West Edmonton Mall has long been part of Edmonton’s identity. The mall was first opened on September 15, 1981 and held the record for the world’s largest indoor shopping center until 2004. WEM isn’t just all about shopping, (although it has more than 800 stores) it also has attractions for the whole family with all the grandeur of the mall itself.
Galaxyland Amusement Park
The world’s largest indoor amusement park, Galaxyland has more than 25 rides and attractions including the Mindbender, the largest indoor triple loop roller coaster in the world. Other rides include the Space Shot, the Solar Flare, the Swing of the Century, the Galaxy Orbiter, the Autosled, the Flying Galleon and the Galaxy Kids Playpark. Originally the park was called Fantasyland but due to a lawsuit from the Walt Disney Company, they had to relinquish the name.
The World Waterpark
Built in 1985, the World Waterpark is the largest indoor waterpark in the world at more than 20, 000 square meters. An artificial tropical paradise (including palm trees and year round 28°C temperatures) the park offers more than 15 different water slides including the Sun Runner (a tube ride), the Sky Screamer, Nessie’s Revenge and the Twister (the park’s highest slide). World Waterpark also boasts the world’s largest indoor wave pool at 12.3 million liters. For those who are more adventurous, The Center of Gravity is the world’s tallest indoor bungee jump tower and the only indoor jump over water.
Sea Life Caverns and Sea Lions’ Rock
Below the world’s largest indoor lake, the Sea Life Caverns offers up close encounters with more than 100 species of fish, sharks, reptiles, amphibians, sea turtles and birds (including penguins). On the lake itself is Sea Lions’ Rock an enclosure with three sea lions, Pablo, Clara and Kelpie, who perform daily shows which are occasionally crashed by the mall’s African Penguins. The lake is also home to the Deep-Sea Derby (a bumper boat ride) and a replica of the Santa Maria.
The Ice Palace
In the heart of West Edmonton Mall lies the Ice Palace, a scaled down version of a NHL regulation size skating rink. It offers several public skating programs and is the home of the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club. It even occasionally is used by the Edmonton Oilers as a practice rink.
Professor WEM’s Adventure Golf
Originally built as a mini golf version of Pebble Beach called Pebble Beach Mini Golf, Professor WEM’s was given a Galaxyland-styled facelift in the mid 90s. The new Professor WEM’s is a challenging 18-hole mini golf course that was designed by Canadian artist Dan Sawatzsky.
Other West Edmonton Mall Attractions
Besides these great attractions West Edmonton Mall boasts the Scotiabank Theater (complete with 13 screens and a fire breathing dragon), Ed’s Recreation Center (a bowling ally/pool hall/arcade/restaurant/music stage that has hosted acts like Sloan, Theory of a Deadman, Lifehouse and Switchfoot), Jubilation’s Dinner Theater, the 355-room Fantasyland Hotel (which includes 120 fantasy theme rooms), an indoor shooting range, the Empire Ballroom (a nightclub), an indoor skate park (in West 49), an internet café and three radio stations (K-97, 790 CFCW, and 96.3 Capital FM), a bingo hall, and a Las Vegas-styled casino. There are also three themed areas: Bourbon Street (a New Orleans styled street full of restaurants and clubs), Europa Boulevard (a European street scape) and Chinatown (a Chinese market complete with a miniature koi pond).
The Future of West Edmonton Mall
As the owners of WEM look to the future, they plan to expand with construction to be completed by 2012. The plans are to build on an additional 30,000 square meters of retail space, a facility for sports, trade shows and conventions, a 12-story office building, a 600-unit apartment building and more parking.
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