Fun Things to do in Edmonton – According to a Local
If you are planning on visiting Edmonton or are an Edmontonian and want a list of fun things to do in Edmonton, you are in the right place!
Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta, is a beautiful city during every season. With several different festivals, Edmonton attractions for a day out with the family, or must-do activities for an afternoon out with friends.
What to do in Edmonton for Fun
Royal Alberta Museum
The new Royal Alberta Museum is amazing and at the top of the fun things to do in Edmonton. The museum moved to its new location in 2018 and has quickly become an Edmonton favourite.
The new museum is bigger and better than ever. Royal Alberta Museum is now the largest in Western Canada and offers over 2.5 million objects.
Suppose you are a Canadian history lover, interested in First Nations history, into archaeology and paleontology. In that case, the Royal Alberta Museum has something for everyone, a lover of bugs or looking for a day to spend with the family.
Sensory Inclusion: The museum offers sensory rooms and special events that help visitors with sensory needs.
With the constant addition of temporary exhibits, a visit to the Royal Alberta Museum will always offer something fresh for repeat visitors!
The new location adds the Royal Alberta Museum to the growing list of downtown Edmonton tourist attractions.
Bonus: If you love podcasts, RAM also has a podcast called Intangible Alberta! I loved the Halloween special, which featured three stories on some rather spooky items in the RAM collection!
Website: Royal Alberta Museum
Fort Edmonton Park
If you are a lover of all things related to history, add a trip to Fort Edmonton Park to your fun things to do in Edmonton in the summer list.
Take a train back in time to 1846, 1885, 1905 or 1920 Alberta and experience what life was like with the help of character actors wandering through the historic buildings.
The park is more than just walking through history! They feature movies and tons of different events such as burlesque shows and the ever-spooky Halloween event Dark.
Muttart Conservatory
The pyramid-shaped greenhouses are a beautiful and colourful staple in the Edmonton skyline. The four pyramids, which change colours every few minutes, can be spotted from downtown Edmonton.
A visit to the conservatory offers a chance to visit four different climates! The botanical pyramids allow you to see Arid, Temperate and Tropical climates and plants. The fourth pyramid provides a feature that changes throughout the year.
The Muttart Conservatory can be explored on your own, or you can join one of the several guided tours that occur in the pyramids in 20-minute intervals. The guided tours are free to join and offer a ton of extra information!
Looking for romantic things to do in Edmonton, Alberta? The Muttart Conservatory offers child-free date nights during the Muttart Conservatory Light Walk.
The glass pyramids of the Muttart Conservatory are also the perfect backdrop to your Instagram photos! The platform offers the picture-perfect background of colourful pyramids to make everyone like your photo. Another great place to admire the Muttart Conservatory pyramids is from the hill in Gallagher Park.
Website: Muttart Conservatory
University of Alberta Botanic Garden
The botanic gardens are a must-see in Edmonton. Located southwest of Edmonton, the 240-acre botanic gardens feature the Kurimoto Japanese Garden, the ever-popular Aga Khan Gardens, and the Indigenous Garden.
The gardens are also full of vegetables and fruit trees and full of flowers such as roses, lilies and peonies. Be sure to pack your walking shoes, but if your legs get tired, you can hop aboard the Bee Line hop-on-hop-off buses that drive throughout the park.
Many people love the Aga Khan Gardens, but my favourite part of the University of Alberta Botanic Garden? The greenhouse near the entrance will feel like stepping onto a lush tropical island, complete with butterflies making you feel like a Disney princess.
If you are looking for what to do in Edmonton in the winter, the University of Alberta Botanic Gardens holds Luminaria’s top-rated event.
Website: University of Alberta Botanic Garden
Walk the Trails of Edmonton’s River Valley
With over 150km of trails, the North Saskatchewan River Valley is a great spot to go for a walk, hike, or take a picnic in the woods.
To make things more exciting, download the Commonwealth Walkway interactive app and find the golden key.
The walk is about 10km and is one of the most fun things to do in Edmonton. You will get fresh air and learn so much about Edmonton’s River Valley and history.
Not sure which trail to pick? Check out the River Valley trail maps and start in your favourite area of the city.
A walk through the River Valley is one of the best free things to do in Edmonton.
