Royal Alberta Museum
Royal Alberta Museum
The Royal Alberta Museum features a mix of permanent cultural and natural history exhibits, as well as always-changing modern installations. Particularly the fossils from dinosaur and ice age eras, aquaria of native fish, and live insects are impressive points in the Museum- including some exotic and enormous species. The museum's cultural history sections explore and show aboriginal cultures with artifacts from Blackfoot, Cree, and other First Nations.
Elk Island National Park & Beaver Hills
Elk Island National Park & Beaver Hills
All of the national park covers a wooded area with lakes and wetlands, and is habitat to all kinds of wildlife, including moose, elk, deer, and beaver. But in the main attraction of Elk Island National Park, you can see the large herd of buffalo (bison), which graze over a special enclosure. Anyone driving slowly along the road through the park cannot fail to catch sight of one of these massive shaggy beasts. The other thing is the Beaver Hills area. It was originally the tribal home of the Sarcee Indians. However, The Cree forced them to be out from that area as hunting beaver and buffalo pelts for the large fur-trading companies. With hunting and settlement, the buffalo were almost wiped out, though some Beaver Hills buffalo are thought to have been captured in 1909 and placed in a reserve of their own. These are the forebears of the animals now living in Elk Island National Park.
West Edmonton Mall
West Edmonton Mall
Canada's largest shopping center and one of the largest in the world, West Edmonton Mall is a major tourist attraction. In addition to hundreds of shops and restaurants, the facility contains a hotel, movie theaters, a huge water park, ice rink, and much more which is able to catch the visitor's eyes. In Europa Boulevard, you can see that many of the shops have European-style fronts and carry the names of international fashion designers. Bourbon Street, a copy of the famous New Orleans street, is a destination for Creole food and live music. The mall's Galaxyland is one of the largest covered, indoor amusement parks in the world. There are all kinds of rides including a triple-loop rollercoaster.
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Established in the 1970s along the Yellowhead Highway, this open-air museum have been preserving the cultural heritage of the many immigrants from Bukovina and the Ukraines. Various historic buildings have been rebuilted and reparied on the site, and the pale onion dome of a Ukrainian church is visible even if it is far. There are many living history elements including a blacksmith, market, and an old-fashioned general store to explore and enjoy.
Fort Edmonton Park
Fort Edmonton Park
Another open-air museum, Fort Edmonton Park has old buildings faithfully reconstructed to reflect Edmonton's historical gradual development. The buildings include a typical 1846 fort belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, a street from a pioneer town of 1885, the progressive provincial capital in 1905, as well as buildings from the 1920s. The most interesting point is the different forms of old transport. Visitors can ride a horse-drawn wagon or a steam train. At the John Janzen Nature Centre nearby, there are exhibits about local geology and ecology.
Muttart Conservatory
Muttart Conservatory
On the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River, four pyramid-shaped hothouses are habitat to rare and far-traveled species of plants. Each pyramid features a distinct environment representing biodiversity of the world, from the tropical climate of Burma and Fiji to the temperate pavilion with its American redwoods and Australian eucalyptus. With so many species of plants on display, the conservatory is the premier horticultural facility in Edmonton. From the high ground above the river, there is a glmarous view of the brightening pyramids of the Muttart Conservatory against the skyline of Edmonton city center.
Legislature Building
Legislature Building
In the midst of a park-like garden where the last Fort Edmonton once stood, it is the 1912 Legislature Building. From the terrace, there is a beautiful and fantastic view across the North Saskatchewan River to the far bank you have never seen before. Guided tours are the best way to learn about the history, architecture, and secrets of the building.
Art Gallery of Alberta
Art Gallery of Alberta
A twisting modernist building on Sir Winston Churchill Square, the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton is dedicated to visual arts with an emphasis on Western Canada. The gallery features changing and traveling exhibitions, and maintains an extensive collection of more than 6,000 pieces.
Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin
Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin
One hour by car south of Downtown Edmonton is the friendly little town of Wetaskiwin. Here, the main attraction is the Reynolds Alberta Museum, dedicated to everything to do with aircraft and vehicle construction. There are open-air displays of old agricultural machinery and tools, including some real dinosaurs - steam tractors, threshing machines, caterpillar tractors, and trucks. There are also veteran aircraft and vintage motorcycles to admire.
K Days
K Days
The greatest event in Edmonton's calendar is the ten-day festival known as K Days, formerly called Capital Ex. It is held every year at the end of July. The wild days of the 1890 Klondike gold rush come to life once more. Street-parties, dancing, parades, live entertainment, gold panning, and a midway liven up the whole city. While festivals is continuing, visitors who plan to be in Edmonton should be sure to book accommodation well in advance.
