Top 150 Unusual Things to See in Alberta

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 travelers 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, Edmonton to Calgary, the Alberta Rockies 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 color 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, Fort 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 and Fort Smith
• 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.