Banff Alberta Attractions and Things To Do!

Banff Upper Hot Springs
101 Mountain Avenue
Banff, AB T1L 1K2
403-762-1515
Hours: Open year round, call for hours of operation
Admission Charge
All the amenities of a modern facility are featured in this splendid, historic spa and bath house. It features an outdoor hot pool, day spa, and email kiosk. Swimsuits, towels and locker rentals are available.

Cave & Basin Hot Springs
311 Cave Avenue
Banff, AB T1L 1A1
403-762-4900
Hours: Center open year round, swimming pool open mid-June to Labour Day
Historic and geological displays reveal the effects of the warm sulphur water on the flora and fauna of the area. Interpretative displays and self-guiding trails.

Cave & Basin National Historic Site
311 Cave Ave. Banff, AB T1L 1A1
Hours: Summer, 9am – 6pm, otherwise: Mon. – Fri., 11am – 4pm, Sat. – Sun., 9:30am – 5pm
Admission Charged
The Cave & Basin National Historic Site is the birthplace of Canada’s national park system. Exhibits, guided tours and the film Steam, Schemes & National Dreams recount how the discovery of the Cave and Basin springs led to the creation of Banff National Park, Canada’s first. See the Cave & Basin springs, replica 1887 bathhouse and grand bathing pavilion.

Canada Place
101 Mountain Ave
Banff, AB T1L 1A1
In Park Administration Building at the end of Banff Avenue
403-760-1338
Hours: Call for days and hours of operation
Admission Free, Admission Charged for CN IMAX Theatre
Canada Place, a mixed-use commercial facility, is home to the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Pan Pacific Hotel, Cruise Ship Terminal, The CN IMAX Theatre, World Trade Centre Office Complex and Citipark parking facility. The CN IMAX Theatre offers spectacular films featuring themes such as outer space, Canadian wildlife and other natural wonders using a giant 5-story high screen. Explore the “Promenade Into History”, a self guided tour of forty-four educational and interesting plaques describing in detail historical moments that take you back in time while you watch the harbour activities and views.

Banff Park Museum National Historic Site
91 Banff Ave
Banff, AB T1L 1A1
Hours: Open May 15 - Sept 30 10am – 6pm; Oct - mid May 1 – 5pm
Admission Charged
One of Western Canada’s oldest natural history museums is the Banff Park Museum National Historic Site. The elegant 1903 building is a showpiece of architecture and natural history interpretation. Banff’s mammals, birds and insects are preserved in authentic Victorian style—displays date back to 1860. There are knowledgeable interpreters, a reading room and hands-on discovery room.

Buffalo Nations Museum
1 Birch Ave
Banff, AB T0L 0C0
403-762-2388
Hours: Open Summer: 9am – 6pm, Winter: 1 – 5pm
Admission Charged
The Buffalo Nations Museum recalls when Native people followed the buffalo herds into the Bow Valley, hauling their belongings by travois. Displays interpret clothing, hunting techniques, legends and myths, and historical Banff Indian Days. The museum displays a wealth of native arts and a slice of daily life including richly ornamented costumes, a beautifully decorated teepee, colourful quill work and historical hunting equipment. It is a cultural display that celebrates the richness, diversity, continuity and, above all the resilience of the First Nations people. Life-sized scenes depict daily living and ceremonies.

Canadian Ski Museum West
317 Banff Ave
Banff, AB T1L 1A1
403-762-8484
Hours: Summer, 7am – 10pm, Winter, 8am – 10pm
Admission Free
Canadian Ski Museum West explores Banff’s ski heritage and Canada’s great skiers. There are displays of Swiss mountain guides, equipment evolution, historic backcountry ski lodges and alpine resort development. Memorabilia from Olympic skiers trained on local slopes is displayed.

Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
111 Bear St
Banff, AB T1L 1A1
403-762-2291
Hours: Open daily 10am – 5pm
Admission Charged
The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies houses one of the world’s largest collections of Canadian Rockies art, photography and literature.

Natural History Museum
112 Banff Ave
Banff, AB T1L 1A1
403-762-4747
Hours: Call for days and hours of operation
Admission Charged
Displays show the cave system of the area, including Castlegar Cave located under the Columbia Icefields. Four dinosaur skulls are included among the numerous fossil specimens. Two slide shows illustrate the formation of the Rockies.

Banff National Park
Banff, AB T1L 1K2
403-762-1550
Hours: Call for days and hours of operation
Admission Charged
Banff National Park is the birthplace of Canada's national park system and part of the Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. Discover a landscape rich in wildlife and history.

The Banff Centre
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Banff, AB T1L 1H5
403-762-6157
Hours: Call for additional information
Admission Charged for Certain Events
The Banff Centre is Canada's only learning centre dedicated to the arts, leadership development, and mountain culture. Serving the needs of accomplished artists, business and community leaders, and members of the global mountain community through year-round programs designed to enrich professional practice beyond the realm of traditional education.

