Edmonton has a wide range of popular attractions, which showcase Edmonton and the province of Alberta. Let’s look at the most popular things to do in Canada’s Festival City.
Edmonton Valley Zoo
Visitors to Edmonton have the chance to observe over 350 animals at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. The zoo was officially opened in 1959 and while the Inner Zoo, which features animals such as emus, black swans, and striped skunks, dates from this period, the zoo has added a range of new exhibits in recent years.
The Makira Outpost, for example, was opened in 2007 and houses the lemurs. In 2019, the zoo added Nature’s Wild Backyard, which is home to red pandas and domestic animals in the Urban Farm
Other popular exhibits include Birds of Prey, where visitors can marvel at magnificent bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and snowy owls, while, as the name suggests, Carnivore Alley is the home of meat eaters such as snow leopards, Canada lynx, and Amur tigers.
The popularity of animals has led to innovations in other areas of the entertainment industry. Since the release of Flight of the Butterflies, the Canadian documentary about the migration of monarch butterflies, there has been a boom in nature documentaries. In turn, this high level of interest has contributed to the prevalence of animal-themed slot games in the iGaming industry. Slot games, such as Jungle Spirit, which features bears, elephants, and tigers and can be played for real money online casino in Canada, demonstrate how the sector is capitalizing on the wider popularity of animal themes in entertainment.
Elk Island National Park
Visitors to Elk Island National Park can experience three of Canada’s most popular activities: observing wildlife, hiking, and canoeing. In addition, visitors to the national park have the opportunity to try their hand at geocaching, sailboating, and snowshoeing.
Of course, the main attraction of Elk Island is the chance to watch wildlife such as bison, elk, and birds. Visitors who want the best opportunity to observe these impressive animals in their natural habitat are advised to attend the park at dawn or dusk, as many animals seek shelter on warm days.
Royal Alberta Museum
The Royal Alberta Museum was established in 1967 and was known as the Provincial Museum of Alberta until it was renamed for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 2005. In 2018, the museum moved to new premises measuring 419,000 square feet.
The stated mission of the museum is to bring the remarkable stories forged in Alberta to the public and this is achieved through collections featuring over 5 million objects.The collections exhibited at the museum cover four categories: Life Science, which includes botany and invertebrate zoology, Earth Science, covering fields such as archaeology and geology, and Human History, which involves military and political history and Collections Services, which includes collections management and conservation.
Visitors should know the museum is open Wednesdays to Sundays from 10am until 4pm and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Edmonton has a wide range of popular attractions, which showcase the best of the city and the wider province of Alberta. Hopefully, this guide will have given you some inspiration to discover the rich history of Alberta or experience the wide range of wildlife habitats in Edmonton.