Edmonton Overview For Group Travelers

Edmonton Group Attractions

There are plenty of things to do and places to see for groups traveling to Edmonton. Explore top attractions our experts recommend. Visit Royal Alberta Museum. Check out West Edmonton Mall. Don't miss Goose Hummock Golf Resort. Click here to start planning your trip now.


About Edmonton

Edmonton is a playland in a prairie landscape. The heart of the city is the lush river valley, which breathes life into Canada's "Festival City." There is always something to celebrate, history is never forgotten, and visitors are always welcome.

Edmonton Districts

Downtown Edmonton sits high on the north bank of the river, bordered on the west by the domed, granite and sandstone Legislative Building, and on the east by the castle-like Hotel MacDonald. The main downtown drag—a popular "cruising" route with young people—is Jasper Avenue, also known as 101 Avenue. Churchill Square, a park in the core of downtown, plays host to many of the city's festivals, and is bordered by some of Edmonton's most important buildings.

Chinatown is a few blocks east of downtown. Lining 97th Street, and on its adjacent avenues, are inexpensive Chinese restaurants, grocery stores, where tofu is sold in tubs at a fraction of the cost of the pre-packaged stuff, gift shops and clothing stores, and "pharmacies" staffed by Chinese herbalists who can offer something for just about any ailment.

At the west end of Whyte Avenue lies the University of Alberta, one of Canada's most respected universities, and one of the largest research institutions in the country. More than 30,000 students in 15 faculties study in a tasteful mix of historic and modern buildings, many of which overlook the river.

The West End, as Edmontonians refer to it, is almost a city within a city. Residential neighborhoods, mega grocery and hardware stores, an abundance of hotels and restaurants, and the presence of every kind of service imaginable make this one of the most congested areas in the city.

Edmonton History

A community Within Walls: An Unassuming Name In 1795, the Hudson’s Bay Company built a walled fort on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The company perceived the need for, and the value of, a trading post in the rugged prairie of central Alberta, a territory until then mainly inhabited by the Cree. The 20-foot-high walls offered protection from the conflicts that erupted between the Cree and their rivals, the Blackfoot, when they came to trade at the fort. In exchange for rich pelts of otter, muskrat, beaver, mink and fox, these native Canadians obtained European-manufactured goods such as metal cooking utensils, guns, and gunpowder, that would alter their lives dramatically.

Stories abound about how Fort Edmonton acquired its name. It was most likely named in honor of Sir James Winter Lake, the deputy governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company at the time. Lake hailed from Edmonton, in Middlesex, England. One can speculate that the original Edmonton was at one time Edmond’s Town—named, in the British tradition, after a townsman, in this case named Edmond.

Beyond the Boundaries Life at the fort followed a routine of trading, dispatching brigades to remote outposts, planting food and grain crops in the spring, harvesting them in the fall, and hunting and fishing to obtain meat for the fort’s inhabitants. Change came in the 1840s, with the arrival of Methodist and Catholic missionaries, who competed with each other in their quests to "tame" the natives and provide religious services to the Hudson’s Bay Company staff. The Methodists were the first to relinquish the safety of the fort. They claimed land outside its walls, and in 1873 completed the building of a church and a manse. These were the humble beginnings of the city of today.

The names of these early missionaries adorn the city's landmarks, buildings, parks and roads. For example, Rundle Park is named after the Methodist Robert Rundle. You can also find the names of Hudson’s Bay Company employees and the early entrepreneurs who lived outside the fort. They followed the missionaries’ example, arriving from distant countries to claim land and set up businesses. For example, the John Walter Museum honors the Scotsman who established Edmonton’s first ferry. Rossdale, one of Edmonton’s river valley neighborhoods, is named for Donald Ross, another Scotsman, who founded Edmonton’s first hotel.

Klondike Fever News about the discovery of gold in the Klondike, an area near Dawson City in the Yukon, reached Edmonton in 1897. Prospectors heading north stopped in Edmonton for supplies, which meant prosperity for many local merchants. It was a short-lived boom, however, lasting only a couple of years. Some prospectors didn’t even make it as far as the goldfields, and those who did quickly realized that the backbreaking process of panning wasn’t going to make them rich. Their misfortune was an added bonus for Edmonton, because many individuals who had planned on passing through the city decided to stay, boosting Edmonton’s population six-fold.

The railway arrived in 1902, establishing Edmonton as a major point on the transcontinental travel and trade route. It was incorporated as a city in 1904, and designated the provincial capital in 1906. Edmonton enjoyed a period of economic, cultural, and social growth and prosperity.

Black Gold Edmonton’s biggest boom began in 1947 with a 90-foot gusher of black crude oil in the suburb of Leduc, just southwest of the city. The pipeline and petrochemical industries were born, and all aspects of Edmonton’s economy benefited. In the 25 years following the discovery of oil, the city’s population quadrupled, and the accompanying social and cultural boom saw the construction of shopping centers, galleries, theaters, and concert halls.

Edmonton Dining and Drinking

There are some 2,000 eating establishments in Edmonton, and they represent a wide variety of cuisine. Take a walk down Bourbon Street, West Edmonton Mall's restaurant strip, and you will get an idea of how the city’s culturally diverse population is manifested in its dining options. Edmontonians love their meat—particularly their beef. After all, this is cattle country. The word "steak" or "steakhouse" is part of many a restaurant name. Alberta prime rib—a choice cut from the seven ribs just before the loin—is served at quality steakhouses throughout the city. In addition to a variety of beefy steaks, burgers, and ribs, other popular meat items include pork tenderloin, a variety of chicken dishes, and bison steak, all from locally raised animals.

Where To Stay in Edmonton

Whether you are in Edmonton for business, pleasure, or just stopping over—perhaps on your way north to Alaska, or west to the Rocky Mountains—you will have no difficulty finding suitable accommodations.

Since Edmonton’s biggest tourist attraction is the West Edmonton Mall, many visitors want to be as close to it as possible. Unfortunately, attraction-wise, this part of the city doesn’t have much else to offer, nor is it near the scenic river valley. Content Provided by WCities