It was only last year that I finally visited the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) in it's "new" downtown…read morelocation. But since then I've visited 3 times, once for my birthday, once for a friend's birthday, and then again to see an exhibit on Orcas. The RAM is the largest museum in western Canada. There are several permanent exhibits including the Children's Gallery, the Bug Gallery, the Human History Hall, and the Natural History Hall. I didn't visit the Children's Gallery, cause I'm an adult without kids so that would be weird, but I did visit the other ones. The Bug Gallery is really cool if you love bugs, but even if you're not a big bug person the bugs are all in contained closures, and I thought was really interesting. My favourites were the two halls, which if you couldn't tell from the names deal with human history and natural history. The human history one goes through the history of the people who've lived in this area from the Indigenous peoples who have been here since time immemorial to European settlers, modern immigration, and present day. The natural history hall has the history of the different flora and fauna that have been in Alberta. This includes exhibits on dinosaurs, which if you've been in Alberta for any length of time you'll know we have a lot of fossils here. And there is also an exhibit on various minerals in Alberta and in Canada. I like shiny rocks so I liked it. Then there is a feature gallery and a changing exhibit. The feature gallery is smaller, but the changing exhibit (when one is in) is usually quite large. The changing exhibits I saw where the ones on Angkor Wat and Orcas (different times). Both were great exhibits, but I think they've changed now. The museum space is huge, and there's lots to see so give yourself lots of time. My downside to the museum is just that I don't live nearby so it's a bit of a pain to drive downtown and park (especially with construction). The LRT is nearby (I think Churchill is the closet station. The museum itself can also get really busy, especially on weekends or if a school field trip is in. But hey, I have fond memories of school field trips at the RAM in its old location in Glenora so I hope kids get good memories of the RAM in its new home. If you're planning to visit the RAM a few times you can get an annual pass. The other option is buy an Alberta History Pass, which will get you into a few different historic sites for a yearly fee. That's what I did. You can buy the pass at the RAM and it's pretty easy to get your money's worth if you come back for a couple of visits. Not sure when I'll visit again, but I'll definitely be back.

We spent a few hours at the museum before it closed. The first floor of the museum leads you to the…read morehistory of Alberta. Although this museum exhibit and artifacts are nicely displayed and seems to be of significance, the museum flow was haphazard and didn't guide you towards a narrative or chronology, which is kind of jarring. The descriptions throughout the museum themselves don't really dive deep and maybe seems more like it's geared towards school-age children. Had I just seen this part of the museum, I would've disliked the museum overall. The second floor with the natural history section was much better, with fossils and even some live exhibits (like the beautiful, healthy corals and the turtles, though they didn't seem as happy). I live learning about the animals that roamed the area, including the Edmontosaurus. I was kind of fatigued from all the taxidermied/animal models behind glass cases though. The minerals/gem exhibit was also pretty exquisite and there's even an interactive section about magnetic stones and meteorites. My favorite is probably the special exhibit on "Death: Life's Greatest Mystery," which I think did a wonderful job in portraying different customs revolving around death. I also like the Francophone exhibit, especially the audio exhibit. Overall, I enjoyed the majority of the exhibits and thought the museum was worth visiting.

The home of Alberta's first premier is lovingly preserved on the U of A campus. It is a short walk…read moreback more than a century into the genteel life of upper class of the day. Nice little tea shop with a charming sun-room, where one can enjoy a high tea service. But this is also a great event venue. I have used it for a reception and dinner, and have attended two small weddings there. It would be top of my list for any small event I might organize, the only caveat being it is only available after regular hours.

Rutherford house was amazing! I was sad to make a trip to Edmonton to find it closed. Apparently in…read morethe next couple of years a cafe will open up.

Absolutely wonderful place to hang out all day with the kids. Can be a little crow, bring ear…read moreprotection or quiet time activities for sensitive people.

