Edmonton, Canada

What to do in Edmonton, Canada

The World's Biggest Mall

No visit would be complete without a trip to the largest mall in the world - West Edmonton Mall. Over 800 stores and services, this shopping and entertainment extravaganza will keep you busy for hours. In addition to shops, restaurants, and an indoor amusement park, the mall also has a hotel because one day just isn't enough! Beyond the mall, you'll find many great little shops and galleries downtown.

Outdoor Sports

Everything from skiing to hiking is available to you in the wilderness surrounding Edmonton. There are numerous ski resorts to the west in the Rockies, and more lakes than can be fished in a lifetime close by!.

Fort Edmonton Park

For a sample of life when Edmonton was the main fur trading post, this living-history park takes you back to life in 1846. Learn how the furs were prepared for trading and watch as a blacksmith shapes wheels in his shop. There's also a saloon, and more. Explore the village on foot or by horse-wagon and even stagecoach!.

Old Strathcona Historic Area

These houses and shops from the 1890s have been restored with traditional styles. The result is a charming shopping district loaded with antiques, gift shops, and historic restaurants. To complete the Old World feel, visit the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market for farm-fresh vegetables and 19th-century crafts.

Multicultural Heritage Center and Oppertshauser Gallery Costumed villagers depict 19th-century Canada through daily reenactments the struggle to forge a settlement out of the wilderness. A settler's cabin, general store, and farm bring history to life.

City Hall

Built in the 1990s, Edmonton's City Hall combines architecture from the 1950s building is replaced along with eye-catching modern touches. It is capped with a glass pyramid and 23-bell carillon that chimes out 99 melodies. Inside, an extensive art collection by Alberta's finest adorns the walls.

Sir Winston Churchill Square

As the focus of the arts district, this 6-block area houses many of Edmonton's most important cultural institutions, everything from the Francis Winspear Center for Music to the City Hall. Look up at the building details as you walk around this architecturally marvelous area.

River Valley Parks

Many miles of parkland line the curves of the North Saskatchewan River, providing open spaces for year-round strolling, cross-county skiing, and picnicking.

Valley Zoo

Take in an afternoon of exotic, domestic and endangered animals at this "Best Affordable Family Attraction" according to an Edmonton Journal reader's poll. You'll encounter over 350 species, including endangered species rarely seen in the wild.

Northlands Park

You'll find everything from gambling to a rodeo at this one stop entertainment center. With 2,600 events hosted here every year, you can count on something special whenever you visit. If you can, visit during Klondike Days, especially for the rodeo.

Devonian Botanical Garden

Even in the middle of winter, you can find refuge in the warm tropical air of these gardens. Housing everything from Alpine to exotic plants, there is something to interest most plant lovers. Nature trails and forests peak during summer and the Butterfly House holds about 30 species of colorful butterflies.