8 Best Sights in Downtown and ICE District, Edmonton

A fun and funky way to get from Downtown to the North Saskatchewan River Valley, this 48-second ride in a glass-walled elevator will transport you to a promenade where you can have a picnic or read a book. Carry on to the Frederick G. Todd Lookout if you want unobstructed views of the river valley. There’s also a cool set of stairs with built-in benches if you prefer to descend under your own power.

Located across from City Hall, this exquisite building is wrapped with silver ribbons to reflect the importance of the northern lights and the North Saskatchewan River to Edmonton’s identity and culture. With several galleries spread across three floors, AGA has welcomed exhibits of some of the greats including Degas, the Dutch masters, and an Andy Warhol retrospective. The in-house collection primarily focuses on Canadian abstract painting and sculpture since the 1950s, and the Children’s Gallery on the main floor provides an interactive experience for families to immerse themselves in art. Don't miss the great city views from the rooftop patio.

Starting at the Funicular, the walkway travels for 10 km (6 miles) through the North Saskatchewan River Valley ending at the Groat Bridge. Along the way, the path passes popular city landmarks like the Indigenous Art Park and the John Walter Museum. In 2024, the experience was enriched with nearly 50 new stories by Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, and storytellers.

For an interactive experience, there's a downloadable app (available on the website) that helps you embark on the Quest for the Golden Key along the walkway. There are five storylines (Indigenous, history, family, river, and winter) to follow, and an icon appears on the app's virtual map when you get close to a clue. 

Located across the North Saskatchewan River from Downtown, one of Edmonton’s best-known landmarks consists of three city-operated greenhouses and public gardens, and four feature pyramids that display more than 700 plant species found across three biomes, as well as a seasonal display. A fifth minor skylight pyramid lights up the central foyer.  Wednesday evenings are for adults only.

Located on the east wall of the TELUS building and the south wall of the Mercer Warehouse building on 104 Street and 104 Avenue, Canada's first museum dedicated to neon is worth a peek. While not a museum in the traditional sense, this outdoor collection of more than 20 colorful creations tells the story of Edmonton's past from the logo for the Running Room (North America's largest chain of specialty running stores), originally installed in 1997, to the sign for the now defunct The Movie Studio, one of Canada's largest independent video stores that shuttered in 2015.

Edmonton’s first Indigenous-run center for contemporary art is definitely worth a visit. The Collective hosts three or four projects a year that focus on art exhibition, research, public art, and awareness surrounding Indigenous contemporary art.

Located two blocks north of the Churchill Light Rail Transit (LTR) station, this 400,000-square-foot museum is the largest in western Canada and one of Canada’s top museums. It offers 13 curatorial programs ranging from quaternary paleontology to western Canadian history. The highlight here is the Human History Hall, which celebrates the innovation, culture, and resilience of Indigenous people. Marvel at a 1,600-year-old roasting pit used by Blackfoot people to cook feasts, and discover the intricate floral beading techniques used by Métis people. This poignant exhibit also bears witness to the often difficult narratives resulting from the First Nations' contact with European settlers.

This recently renovated, award-winning library is the second-most visited place in Edmonton, in part because of its new multi-story simulation wall in the lobby; made up of 278 screens, it's North America's biggest digital exhibit. Other innovations include a 10,000-square-foot makerspace area with 3D printing facilities, recording studios, robotics, and fabrication tools, and the Gamerspace that includes the latest gaming consoles as well as retro video games. Pîyêsîw wâskâhikan (Thunderbird House) is a dedicated Indigenous gathering space that includes an independent HVAC system, making it the first public space in the city to support unrestricted smudging.