Ah, summer — a time when our city comes alive with things to see and do, and longer days during which to see and do them.
We understand the need to relieve your pent-up travel urges, but have you ever done the typical vacation activities — golfing, beach lounging, museum touring — in and around your own city? Read on for ways to experience what the Edmonton area has to offer in terms of arts, culture and relaxation in the city, and even places that make you go, “Damn, we have that here?”
Some of them are out of this world.
Imagine taking a leisurely walk along the river valley and I seeing a car bobbing in the North Saskatchewan River. That might not have been an unusual sight in the ’60s. The Royal Alberta Museum showcases the 1964 Amphicar 770, the first amphibious car for civilian use, in DRIVE: Reimagining the Ride. The feature exhibit is composed of 12 vehicles borrowed from the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin. Skip the drive down south and visit the RAM for an afternoon of vehicular fun.
While you’re there, don’t forget to stop by the Human History Hall and the Natural History Hall to learn about how Alberta was once covered in ice and how we got to where we are today. Venture into the Bug Gallery with caution unless you want images of unnaturally large spiders and beetles ingrained into your mind for the rest of the day. Imagine finding one of those in your house. — Katrina Turchin.
Royal Alberta Museum Address: 9810 103a Ave NW Edmonton
With a reconfigured interior and shiny new exterior, Telus World of Science Edmonton is ever evolving.
It brings interactive history and knowledge about the deepest depths of our planet to people of all ages — or, in the case of its new summer exhibit, lets them touch the moon.
Apollo: When We Went to the Moon celebrates the 50th anniversary of the last two crewed moon missions — Apollo 16 and 17, which remain two of mankind’s greatest achievements. “These missions ignited curiosity and inspired discovery at what is possible. The science centre is eager to share these experiences with our guests and give them a chance to see how the dream of space exploration became a reality,” says TWOSE President and CEO Alan Nursall.
The exhibit lets you feel what it was like to land on the moon, walk on an interactive lunar surface and even touch a piece of the actual moon. It’s a trip through time and space relaying the emotion and mindset of the first people to make space travel possible, and why humans went to the moon in the first place.
“Lunar meteorites hold the key to understanding how the moon was formed,” says Nursall. “The touchable slice of lunar meteorite on loan to us for the exhibit was recovered in the Northwest Africa region in 2014. It’s a nice complement to our own moon rock, located in our S.P.A.C.E gallery, that was recovered by Commander David Scott during the Apollo 15 mission — two moon rocks under one roof!
“Without these specimens, we could only look up at the moon and speculate, but these rocks give us real information about the formation of our entire solarsystem. As you touch the lunar meteorite, you can’t help but feel in awe because you are touching something so incredible rare.” — Cory Schachtel
Telus World of Science Edmonton Address: 11211 142 Street NW Edmonton
This article appears in the June 2022 issue of Edify
