stories, artworks, perspectives, and music of the First Nations and Métis People.
After that, you can ride on the steam engine trains or vintage street cars and discover the historically themed attractions inside the wooded parkland. For a more authentic and aesthetic vibe, you can also take the horse-drawn wagon and explore 1885 Street and Ottewell Farm.
At the end of the tour, visit Ernest Brown Photography so you can snag Instagrammable pictures in historical costumes.
5. Alberta Legislature Building
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Alberta Legislature Building, also known as “the Ledge,” is the provincial government’s seat of power. It’s the meeting place for Alberta’s Legislative Assembly and Executive Council.
Now, you might think, how does this heritage building become an attraction? Well, if you’re curious about Alberta’s legislative process, visiting the Ledge is a good starting point.
Free guided tours are offered every hour, and through this, you can get a glimpse of the province’s parliamentary tradition, history, and governance.
Be ready with your camera because the building’s galleries are filled with spectacular paintings, statues, and other classic artworks.
Furthermore, the Alberta Legislature Building also offers panoramic views of the River Valley and 108th Avenue.
6. Royal Alberta Museum
Image Source: Arch Daily
Another attraction that will take you hundreds of years back in Alberta’s history is the Royal Alberta Museum.
It measures 82,000 square feet (7,618 square meters) and is considered the largest museum in Western Canada.
This exhibition space features a diverse collection of more than 5 million artifacts and specimens from prehistoric times and 500 generations of First Peoples.
There’s a lot to explore in this Royal Alberta Museum because it offers 13 curatorial programs. Besides that, this museum is great for all ages because it offers public programs specifically aimed at children.
7. Art Gallery of Alberta
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Edmonton is not just known for its green spaces. The city also features a good range of modern architecture and structures.
One of the iconic structures you can marvel at is the Art Gallery of Alberta. It has a unique and contemporary curved facade and a silver exterior, making the building look like an exquisite art in itself.
Moreover, it’s one of the largest galleries in the country that features Renaissance to modern paintings, photos, sculptures, installation works, and more.
Another thing we like about this gallery is that the art installations and exhibits change from time to time. Each floor reveals an exhibition space highlighting an interesting range of visual arts crafted by local, national, and international artists.
Alternatively, you can also drop in on workshops that are held on Wednesday evenings. Woodblock printing, printmaking, clay-sculpting, and drawing are some of the classes they offer.
8. North Saskatchewan River Valley
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If you’re the outdoorsy type, you shouldn’t miss out on what North Saskatchewan River Valley has to offer.
It is the largest urban parkland in North America, so you won’t run out of options for outdoor adventure. This vast green space includes major parks, lakes, gardens, ravines, and various trails for walks and hikes.
Besides that, the river offers a lot of recreational activities throughout the year. Of course, you have to visit public access points to enjoy kayaking, canoeing, fishing, jet skiing, and more.
Some popular spots you can visit in the valley are Dawson Park, Snow Valley Aerial Park, Rainbow Valley Campground, Emily Park, Hawrelak Park, and John Janzen Nature Center.
9. Edmonton Valley Zoo
Image Source: Edmonton Valley Zoo
Next on this list is another premier attraction in Edmonton – Edmonton Valley Zoo. It’s a nice spot for a family gathering because kids and adults alike can enjoy meeting more than 350 native and exotic animals.
You can see an array of species, such as the bighorn sheep, native prairie dogs, and peregrine falcon.
Aside from that, the park also features snowy owls, meerkats, bald eagles, seals, arctic foxes, and sea lions. These animals are nurtured in a cultivated habitat and can freely roam around the designated facilities.
Furthermore, you can also try inside educational programs, day camps, and amusement rides.
10. TELUS World of Science
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TELUS World of Science is an excellent destination for people looking for a unique and informative science and technology tour. In this place, you’ll get to be a scientist for a day!
This interactive cultural facility features eight main exhibit galleries and six stage facilities. Each one of these galleries and facilities offers programs, activities, and experiments about the environment, robotics, space, kinetics, and more.
If you’re bringing your kids, you can let them explore the Discoveryland, waterworks, and construction zones.
Alternatively, we recommend exploring the observatory if you love stargazing and astronomy. It’s separated from the main building and equipped with seven telescopes that guests can use.
