Itching for a road trip getaway with unique attractions along the way? We got you covered. Here are 13 roadside attractions and landmarks to check out in Alberta.
From a big bee to a giant beaver, the province has plenty of interesting, and maybe even a little bizarre, roadside attractions and landmarks to visit.
So start the car and call up your friends, we’ve got some things to see!
Located in the dinosaur capital of Alberta, the World’s Largest Dinosaur calls Drumheller home. Affectionately named Tyra, the dino is an impressive 86 feet tall, more than four times the height of a real T-Rex. A trek up 106 steps will lead you into the mouth of the dino, which at max capacity can fit six people and gives a lovely view of the town of Drumheller and its badlands. It’s a landmark for the ages, and you better visit it while you still can.
Clocking in at 1,500 pounds, this is one big beaver. Found outside Beaverlodge, this giant sculpture arrived in the town in 2004 and has been a roadside attraction ever since. Oh, and the log it sits on also weighs 1,500 pounds. What a busy beaver!
It’s beautiful, and it’s big. The pysanka or Ukrainian Easter egg in Vegreville is decorated with traditional Ukrainian folk designs. It’s nearly 26 feet long and 31 feet high and is impressive enough that it got a visit by Queen Elizabeth II alongside Prince Edward and Prince Andrew in 1978. Not all roadside attractions and landmarks in Alberta have royal approval as the Vegreville Egg does.
Buzzing with the title of the world’s largest bee, this massive bee in Falher was built in 1990 to celebrate it being the honey bee capital of Canada. The town is known for its beekeeping industry, even holding a honey festival every year. Delicious!
Perched on a large fork, the World’s Largest Perogy in Glendon stands 27 feet tall and weighs approximately 6,000 pounds. It was unveiled in 1993 and has been making visitors hungry for their next perogy ever since.
This giant fungi in Vilna weighs more than 18,000 pounds and opened in 1993. Paying homage to the Tricholoma ustale mushroom on a massive scale, the mushroom grows wild in the area.
Ready to welcome any extraterrestrial life, the UFO Landing Pad in St. Paul was built in 1967. Weighing over 130 tons, a time capsule was also buried when the pad was unveiled, so be sure to make a visit back in 2067 for that.
Considered a landmark in Edmonton, this massive cowboy boot was built in 1989. It’s four storeys tall and lights up at night with neon lights all over the boot.
This massive dragonfly welcomes you as you enter the hamlet of Wabamun, popular for its beach along Wabamun Lake in the summer months. The dragonfly is 30 feet long, and its wings are about the same length. Thank goodness this thing can’t take flight — that would be terrifying! Along with the huge bee in Falher, this is one of the buggiest of the roadside attractions in Alberta.
Now THAT is a big hunk of meat. The World’s Largest Ukrainian Sausage was built in recognition of Stawnichy Meat Processing by the Stawnichy family. Clocking in at nearly 13 feet tall and weighing six tons. It’s hard to miss.
There’s a small town in Alberta with the cutest furry mascot, perfect for your next road trip destination. Squirt the Skunk in Beiseker is equal parts cute and quirky, and you can see the giant statue for yourself as it stands 70 km northeast of Calgary at Highway 9 and Highway 72 in the Village of Beiseker, with a population of around 800.
Lighting up the sky in Donalda, the World’s Largest Oil Lamp was opened on Canada Day in 2000. It was created to highlight Donalda’s massive lamp collection, with the Donalda & District Museum containing more than 1,100 lamps from as early as the 16th century. This lamp is a big one, standing 42 feet high and 17 feet wide.
Although some still have strong feelings about it, Edmonton’s Talus Dome is a piece of public art worth checking out. Whether you love or hate it, it has undoubtedly become a part of Edmonton’s landscape.
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