Fun for kids and adults. Amazing imax theater. Good food at cheap prices in cafeteria. Nice clean…read morefacilities. Always entertaining. I have a annual pass to this place to watch movies and enter exhibits. It's totally worthwhile because If you go during the weekdays you almost have the place to yourself or just before closing too. I like the space exhibit which actually has a peice of the moon on display. But there are tons of interactive games and puzzles that most adults play too (some are still challenging for me for the first time). There is a cool body exhibits to explore which is cool if it's your first time there to see how your body works and how healthy you are. There's also a giant play are in 2 parts of the center. One one main floor and second floor. So the kids have plenty of place sto burn off their excess energy. I could stare at the ball thing thatis ancient for hours bc that's what I used to do as child mesmerized by the journey that little ball takes. I would highly recommend watching the imax movies here because usually the only last 2 rows are sold out so there's alot of space in between people. Staff are friendly and there's alot of areas to just eat if you pack your own lunch. Annual members get a 10% discount which is really nice too! I personally think the roving exhibits are a perfect date night since there's alot to do or talk about. And situated in west downtown there's alot of good places to eat nearby. I think edmontons telus center is better than the over busy and crowded ones in vancouver or calgary. With alot more to do. I think edmontonians take this place for granted.

This museum is a great spot, especially for your airplane loving ones. I love how much effort they…read morehave put into making it more interactive with kid designed scavenger hunts and activity sheets available for your visit. As well as having a cockpit or 2 open for kids to climb into and explore. The restored planes are phenomenally done and set out as full display alongside fitting decor and learning material like flight suits, tools and equipment, and even a little tractor. I loved that we got a tour, it brought some of the Alberta and Canadian history of flight to life and more connection. And then we got an informative and very intimate back area tour of their restoration garage where so many volunteers were working on multiple plane restoration projects.

I can't say that I'm an aviation expert, but I am fascinated by planes. And visiting Edmonton I…read moreknew I had to see this. And it did not disappoint. The weather was nice out and the museum wasn't busy so we got to explore everywhere we wanted. I got to see some planes I've only seen on historical documentaries. This museum being Canadian had their own arsenals and equipment to assist in allied efforts during world conflicts. So it's nice to see what other countries had. All planes had a informational board to read about some well known pilots that used them and the impact they made with their equipment. We saw there was an attendant that was giving information as well. The one that I liked was the plane of the infamous Red Baron. Legendary for being an ace in dogfights during WW1. This place is a must see for aviation enthusiast! They have a small gift shop but they didn't have much compared to the one back home. But then again, we came to see planes!

The Little White School House is located in Mission Park, St. Albert. It is a heritage site -…read moreopened in 1948. Kids in St. Albert typically have field trips here around first grade. They have school lessons taught to them as if they were 6 years old in 1948 when the school opened. The Little White School House is a educational and fun step back in time to the days of two room school houses, chalk slates, and huge windows because there was no electricity! Construction began in 1946 due to overcrowding of Father Mérer School. The Little White School House was created to House Grades 1 and 2. https://hermis.alberta.ca/ARHP/Details.aspx?DeptID=1&ObjectID=4664-0249 http://www.davidmurrayarchitect.ca/little-white-school/ http://museeheritage.ca/heritage-sites/little-white-school/

After dinner decided to go for a walk and walk a few blocks to see the neon sign museum. It is 24…read morehours as it is outside on the side of the buildings. As we did come during summer the sun does set later so I do recommend coming later in the night if you can to see the neon science and it's full potential. We did come by around eight or 9 PM so the sun was still out, but the lights were still on so we were able to see them. It is what it is, and was nice to see. Nothing super Duper special, but something nice to see as you're walking around the streets. Also around the corner they have other larger areas of the city and many restaurants to look at as well.

"Museum" is a bit of a stretch because this isn't a museum in the conventional sense of the word…read more Rather, it's a collection of 20 neon signs hung on the TELUS building. Collectively, they are quite a sight. Apparently, these are authentic signs from old Edmonton businesses that have been cleaned up and reconditioned. It's a nice curiosity to stop by and check out if you are strolling by the Rogers Center.

St. Albert is on traditional Treaty 6 lands - street signs and information panels include the Cree…read morelanguage. The Musee Heritage Museum is located in the same building as City Hall and the St. Albert Public Library. It's a great small little museum with free admission (donations gladly accepted) showcasing the history of culture of St. Albert, the Indigenous peoples of Treaty 6 lands, as well as local artisans. According to the T8N website, it opened in May of 1984 and has more than 6500 artifacts, 3000 pre-war photographs and over 70 metres of written documents. My kids love stopping in here every couple months to see what new rotation is here, to say hello to the friendly staff, and to pick out a 25 cent candy or treat. See you soon Musee Heritage Museum, see you soon!

