Edmonton, Its Mall and Other Points of Interest

The West Edmonton Mall is said to be one of the largest in North America. It boasts as many as 140,000 visitors on a busy day and many of these are from the United States. The West Edmonton Mall is located in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The city of Edmonton is located on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River.
Home to about 937,845 people, Edmonton finds itself the sixth largest city in all of Canada. The city of Edmonton is also home to the West Edmonton Mall. This is a mall of gigantic proportions and features over 800 stores and other amazing things to do, but more about the mall a little later.

The city of Edmonton boasts many things to do and places to see besides the mall. The downtown area is famous (not to mention old). The City Market (the Rice Street Market, located at 97 Street and 102 Avenue ) is older than the city itself and a much visited place to get fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers. The Old Strathcona District is also a must see. It is an area of the city that was once the town of Strathcona and dates back to 1891 and features several buildings from this era. The area now entails many pubs, eateries and several fine shops. The city of Edmonton is also home to the Alberta legislatures (it is the provincial capital); the Odyssium (a space and science centre); The Edmonton Art Gallery; The Commonwealth Stadium (where the Edmonton Eskimos Football team plays. They play with the Canadian Football League); The Valley Zoo and the Provincial Museum of Alberta. The city of Edmonton boasts over 2,000 restaurants and offers much choice when dining out. The hotels in the city are top notch and offer all the comforts of home and even a few extras. There are plenty of things to do and see in downtown Edmonton.

A short skip and a hop away is the West Edmonton Mall. This mall is the largest in the world and is truly a sight to see. It offers over 800 shops from the usual that one would expect such as Claires and Sears and truly Canadian shops such as The Bay (formally known as the Hudsons Bay Company); Winners (a fashion must stop for men, women and children)and Tim Hortons (donuts and coffee) as well as funky stores such as April Cornell (clothes for women) to B Sweet (a candy store). The mall also features truly unique stores such as The Mounted Police Outpost (the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and their symbols are the third most recognized in the world following right behind Coca Cola and Mickey Mouse!) and Pride of Kenya (a store that features African arts and other treasures). It is truly a unique place to shop!

Not only a paradise for any shopper, the West Edmonton mall offers so much more than shopping! Travel to the mall, but do not forget your bathing suits! The mall has an amusement park (Galaxyland Amusement Park) that has 25 rides to choose from, all indoors! The mall also has an indoor water park that has water slides and a wave pool! The indoor park also boasts a couple of mini golf courses, an ice skating rink (an official hockey sized rink that the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) occasionally practice on and the mall even has a marine centre that you do not want to miss either! There is also a lot to keep you busy if shopping is not your thing!

The West Edmonton Mall also is home to two fine hotels. One is the West Edmonton Mall Inn and The Fantasyland Hotel and true to its name, it is a fantasy land. This hotel offers rooms that revolve around a theme such as an African Safari or a as an Arabian for a night and with many eating establishments in the mall and in both hotels, you are sure never to go hungry.

If you are planning a trip to visit the largest mall in the world, keep in mind the temperatures of Edmonton. The city has snow from November until March and therefore has temperatures that reflect that. During the summer months, the city reaches a pleasant 20C (70 F) with lows at night in the teens. The winter is very cold, so if you visit during the winter season, you will want to make sure you take plenty of warm outer wear, along with a hat, scarf and mitts.

The city is a great place to visit and especially if you are a shopaholic, the mall should be first on your list!