Things To Do in Edmonton
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
Edmonton Attractions
- Landmark
Alberta Legislature
Perched with a view of the gorgeous river valley, Alberta's Legislature, the seat of the provincial government, is an impressive structure built between 1907 and 1913. Free 60-minute tours with engaging guides are offered daily for those interested in the building's Beaux Art-era… - Park/Garden
Muttart Conservatory
Four glass pyramids rise up from the deep snow on the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River in the depths of an Edmonton winter. Inside, 700 species of plants, from arid to tropical, flourish despite the weather. The Muttart, a city-operated property, is an oasis for… The Art Gallery of Alberta
The most exciting thing to come to Edmonton since the Stanley Cup, the stunning new AGA is the C$88-million, 2,787-sq.-m (30,000-sq.-ft.) home for revolving world-class exhibits. On any given day, you could take in Degas, Picasso, and Emily Carr; there's permanent room for Alberta's…- Zoo/Aquarium
The Valley Zoo
Not as sprawling and impressive as the Calgary Zoo, Edmonton's Valley Zoo, nestled in Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park near the river, is nonetheless a diverting activity amid the lush green surroundings of the North Saskatchewan river valley. More than 100 exotic, endangered, and native…
Edmonton Shopping
There are more shops per capita in Edmonton than in any other city in Canada. Go for it! See the West Edmonton Mall.
Downtown -- Most of the downtown shops are in a few large mall complexes; all are linked by the Pedway system, which gives pedestrians protection from summer heat and winter cold. The largest is Edmonton City Centre with 170 stores; it shares the block with the Hudson's Bay Company, and is across 102nd Avenue from Holt Renfrew department store. All of the above face 102nd Avenue, between 103rd and 100th streets.
Old Strathcona -- If you don't like mall shopping, then wandering the galleries and boutiques along Whyte Avenue (aka 82nd Ave.) may be more your style. One of the few commercial areas of Edmonton that retain historic structures, Old Strathcona is trend-central for students and bohemians. Shop for antiques, gifts, books, crystals, and crafts. Or pick up a souvenir tattoo. Be sure to stop by the Farmers Market at 103rd Street and 102nd Avenue.
High Street -- This small district, running from 102nd to 109th avenues along 124th Street, has Edmonton's greatest concentration of art galleries, housewares shops, boutiques, and bookstores. It has great restaurants, too.
Edmonton Nightlife
To get a read on what's going on in Edmonton's vibrant cultural scene, pick up a copy of See (www.seemagazine.com), the local free arts and entertainment weekly. There, you'll find listings for movies, art openings, upcoming concerts, clubs, and theater.
The Performing Arts
In the downtown cultural district, the Winspear Centre (4 Sir Winston Churchill Sq. NW; tel. 780/428-1414; www.winspearcentre.com) is home to major cultural organizations like the Edmonton Symphony (tel. 780/428-1414; www.edmontonsymphony.com), the Edmonton Opera (tel. 780/429-4040; www.edmontonopera.com), and many big-name traveling performers. The Citadel Theatre (9828 101A Ave.; tel. 780/425-1820; www.citadeltheatre.com) is the city's premiere live theater venue in a city known for theater, with a resident company that's generally acknowledged to be among the country's best.
Edmonton's theater scene is world-renowned, with a massive annual Fringe Festival that all but takes over the city every August. If you're not in town for the Fringe, there are a smorgasbord of local theater troupes -- far too numerous to list here -- to choose from year-round, performing at a variety of formal stages and informal venues, like pubs. Check your copy of See to see what's current.
The Club & Bar Scene
Downtown, you've got to be careful not to get caught when the streets fold up at night, but Whyte Avenue, always busy during the day, kicks it up a notch after dark. Bar Wild's (10551 Whyte Ave; tel. 780/504-7777) name says it all -- it's the Whyte Avenue night-time scene in a nutshell. Bar Wild draws a young crowd, many of them U of A students, bent on drowning the week's mind-expanding educational experience in beer. The Black Dog Freehouse (10425 Whyte Ave; tel. 780/439-1082) is a popular, pubby spot in the summertime, with its large rooftop patio, while Devlin's Cocktail Lounge (10507 Whyte Ave; tel. 780/437-7489) is Whyte Avenue spiffed up for the young professional set, with its look-at-me front windows out on to the Whyte Avenue stroll.
You'll find live music on weekends at some of the many, many pubs on Whyte, like the venerable Blues on Whyte (10329 Whyte Ave; tel. 780/439-3981), the Empress Ale House (9912 Whyte Ave; tel. 780/758-1164), or the Backdraught Pub (8307 99th St.; tel. 780/430-9200), whereas the Pawn Shop (10551 Whyte Ave, 2nd floor; tel. 780/432-5058) is one of the best venues for both the local and popular traveling indie bands.
And Whyte Avenue really is one-stop bar-hopping: If you're looking for dance clubs, there's a plethora of those here, too. Suite 69 (8232 Gateway Blvd.; tel. 780/439-6969) is an upstairs dance club one block off Whyte Avenue, featuring popular local DJs; Krobar (10551 Whyte Ave; tel. 780/916-1557) cranks up the intensity with club music that's loud, fast, and hard.
For a quiet drink, you're best off at one of the many restaurants, just sitting at the bar. Packrat Louie is one of the best; the old building, with its exposed brick, is a cozy oasis and shelter from the socializing storm that exists just outside.