Explore Edmonton with a Segway Tour
Want to continue exploring Edmonton in style? Book a tour with River Valley Adventure Co. and take winter or summer tours through the River Valley or Legislature.
You will get to see stunning views of Edmonton while speeding past people struggling to walk up the hilly trails. It has to be one of the best things to do in Edmonton!
Book here: Edmonton Segway Tour
Find some Ghosts at Edmonton’s Most Haunted Locations
Take a ghost tour with Edmonton Ghost Tours. With tours through Edmonton’s hip and historical Whyte Avenue or the University & Garneau area.
Follow the ghost tour guide (and owner!) Nadine around as she uses her incredible storytelling skills to tell you the spooky tales behind Edmonton’s history. You’ll never look at Edmonton’s historic buildings the same again!
Book a tour with Edmonton Ghost Tours here
Do Everything at West Edmonton Mall
As much as I would rather not have a mall on a list of the most fun things to do in Edmonton – here it is. The mall, which at one point was the world’s biggest mall, is incredibly fun.
You could easily spend an entire day and never get bored. Check out a movie at the Scotia Bank Theatre, go on a mini-golf adventure, or spend the day riding amusement park rides at Galaxyland.
None of those interest you? How about spending a day sliding down waterslides at the World Waterpark, going ice skating at the Ice Palace or hopping aboard the Santa Maria and pretending you are sailing the high seas?
If all else fails, go shopping and eat lunch with the hamburger man at the food court. I love the bronze hamburger man statue – he is fantastic. He is waiting for you to join him at the food court closest to Galaxyland.
Website: West Edmonton Mall
Escape the World with Virtual Reality
Edmonton has an abundance of really great virtual reality centres, including the very fun arcade The Rec Room. Although the Rec Room is the perfect place to spend a Saturday afternoon. My favourite VR location is Breakout VR, just off Whyte Avenue.
You can play alone, venturing through dark tunnels to avoid zombies or try out the life of a convenience store employee.
Want to play with friends? They have multiplayer games that allow you to shoot arrows at bad guys while chatting with your pals through the headset.
Drink Coffee with Cats
Okay, the cats probably won’t be sipping an espresso, but you can hang out with them while you do.
You can have the ultimate tea party (because they also serve tea)! The Cat Café on Whyte is one of the cool places to go in Edmonton.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend the afternoon playing with cats? It’s kid-friendly and the perfect place to get your daily dose of cat.
Website: Cat Cafe on Whyte
Attend One of Edmonton’s Many Festivals
You don’t have to limit yourself to just one festival – Edmonton has over 75 annual festivals! So why not try them all?
There is a festival for everyone – celebrate cultural diversity at the Heritage Festival. Check out the ice sculptures at the Silver Skate Festival. Or, literally, taste Edmonton at the Taste of Edmonton Festival!
My favourite festival is the Fringe! You can spend the day eating green onion cakes, watching buskers or checking out your favourite theatre production! It will make you fall in love with Edmonton.
Challenge your Friends at a Board Game Café
Edmonton has an abundance of board game cafes; my personal favourite is the Hexagon Board Game Café on Whyte Avenue.
The café is clean, has excellent food and has a well-stocked section of great board games. The most important thing? The board games are well taken care of – all the pieces and parts will be in the box when you go to play!
Bring your friends and play a badass game of Connect 4! Or you could pick something a bit more challenging.
Address: 10750 82 Ave NW
The Hexagon Board Game Café Hours: 9:00 am – 11:00 pm (Open until 1:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays)
Website: The Hexagon Board Game Cafe
Looking for other things to do in Edmonton?
- Things to do in Edmonton in the Winter
- Fun Things to do in Edmonton for Adults
- Take an Edmonton Ghost Tour
- Dark at Fort Edmonton Park
- Visit Elk Island National Park
- Halloween in Edmonton
Want to explore other things to do in Alberta?
- Visit the Museum of Fear and Wonder
- Visit the Ghost Town of Rowley Alberta
- Unusual Things to do in Alberta
- Disaster & Dark Tourism in Frank Slide
- The Best Things to Do in Jasper National Park on a Winter Weekend Getaway
- Oddities of Alberta – 7 Unusual Places to Visit in Alberta
- Live Long & Prosper in Vulcan Alberta