Places to visit in Edmonton

Edmonton International Airport serves the city of Edmonton in the province of Alberta, Canada, and is rated as the country’s fifth largest airport. Passengers can reach Edmonton Airport from many other Canadian cities, and from many cities in the United States as well. The airport’s passengers consist of many tourists, as Edmonton is well known for a number of attractions. Edmonton attractions include entertainment venues such as Galaxyland and the World Waterpark, as well as several interesting museums and buildings. Nearby Edmonton are a number of attractions as well, including skiing opportunities at Jasper.

Edmonton is considered as one of the most northerly cities in Canada, and is centred around the scenic North Saskatchewan River. The city is divided into several districts, including the downtown district which has recently been redeveloped, and which features a number of eye-catching buildings. The main businesses and companies of the city are found in the downtown district, concentrated around the CBD, but a large number of residents are found in the area as well. An interesting part of the city to visit is the Chinatown District, featuring colourful pagoda-style roofs and authentic Chinese restaurants, while the Old Strathcona Historic District is where many of the city’s older buildings are found. There are several late 19th century buildings and houses to be seen, as well as a large number of specialty stores, antiques shops, restaurants and pubs. A farmer’s market is popular in the area as well. The University District is home to the University of Alberta, a highly regarded institute in Canada, and the West End District covers a large area of residential suburbs, and is where the enormous West Edmonton Shopping Mall can be found.

The Alberta Legislature Building is one of the Edmonton attractions in the downtown area of the city, and is considered as a notable landmark. The building dates back to the early 1900’s, and regular guided tours can be taken to view the inside of the structure. Nearby, visitors will also find a nice gift store, as well as several popular park areas. The Commonwealth Stadium is another well-visited construction in Edmonton, as it is the largest sports stadium in Canada. It was built in the 1970’s for the Commonwealth Games that were hosted by Edmonton in 1978. Over 60,000 people can be seated in the stadium, and it hosts several major events throughout the year, including soccer and football matches, and concerts.

Edmonton city boasts a number of attractions which are wonderfully appealing to the whole family. The most popular are often those that include the animal species of the world, and in Edmonton, the Aquatics Entertainment Stage and Sea Life Caverns feature animals of the water, while the Valley Zoo is home to land animals. The sea life which are a major attraction for the city include sharks, dolphins, penguins, an octopus and many types of marine fish. Dolphin shows are extremely popular, and the children love the touch pool area. The Aquatics Entertainment Stage and Sea Live Caverns can be found at the West Edmonton Mall. The Valley Zoo is one of the largest in Alberta, and is located in the Scenic River Valley area of the city. A large number of animals can be seen at the zoo, and further attractions include regular feeding displays, train rides and paddleboats.

In the West Edmonton Mall as well, visitors can enjoy a truly unique underwater adventure. The Deep Sea Adventure is an unusual attraction, but is very popular. There are four small yellow submarines which take their passengers ‘under the sea’ to view colourful coral reefs and shipwrecks.

Family attractions in Edmonton also include Galaxyland and the World Waterpark. Galaxyland is found in the West Edmonton Mall, and is known to be the largest indoor amusement park in the world. It has around thirty fantastic rides for all age groups, and is open year round, seven days a week. Children under four years of age may enter for free. The World Waterpark is one of the largest of its kind as well, covering an area of more than five acres/two hectares. It features a large number of swimming pools, some of which are ideal for younger children, and a choice of exciting water slides. The Odyssium is another major attraction of Edmonton, with a learning centre, an observatory, a large IMAX theatre and several stores and coffee shops. It has many hands-on attractions for the whole family, and is visited every year by over 500,000 people. The Odyssium was formerly known as the Edmonton Space and Science Centre.

Edmonton has an art gallery with interesting historical paintings, and a number of interesting museums, which include the Royal Alberta Museum containing historical information about the province of Alberta, the Alberta Aviation Museum with an impressive collection of restored aircraft, the Museum of Zoology with more than 35,000 zoological specimens, the Fort Edmonton Park, a popular living museum, and the Ukrainian Canadian Archives and Museum of Alberta, with a variety of local artefacts. The city of Edmonton has a number of green areas to enjoy as well, including the Muttart Conservatory, the Devonian Botanic Gardens, Hermitage Park, Mill Creek Ravine Park, the John Janzen Nature Centre, Kinsmen Park, Laurier Park and Rundle Park. The Muttart Conservatory features four stylish pyramid structures, housing almost 1,000 different types of plant species.

Nearby Edmonton, attractions include Fort Saskatchewan, with the Fort Saskatchewan Museum and Historical Site, the Elk Island National Park of Canada and the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, found just forty miles/64 kilometres from Edmonton. The village’s highlights include horse-drawn wagon rides and lively festivals. Further information regarding Edmonton attractions can be found at the Edmonton International Airport tourist centre, or at the Edmonton Tourism Office at the Shaw Conference Centre (Jasper Avenue, Northwest). There is also the Gateway Park Visitor Information Centre on the Calgary Trail Southwest.