West Edmonton Mall is Alberta’s number one tourist destination. It is also the largest shopping mall in Canada and the whole of North America. This shopping and entertainment centre features more than 800 stores and services, nine attractions, over 100 eating establishments, casino, comedy club, dinner theatre, movie theatres and spas.
A destination in itself – really, there is no need to venture outside the Mall – it is a great venue for a weekend getaway for families, couples and people of all ages. Here are some of the reasons why:
Galaxyland Amusement Park is the world’s largest indoor amusement park with more than 24 rides and play areas for the young and the young at heart. Check out the Mindbender – the world’s largest indoor triple-loop roller-coaster.
Then there’s World Waterpark featuring the world’s largest indoor wave pool and tallest indoor bungee tower. It also has 17 waterslides catering to different abilities. At Sea Life Caverns, more than 100 species of colourful fish, sharks, sea turtles, penguins, reptiles and amphibians live in this underground aquarium. The attraction features interactive exhibits and live presentations daily. And Ice Palace offers a National Hockey League-sized skating rink.
There are several recent additions to the Mall. Ropes Quest is a three-level suspended ropes obstacle course using beams and ropes. At World Waterpark, three new slides feature an electronic launch system where guests step into a glass capsule and the floor disappears, sending them on their way. The Cyclone waterslide – first of its kind in Canada – comes with an unexpected 17-metre drop before arching upward into a near-vertical loop. Two Sky Screamer Extreme slides stand at 23.47 metres high and are built for speeds of up to 60 km/h. One slide is enclosed from start to finish. Multi-Play Passes are available for purchase at Guest Services and allow admission into all the Mall’s attractions at any time.
At the end of the day, how much more convenient can it get? There is a hotel located within the Mall! The 355-room Fantasyland Hotel has more than 120 themed guestrooms. If a resort hotel isn’t what you’re looking for, there’s the express-style 88-room West Edmonton Mall Inn located directly across the street where guests are told, “amenities anyone could need are located in the mall”. Both hotels offer “The shop like it’s hot” package.
The best part about taking a mini-vacation here in Alberta is that there is no provincial sales tax, only the 5 per cent GST! www.westedmontonmall.com