Top Things to See and Do in Edmonton

TOP THINGS TO DO IN EDMONTON – SPRING & SUMMER

• Ride the steam train at Fort Edmonton Park (Canada's largest living history museum) which now incorporates a beautiful parlour and the restoration of authentic visitor seating as a result of the filming of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford in September 2005. Starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, the film hit theatres September 2007.

Learn more about Fort Edmonton Park through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.

• Attend Edmonton's internationally renowned Fringe Theatre Festival - attracting over 500,000 visitors to over 1,000 live theatre experiences every year... largest in North America, it's second only in the world to the famous Edinburgh Fringe in size!

Learn more about the Fringe Theatre Festival through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.

• Attend Edmonton’s Folk Music Festival and see the city at its most magical.  One of the world's leading folk festivals, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival is a four-day outdoor music extravaganza that attracts more than 80,000 music lovers. Situated in Gallagher Park in Edmonton's scenic river valley, the festival offers an eclectic mix of music for all tastes.

• Check out the rides at West Edmonton Mall's Galaxyland (the new Galaxy Orbiter opened in 2007, the first coaster of its kind in Canada) and World Waterpark (a new children's interactive play area opened in 2008).

Learn more about Galaxyland and the World Waterpark through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.

• Join the excitement at Edmonton’s Capital EX – Edmonton’s longest running festival!  Capital EX (formerly Klondike Days) boasts a large variety of international entertainment, culture, family fun, midway thrills and shopping.

• Ride the High Level Streetcar (spring through fall) and enjoy a trip from the top deck of the world's highest streetcar bridge - the High Level Bridge at 46 metres (152 feet) above the North Saskatchewan River - built in 1912. A favourite with visitors and residents alike to travel from downtown to Edmonton's famous Old Strathcona Farmers' Market. As the streetcar clacks slowly across, the view, unobstructed in every direction, is truly breathtaking.

• Ready! Set! Golf Marathon!  There are more than 70 golf courses in the Greater Edmonton Region, including the oldest municipal course in Canada which is centrally located in Edmonton's beautiful river valley. Mid-summer daylight lasting 17 hours attracts both avid and new golfers alike. 

Learn more about golf through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.

• Explore Edmonton's wealth of visual art on display in over 60 galleries and public exhibits including the Gallery Walk, the first of its kind in Canada.

Learn more about visual art through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.

• See the herds of free roaming plains bison, wood bison, moose, deer, and elk at Elk Island National Park. With the exception of the Serengeti Plains of Africa, Elk Island National Park has higher densities of hoofed mammals per square kilometer than any other wild area in the world! Also boasting over 250 species of birds, the park is a bird watcher's paradise.

• Explore Old Strathcona Historic Area, voted one of the Top 10 Coolest Neighbourhoods in Canada and also recently named a Provincial Historic Area. Amid many historic buildings , businesses are 90 per cent owner-operated, offering art and antiques, sports and wellness, bold and daring  fashions, music supplies, home accessories,  fair trade and organic products and more.

• Pick a day trip and visit the country.  Find animal and farm experiences and other family activities online at www.edmontonscountryside.com and www.visitthecountry.ca.  Attractions include the Devonian Botanic Garden and the award-wining Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village.

• See Edmonton from up, way up. E-Z Air offers helicopter services to various industries including tourism. Flights options include 1-hour custom tours for up to 3 passengers. You decide where you want to fly, and what you want to see. 

• Explore the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Edmonton offers the largest expanse of urban parkland in North America with its gorgeous river valley and vast system of parks and natural areas. There are 22 major parks and over 160 kilometres of maintained trails on which you can enjoy walks, bike rides, picnics, and more.

Learn more the North Saskatchewan River Valley through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.

• See Edmonton's Great Divide Waterfall. The High Level Bridge, which connects downtown Edmonton to the city's south side, contains a waterfall that sends approximately 11,000 gallons of water out per minute for a distance of 300 feet along the exterior expanse of the bridge. The man-made waterfall, which is turned on for holiday weekends, cascades into the North Saskatchewan River.

