Edmonton's best attractions divide between the cultural district around Churchill Square and the natural asset of the North Saskatchewan River Valley. The Royal Alberta Museum is the essential stop — the largest museum in western Canada and the best place to understand Alberta's human and natural history. The Art Gallery of Alberta is on the same square, in a striking stainless steel building. The Winspear Centre rounds out the cultural cluster; the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra performs here from September to May.
Away from Churchill Square, Fort Edmonton Park is Canada's largest living history museum — a recreation of the city's history across four eras, with streetcars still running. The Muttart Conservatory on the south bank of the river puts four glass pyramids of biome plants against the city skyline. The TELUS World of Science has an IMAX theatre, planetarium, and public observatory.
The North Saskatchewan River Valley itself is the city's greatest asset — 7,400 hectares of connected parkland and trails, the largest urban park system in North America. The High Level Bridge crosses the valley with a vintage streetcar running on summer weekends.
West Edmonton Mall is inescapable and genuinely worth experiencing at least once — an indoor city with an amusement park, water park, and over 800 shops. For summer festivals, the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival in August is one of the world's largest. The Edmonton Folk Music Festival runs the same month at Gallagher Park. For hockey, Rogers Place is home to the Oilers from October through April.
Unusual highlights include the Neon Sign Museum in Chinatown, the Al-Rashid Mosque (first mosque in Canada), and the Aga Khan Garden at the university botanic garden — the world's northernmost Islamic garden. Day trips go to Elk Island National Park, 35 kilometres east, for reliably close encounters with bison.