The summer season starts gearing up in May with the opening of several seasonal attractions in and around the city. May Long Weekend is a big one with several great outdoor museums and adventure attractions opening for you and your family to enjoy in the summer months.
University of Alberta Botanic Garden
| Opens May 10
There’s no better place to stop and smell the flowers than this 240-acre natural oasis outside Devon. Discover awe and wonder in the impressive limestone and granite reflecting pools of the Aga Khan Garden, and find your serenity as you stroll around the koi-filled pond in the Kurimoto Japanese Garden. NEW this season you can bring your well-behaved dog along on your visit!
Edmonton Streetcars High Level Bridge Line | Opens May 17
One of our favourite summer activities in Edmonton is to take a ride on Edmonton Streetcars across the High Level Bridge. This unique experience takes you in a fully restored streetcar from Edmonton’s historic Old Strathcona area, through the only tunnel ever built on a CPR mainline in Alberta, and up high across the High Level Bridge into Edmonton’s Downtown.
Fort Edmonton Park | Opens May 18
This season marks five decades of old-fashioned fun and memories at one of Edmonton’s premier summer attractions! Go back in time at this amazing living history museum offering everything from steam train rides and farm animals, to costumed interpreters and carnival rides! Discover Edmonton’s rich and amazing history as you stroll the streets and tour through historic homes and buildings.
Alberta Railway Museum | Opens May 18
Experience the past in a fun, hands-on and interactive fashion with over 75 cars and locomotives on site with many to walk through and explore. Learn more through the archives of railway history, see examples of railway maintenance of way equipment, and take a ride on a vintage train or speeders.
St. Albert Historic River Lots + Grain Elevators | Opens May 18
Explore the train station, grain elevators and historic homesteads of St. Albert with friendly interpreters and interactive activities. On opening weekend (May 18-20) you can join in a Planting Seeds + Growing Community Celebration with outdoor games, a scavenger hunt, and the chance to help plant the community garden for the Food Bank.
Snow Valley Aerial Park | Opens May 31
The spectacular Aerial Park tower is 15 m high and offers over 100 elements for climbers to crawl, swing and step through. While there, you may also want to let the kids dig for gems and fossils at the Whitemud Creek Mining Co., or take a swing at a round of Snow Valley Target Golf.
Jurassic Forest | Opens May 1
Take the kids on a prehistoric adventure just outside Gibbons! Dino-lovers of ALL ages will love this forested walk filled with life sized animatronic dinosaurs. Plus there’s a fantastic playground, cafe, and dinosaur themed minigolf to enjoy on site.
Abbey Centre Outdoor Aquatic Centre | Opens May 17
One of our favourite spots to cool off is the waterpark at the Abbey Centre in Blackfalds. None of the outdoor pools within Edmonton compare to this impressive offering of 2 three story high waterslides, a spray park with tot slides, zero depth entry pool with beach features, and a Jr. Olympic pool with a 10 foot climbing wall!
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village | Opens May 18
This quaint living history museum just East of Edmonton is representative of what life would be like for early Ukrainian settlers in Alberta. It is fun and interactive for all with historic buildings to explore, farm animals to discover, and costumed interpreters to interact with.
Join them Monday, May 20, 2024 for the first event of the season – the Celebration of Dance featuring talented Ukrainian dancers from across the province.
Canyon Ski Resort Alpine Coaster | Opens May 18
Road trip to Red Deer to take a ride on the province’s only Alpine Coaster! This unique experience is a 1300 m ride at speeds of up to 40 km/hour in and out of the ski slopes and forest trails at Alberta’s largest non-mountain ski resort. Also watch for the NEW Canyon Adventure Park climbing course coming in Summer 2024.
Discovery Canyon
| Opens June 1
Discovery Canyon is the top summer attraction in Red Deer when the temperature spikes! This amazing natural river-fed water park features a small river to ride your tube down, splashing into bubbling pools of water along the way. At the bottom, visitors can enjoy a sandy beach area and wading pool, playground, picnic tables, washrooms, and a concession. Rent a tube on-site, or bring your own to enjoy a FREE day of fun in the sun.
