West Edmonton Mall

West Edmonton Mall opened in 1981 and was the largest shopping mall in the world for over two decades; it is still the largest in North America by number of shops, though second to the Mall of America by floor area. The scale comes from what was built alongside the shops: World Waterpark, one of the largest indoor waterparks anywhere with a wave pool and a slide tower; Galaxyland, an indoor amusement park with the Mindbender triple-loop rollercoaster; an NHL-size ice rink; a lagoon holding a full-size replica of the Santa Maria; and a hotel with themed rooms. It draws around thirty million visits a year in a city of about a million, which says something about Edmonton winters.

History

The Ghermezian brothers, who came from Iran in 1959 and built a rug business in Montreal, moved to Edmonton in 1964, founded what became the Triple Five Group and planned a retail Disneyland combining shops with entertainment; construction began in 1979, partly financed by land sold back to the province, and the first phase opened on 15 September 1981. The mall grew in four phases, completed in 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1999, and was the largest indoor shopping centre in the world until 2004 (Wikipedia, West Edmonton Mall).

What you'll find

• World Waterpark - a vast indoor waterpark with a wave pool.
• Galaxyland - an indoor amusement park with a triple-loop coaster.
• The Santa Maria replica - a full-size ship in an indoor lagoon.
• The scale - over eight hundred shops under one roof.

When to go

Year-round, and it exists precisely for winter, when Edmonton can hit minus thirty. School holidays are extremely busy. Each attraction is ticketed separately.

Practical notes

Every attraction costs extra and a full day adds up quickly. It is overwhelming and hard to navigate. The Mindbender coaster had a fatal accident in 1986, after which the ride was modified.

Nearby

Fort Edmonton Park lies east; the river valley runs through the city.

Key facts