Things to do in Edmonton

The_Scarab

Gonna be in Edmonton on work in a few weeks. Will have plenty of time off though. Just wondering if there is anything of interest in that place. Last time I was there I was like 5.

FYI: Half my family now lives in North America and I have plans in the works to emigrate there in a few years, so this trip is not just a tourist trip, it is both on assignment and a scouting mission to check out the place, the country and the way of life.

I have little over 2 weeks in Canada then one extra week in America but that is absolutely all work so no need to things to do then.

Any Edmontonians got any advice?

Vorus

Check out West Edmonton Mall if you are into that sort of thing, it is pretty massive (biggest in North America and 4th biggest in the world, after 3 malls in Asia) and has some cool stuff in it, including a skating rink, water park and theme park.

Maybe see if you can get tickets to a hockey game or, failing that, go watch one in a bar (especially if the game is on a weekend, the booze is cheap and the bar is full of rabid Oilers fans, it is a cool atmosphere)

You could check out some skating or skiing if you like that, we have some decent snow this year, but it is very cold.

Dopeski

I love going to Edmonton. Hmm, I would suggest the West Edmonton Mall. Great shops and there's nothing like their water park. I could spend all day in their wave pool. :-)

The_Scarab

The notion of a shopping mall having a wave pool let alone a theme park is completely alien to me and sounds like an essential stop on my tour.

Angel177

don't forget the pirate ship, and the sea lions....oh and the dragon...not kidding.

The_Scarab

Angel177 wrote: »

don't forget the pirate ship, and the sea lions....oh and the dragon...not kidding.

:!:

UkraineTrain

In terms of night life your best bet will probably be either Whyte avenue or Jasper avenue. Theres a multitude of bars on both so you should be able to find one you like.

In terms of daytime stuff West edmonton mall is definitely an essential stop. Other notable attractions are the muttart conservatory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muttart_Conservatory) and the telus world of science (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TELUS_World_of_Science%2C_Edmonton). Spending some time in the river valley might also be a nice idea but its pretty cold out right now.

Bioware has a nice site on edmonton also: http://www.bioware.com/bioware_info/jobs/edmonton/

supertall

The dragon's been shut down for repairs the last few times I've been.

Unless you like to shop, WEM isn't that great. It's fun if you just want to go to the waterpark or the gun range, but otherwise it's just like a regular mall, only larger.

I second the recommendation to go to a hockey game or head over to Whyte Ave.

blanknogo

Edmonton is pretty boring and unimpressive all around. I guess I would go to WEM, but seriously don't get too excited. It's a large shopping mall but it's very much in a state of, well, I wouldn't say disrepair but I definitely would say that it's massive size has been a serious issue during its construction and continues to be an issue in terms of regular renovation and maintenance.

Do check it out anyways though. And give the University campus a visit and around there (Whyte Avenue) is worthwhile. Try to visit Whyte on the weekend though and during the day, it's slightly more lively (as lively as can be expected in the winter time) and will be more fun.

Enjoy Edmonton. I love it there and I know I intend on moving back and living there one day.

Angel177

if you have a hole day off and are driving you could check out Jasper, its really quite nice and great for a brit (I should know, I am one) BIG ass mountains and if you have the time the powders nice for snowboarding.

Gordopara

I agree, if you can get to an oilers game, do it. The Whyte Ave area is a lot of fun, interesting to stroll down it sometimes. The university is nice, but it s a university. Do down to Hawerlack (Sp?) (it is pronounced Whore-lac park) and the skating down there. if you can find a place to get some cross country skis the riverbottom area (starting at that park) has some nice trails. I like the walk across the bridge from the University to the Legislature.

While in Canada, go to Tim Hortons (Timmies) for coffee if you drink it or just to see (donuts aren't half bad, not as good as they used to be though). Anyone know if Fort Edmonton Park is still open?

The Muttart Conservatory, is nice. I am not a big fan of the West Ed. Mall, except for the Waterpark.

If you have the time to get to the mountains do it, it is fun!
Edmonton, I personally think is a little more culture-y than Calgary is, but if you get a chance Calgary is nice to visit too. If you can tour a bit further away the best mountain park in Alberta is Waterton Lakes National Park. That is about 7 hours southeast of Edmonton....

an_alt

Edmonton has an awesome arts and culture scene. Sure, check out WEM and some touristy stuff, but I'd really recommend googling around and finding a local website with events listings or seeing what the local papers have online. If you have any interest in anything, you're sure to find a few things to do.

Also, there's a gun range in WEM. Even people with no interest in firearms tend to find they want to spend all day there. Ever wonder what it's like to fire a Desert Eagle?

wunderbar

I'll second whyte and Jasper ave.

Whyte ave also has a lot of cool shops you can go to during the day. The river valley is pretty nice, even in the winter.

If you like shopping another place to go is the south Edmonton Common(after WEM). there's a massive ikea there, if you've never been to an Ikea it's worth it.

The Mutart conservatory is pretty nice. I'd also go check out Fort Edmonton park.

The Telus world of science is a pretty cool science center, if you're into that kind of thing. It used to be a lot better when it focused mostly on space, but it's still pretty cool.

We also have a kind of shitty zoo.

Those are a few things.