Top 150 Unusual Things to See in Alberta

The ultimate illustrated guide for travellers looking for quirky, unique and inspiring tourist locations in the Canadian province of Alberta.

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Have you ever wanted to dine in a water tower, explore the site of a former beaver ranch or take a scenic potty break in a mountain-top outhouse? Top 150 Unusual Things to See in Alberta is the ultimate guide for travellers looking for the quirky, unique and inspiring side of Alberta. Travel writer and author Debbie Olsen, a proud Albertan who’s visited nearly every corner of the province, has assembled a list of over 150 unusual places, things to see and events that make Alberta one-of-a-kind — from its dozens of roadside attractions and surprising landforms to its fascinating historical sites and off-beat museums.

Organized into four regions — South of Calgary, Calgary to Edmonton, the Rocky Mountains and North of Edmonton — this guidebook takes you on a journey across the province, with lively text that sheds light on each location’s interesting history, as well as maps, contact information, fact boxes and colour photographs that bring the spots to life. Here are just a few of the unusual, obscure and intriguing things you’ll read about: The Fort Museum, Macleod: the birthplace of the RCMP Musical Ride; Maggie’s Diner, Tack and Feed, High River: the set of the hit TV show Heartland; Donalda and District Museum, Donalda: the world’s largest collection of oil lamps; World Famous Gopher Hole Museum, Torrington: Alberta’s first gopher museum; Abraham Lake’s Ice Bubbles: the world’s most beautiful ice bubbles; Lake Minnewanka and Minnewanka Landing: the site of Banff’s sunken ghost town; Fort Chipewyan Ice Road: the winter road that connects Fort McMurray to Fort Chipewyan; Wood Buffalo National Park’s Beaver Dam: the world’s largest beaver dam, which can be seen from space.

The book also features themed entries, such as museums that celebrate Alberta’s energy production, unusual roadside attractions, unusual bathrooms (for regular people), unusual festivals and events, and unusual foods invented in Alberta. Top 150 Unusual Things to See in Alberta is a fun and entertaining jaunt for armchair travellers and road trippers alike.