This is a very small but very interesting museum. They also have wonderful activities for children…read more We just finished the Sturgeon River backpacking tours. You rent a backpack from the museum or the grain elevator and enjoy a hike at your own pace. Backpacks are equipped with resources that will enhance your walking tour as you learn about history and ecosystem of the Sturgeon Bay River. We sketched pictures on a sketchpad. We learned about the history, we caught bugs from the river,. We had a great time and it's a wonderful experience. The backpacks are a three dollar donation donation and well worth it. I would highly recommend.

A real YEG gem, hiding near the river banks off of Kinsmen Sports Centre. That means free parking…read moreand great views. I love this little museum, it's run by some of the most dedicated and enthusiastic interpreters in Edmonton. Esther, Jeff, Christina to name a few, all dressed in period attire and chock full of information about the history and the era. Ask them about anything! There are 3 houses to visit, from a log cabin to their last house, almost mansion-like by comparison. They bake in a wood stove, offer meeting venues, birthday parties and summer camps! Plan a short trip, bring a picnic if you plan to spend a bit of time there enjoying the grounds and pathways. The city website says they are open Saturday and Sunday during summer holidays from 1pm to 4pm. As far as I know, it is open on Sunday only and they continue right up to November. On their last opening day last fall, they had cinnamon buns and Apple cider. Spool yummy! His entire business was washed out in a flood in 1915, 5 years before he passed. He did a lot for the community through public action, carpentry, employment and philanthropy. Worth a trip, and did I mention that it's offered by the city... for FREE? Yes the baked goodies and hand-made lemonade is also pro-bono. Love, love, love this place. Thank you YEG for providing this to Edmontonians every year.

I'm going to start off by saying that this is a FREE Museum. And they say you can't get something…read morefor free anymore. But that's not the only reason that this place earns my five star rating! Very culturally and historically significant for Edmonton, it seems that without this little highly accessible gem, some people might not know about many of the conditions that Edmonton was founded on, or about the flood of 1915 that forever reshaped our city. If you find yourself in need of a crash course in these matters, take yourself on a self-guided tour using their graphic and detailed information panels. These panels are outside of the three buildings which comprise the museum, so they can be accessed any day of the week, any season of the year, at your leisure. If you have questions, would prefer a much more immersive experience, or would like to see inside the houses, drop by between 1 and 4 on a Sunday (March-December) and the staff and volunteers would be more than happy to share their vast banks of knowledge with you, and maybe even ask you to help them finish some of the mounds of cookies they've baked (again, *free*). They are occasionally open on other days and times, check their website or follow them on Facebook for upcoming programs and events. The houses themselves are a treat to visit as well, as with other well curated living history museums, these also offer the sense of time travel, with the sights, sounds, and smells of a bygone era. Some things they just don't make like they used to, like washing machines, and toilets. So, if you have a curious little one that you want to impress, this is a wondrous place to show them something old, but new to them. Located in scenic Kinsmen Park, a visit to this museum can easily be incorporated into a larger outing. Perhaps a walk through the river valley, a day at the Queen Elizabeth pool, or it can be a magical rest-stop on a long bike excursion. And did I mention it's free to visit.? Not even a guilt trip 'admission by donation' sign.

Great way to spend a rainy day, as you can still view nature while indoors (it was pouring rain…read morewhen we went!). The different plant varieties and climate environments (tropics, arid, etc) were wonderful to experience and shows this place is run by people who care about plants. The plants in each section were well taken care of, and the design with the pyramids separating the different ecosystems was pretty unique. There's also a koi pond here. It'll probably take about an hour or less to walk through all the plant exhibits. They also sell plants too in the gift shop area. They have a small cafe to rest, but the drink was okay.

Right, this place has mixed reviews and I'm torn between 0 and 5 stars. It's Edmonton's only spot…read morewith special plants and a lovely view, making it a great place to visit. However, the ridiculous part is they also host Christmas parties for companies. While some might enjoy the visit, the banquet food, the team and the service were absolutely terrible. I can't even find another word to describe it. Imagine a 100-person company Christmas party and there were people who didn't have any food to eat. The food was also disgusting and I'm glad some people didn't have to eat it. I refuse to go back and my wife's company has vowed never to return either.

Located in the basement, down down down Edmonton's Paleontology Museum is filled with treasures…read moredating back to prehistoric periods. Fossils, bones, crystals and more, the Paleontology Museum's cases are full and exhibits are geared for enthusiasts of all ages. My 8 year old an avid collector of gems and stones was thrilled ! Parking in front. Wheel chair accessible! https://www.ualberta.ca/earth-sciences/facilities/collections-and-museums/paleontology-museum