Sulphur Mountain Gondola
Located 3.2 km (2 mi) from Banff town on Mountain Ave
Banff, AB T1L 1B2
403-762-2523
Hours: Call for additional information
Admission Charged
Ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain in a glass-enclosed, four-passenger gondola car and enjoy a 360-degree view of Banff and the surrounding area. This 8-minute ride transports visitors to outstanding views 2,281 m (7,486 ft) above sea level. While on the mountain, take in a self-guided walk leading to Sanson’s Peak. The original 1903 stone observatory is located here.

Ski Banff @ Norquay
#2 Mt. Norquay Rd
Banff, AB T0L 0C0
403-762-4421
Hours: Open seasonally, call for additional information
Admission Charged
From gentle beginner runs, to heart pounding double black diamond runs, to a full featured snowboard park, Norquay now has everything you need for a great day of skiing or riding no matter what your ability.

Crowfoot Glacier
197 km (123 mi) S of Jasper/33 km (20.6 mi) N of Lake Louise
Crowfoot is one of over a hundred glaciers that can be seen along the Icefields Parkway. Years ago, this glacier resembled a crow’s foot, with three large toe-like extensions. The lower "toe" of this foot has receded so much that only two toes remain.

Hector Lake
214 km (133.75 mi) S of Jasper/16 km (10 mi) N of Lake Louise.
The beautiful green waters of Hector Lake spread below a fresh carpet of lush forest. While the southern part of the lake is forest-enclosed, the northern end is set hard against rugged mountains, which is typical of a lake formed in a glacial basin. One can view Mt. Balfour and the Waputik Range to the SW.

Moraine Lake and Valley of the Ten Peaks
12 km (7.5 mi) E from Lake Louise access road
Formerly pictured on the back of the Canadian $20 bill, this emerald green lake is set before a backdrop of sharp peaks. To the N is Mount Temple, the highest mountain in the Bow Range and third highest in Banff National Park. The valley is a good area for hiking.

Peyto Lake
190 km (118.75 mi) S of Jasper/40 km (25 mi) N of Lake Louise
The highest point on the Icefields Parkway is Bow Summit, 2088 m above sea level. Here the road crosses alpine meadows near the source of the Bow River before dropping into the Mistaya Valley. From the lower parking area at Bow Summit, a short trail takes you uphill to the Peyto Lake lookout.

Columbia Icefield
Icefields Parkway, AB
Ice-walk tours are available April 10th until October 20th.
The Columbia Icefield is located on the boundary of Banff and Jasper National Parks. One of the largest accumulations of ice and snow south of the Arctic Circle, it covers an area of nearly 325 sq km. The continuous accumulation of snow feeds eight major glaciers including the Athabasca, Dome, and Stutfield Glaciers, all visible from the Icefields Parkway. The Columbia Icefield is a true "continental divide," for its meltwater feeds streams and rivers that pour into the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans. Markers at the icefield indicate the rate at which the toe of the Athabasca Glacier has receded this century. Caution - The glacier is dangerous! People have been killed falling into deep, hidden cracks called crevasses in the glacier. For your safety do not cross the barriers.

Johnston Canyon
26 km (16.25 mi) W of Banff on Hwy 1A
Follow the self-guided interpretative trail along Johnston Creek for views of water erosion in action. A 5.6 km (3.5 mi) walk will take you to the Ink Pots. Six cool springs bubble out of the ground year-round. The glacial sediments in the springs create beautiful aqua colours.

Vermilion Lakes
Located off Mt. Norquay just before the Banff/Norquay overpass
This 4.5 km (2.8 mi) drive branches off Mt. Norquay just before the Banff/Norquay overpass and takes you along the three Vermilion Lakes. This drive provides an opportunity to see a variety of flora and fauna common to marshland areas and is popular for bird watchers, nature enthusiasts, photographers and cyclists.

Bow Falls
The falls are just a short walk from the Banff Centre at Tunnel Mountain
Admission Free
The Bow River drops approximately 30 feet near its divergence with the Spray River.

Bow Lake
Located93 km (58 mi) N of Banff just off Hwy 93 N (Icefields Parkway)
Admission Free
The lake is the source of the Bow River. Across the lake is part of a very large icefield covering an area of the Great Divide. The Bow Glacier extends from this field over the cliffs.

Bow Valley Parkway
Access the parkway 7 km (4.3 mi) west of Banff and from the Lake Louise overpass
Also known as Hwy 1A, this 51 km (30.6 mi) route is a scenic alternative to the TransCanada Hwy between Banff and Lake Louise. There are peaceful picnic areas interspersed between the many points of interest along the highway. At Johnston Canyon, a self-guided tour takes you along Johnston Creek to two impressive waterfalls. It’s a 5.6 km (3.5 mi) hike to the Ink Pots (clear greenish pools formed by artesian springs whose water temperature remains at a constant I degree C), which has six cool springs bubbling out of the ground.