TOP THINGS TO DO IN EDMONTON – FALL & WINTER

• Sharpen your skates!  There are indoor and outdoor skating rinks all over the city… including Hawrelak Park, City Hall, the Alberta Legislature, and the Skating Oval at Victoria Park. 

• Ski the Birkie – Canada’s premiere Cross Country Ski Festival and the largest Classical Cross Country Ski Festival in North America.  The Canadian Birkebeiner is currently held at one of Canada's largest cross country ski trail systems at Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area, 35 kilometres east of Edmonton.

• Enjoy the great outdoors in the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Edmonton offers the largest expanse of urban parkland in North America with its gorgeous river valley and vast system of parks and natural areas. There are 22 major parks and over 160 kilometres of maintained trails on which you can enjoy walks, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and more.

• Don’t miss exciting rodeo action where the west turns wild during Canadian Finals Rodeo! Cheer on professional athletes as they compete for the title of Canadian Champion. Each performance features seven pro-rodeo events, including bull riding, steer wrestling and saddle bronc riding.

• Explore Old Strathcona Historic Area, voted one of the Top 10 Coolest Neighbourhoods in Canada and also recently named a Provincial Historic Area. Amid many historic buildings, businesses are 90% owner-operated, offering art and antiques, sports and wellness, bold and daring  fashions, music supplies, home accessories,  fair trade and organic products and more.

• Think Global. The Global Visions Film Festival began 26 years ago and has carved out a niche in Edmonton by providing access for Canadian and international documentary films that offer quality and relevance.

• Visit the Royal Alberta Museum, one of Canada's most popular museums. The Royal Alberta Museum offers a range of exhibitions and activities for every age level and interest. Behind the scenes, 13 curatorial programs are responsible for building and making accessible some of the finest cultural and natural history collections in the country.

• Don’t miss Christmas Reflections at Fort Edmonton Park. The enchanting evening includes a horse-drawn ride, Christmas caroling, crafts, a visit with Father Christmas, and more. See Fort Edmonton Park twinkling with old-fashioned Christmas nostalgia.

• A night out!  Don’t miss the Citadel Theatre’s A Christmas Carol, a spectacular Christmas tradition.  The Citadel Theatre is a premiere venue for stage productions in Western Canada and is a hot choice for theatre lovers with its five performance venues. Or take in a performance of Alberta Ballet’s The Nutcracker set to Tchaikovsky’s eternal score. Share in Klara’s revelry as she travels to The Palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a wintery wonderland.

Learn more about the Citadel Theatre through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.

• Eat out. Greater Edmonton is home to a wide dining selection with more than 3,500 eating establishments.  Many of these restaurants mirror the diversity of more than 50 ethnic groups and feature regionally inspired menus while Alberta’s world famous beef is a star attraction for restaurant-goers.

• Treat your ears to sounds at the Winspear Centre. Acoustically excellent, architecturally elegant, the Francis Winspear Centre for Music is a stunning, world-class concert hall, ideally situated in the Arts District in the heart of downtown Edmonton.

• Explore Edmonton's wealth of visual art on display in over 60 galleries and public exhibits including the Gallery Walk, the first of its kind in Canada.

• See the herds of free roaming plains bison, wood bison, moose, deer, and elk at Elk Island National Park. With the exception of the Serengeti Plains of Africa, Elk Island National Park has higher densities of hoofed mammals per square kilometer than any other wild area in the world!  Also boasting over 250 species of birds, the park is a bird watcher's paradise.

• Stay in and play! Where else can you experience the thrills of an amusement park, explore the depths of the sea, make a splash in a giant wave pool, glide on an NHL-sized skating rink, play a round of golf, and shop till you drop ... all under one roof? At the world’s largest shopping and entertainment experience and the greatest indoor show on earth – West Edmonton Mall! 

Learn more about West Edmonton Mall through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.