Historical Edmonton, Alberta Sites

As the capital of Alberta, Edmonton has several sites of historical significance. You and your family can visit the old saloon in Strathcona, have a picnic at Fort Edmonton Park, or see the latest exhibits at the Royal Alberta Museum. Many of the area's buildings date back to the late 1800s and have been restored to their original appearance. Visitors can see where horse-drawn carriages used to travel along the original 100-foot wide streets or stay in the 1920s-style Hotel Selkirk inside Fort Edmonton Park.

Historical Edmonton, Alberta sites: Strathcona Provincial Historical Area

The historical center of Edmonton, Alberta is the Strathcona area located on Whyte Avenue. With buildings dating all the way back to 1891, Strathcona was has officially been certified as a Provincial Historical Area. The region has been restored so that it still looks the same as it would have in the early 1900s. The city of Edmonton, Alberta was revolutionized by the introduction of the first train station in 1891. The town quickly built up around this station, with the Hotel Edmonton being one of the first major structures. It exists today under the Strathcona Hotel name, containing and old-style saloon and several residences. Strathcona was first incorporated as a town in 1899 and became large enough to earn a city designation in 1907. In 1912, the cities of Strathcona and Edmonton merged and became what is known as modern-day Edmonton. In the early days of the city, the streets were over 100 feet wide to accommodate horse-drawn carriages.

Historical Edmonton, Alberta sites: Fort Edmonton Park

Fort Edmonton Park at the corner of Fox Drive and Whitemud Drive in Edmonton is a great place for the whole family to relax and enjoy a picnic or some of the local attractions. The buildings are designed to give an accurate representation of how they would have looked in their original time period. The area is split up by individual years, with the 1885 street, 1905 street, and 1920 streets. Even the details in each of the stores or buildings have been reconstructed to give them an authentic look, with antique furnishings and old-style costumes on the employees. Built in 1846, the historical Fort Edmonton is the focal point of the park. The Hotel Selkirk offers an authentic 1920s lodging experience right there on the Fort Edmonton Park premises. Despite this being a historical site, the entire property has been renovated to comply with modern handicap accessibility standards. There is also a historically accurate steam train that gives passengers a tour of the Fort Edmonton Park grounds.