Edmonton: History, Culture and Nature

Edmonton brings together engaging ways to explore history, botanical diversity and outdoor activities. When planning your stay, you can weigh these different highlights against one another: from the museum dedicated to Edmonton’s history, original family homes and public tours to gardens, animal encounters and the River Valley. If you’re looking for a hotel in Edmonton, you can first decide whether culture, plant diversity or outdoor experiences are especially important for your trip.

History and Cultural Attractions

Fort Edmonton Park spans 64 hectares of picturesque river valley parkland and is one of Canada’s largest living history museums. It preserves more than a century of Edmonton’s history and brings it to life through immersive, interactive experiences. The park is also home to the Indigenous Peoples Experience. Parkland and interactive interpretation come together here, while other cultural attractions in Edmonton focus on individual historic homes or public tours.

The John Walter Museum comprises three original homes belonging to the Walter family. Visitors can learn pioneer skills there and take a guided tour. The site thus combines a specific family heritage with an introduction to pioneer skills—a narrower thematic focus than Fort Edmonton Park’s look at more than a century of history.

The Alberta Legislature Building offers free public tours that introduce visitors to Alberta’s legislative process. This adds an institutional perspective to the historic museums: the focus here is on how legislation works, rather than the history of individual homes or Edmonton over a longer period.

Botanical Diversity and the River Valley

Muttart Conservatory has a botanical focus. It houses 700 different plant species and botanical gardens in four unique pyramids; its plant collection is also one of the largest indoor plant collections in Canada. These details show two different aspects of the conservatory: the diversity of its collection and the gardens’ arrangement in four pyramids. If you’d rather focus on plants than on exploring history, Edmonton offers a distinct point of interest here.

Edmonton’s River Valley is a dynamic network of natural areas, trails and facilities along the North Saskatchewan River. It offers a variety of year-round recreational opportunities, including leisurely walks and picnics as well as cycling and paddling excursions. The parks in the River Valley offer hiking and cycling trails, along with access to the river for canoeing and kayaking. The options range from quiet activities on land to excursions by bike or on the water.

At Edmonton Valley Zoo, visitors can get up close with a different animal species living at the zoo each day and learn more about it. Check the schedule before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Fort Saskatchewan, Devon, Westerose, St. Albert, Drayton Valley, Winfield, Leduc, Stony Plain

See the overview of the wider travel region: Division No. 11.